Meet Unchained’s facility dog: Fairfax!

Meet one of the handsomest team members here at Unchained At Last: Fairfax!

An expertly trained, highly skilled facility dog, Fairfax reduces the trauma-related symptoms Unchained clients experience as they escape forced marriages, navigate new and often stressful systems and transition into their new lives.

Fairfax is not just a pretty face and lots of fluff. He follows more than 30 commands that allow him to execute complex tasks to engage and console clients. For example, he can apply deep pressure at a client’s request, play games that encourage communication or offer a box of tissues to provide comfort and reduce tension.

All of which make him very successful in his role as Chief Cuddle Officer.

Fairfax received his extensive education at Canine Companions, the leading assistance-dog nonprofit in the United States. He graduated from Canine Companions as a facility dog, which means he can work with a professional to help clients achieve therapeutic and practical goals by performing specific, skilled tasks. His education included extensive instruction in animal-assisted psychotherapy, in which a specially trained mental health professional incorporates a dog into the therapy process to drive it forward in a nonjudgmental and safely engaging manner.

Make sure to follow Unchained on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you will not miss the #FairfaxFridays updates on Fairfax’s important work — and on the many naps he builds into his schedule, in compliance with Unchained’s focus on self-care. All the Fairfax updates are accompanied by photos, for obvious reasons.