Origin and team
EURO-DOGS.eu is an important and joint project launched by “VFBB – Verein für Bindung und Beziehung zwischen Mensch und Tier” with the support of “TAT-WAZ”. The latter is the scientific branch of “Animals as Therapy”, which is one of the oldest and largest training associations for companion and therapy animals in Europe. The umbrella organization “ESAAT” – “European Society for Animal Assisted Therapy” – https://www.esaat.org – also plays an important role by acting as an advisor for training content and certification guidelines. This is intended to ensure the quality and professionalism of the training and guarantee that the animal therapists involved and their animals are prepared for their tasks in the best possible way.
The EURO-DOGS.eu Team

Dr. Beate Pottmann
Board of Directors VFBB + PSDeurope
Psychotherapist and psychological counselor with a focus on animal-assisted work. Author of books on bonding and the human-animal bond. Responsible for the integration of psycho-social challenges in PSDeurope training. Dr. Beate Pottmann-Knapp studied psychotherapy sciences at the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna, with a focus on the relationship between animals and personality. She has worked with children, adults and families. Her dog Gillike, a certified therapy dog, has accompanied her throughout her life. She is currently guest lecturing and working on a book about puppy socialization. She offers courses for further training in animal-assisted work and online supervision and is convinced that respectful interaction between humans and animals is crucial for the future.

Burkhard Knapp
Board member of VFBB and trainer at EURO-DOGS.eu
Board member and managing director of various companies for many years. He has contributed to improving standards in dog trainer training and has extensive experience in training and keeping dogs. He has also developed innovative methods for optimizing communication between humans and dogs. Responsible for training guidelines of VFBB, PSDeurope and EURO-DOGS.eu. With his academic training in dog behavior, Burkhard Knapp brings sound knowledge into practice. His passion for animals and education is reflected in his work. His commitment to the quality of life of humans and animals is inspiring. He firmly believes that supporting mentally distressed people and their dogs is important for society and that it is important to raise awareness of the healing powers of animals.

Helga Widder
Head of Dog Trainers Managing Director TAT
Academically trained animal and dog trainer for therapy and assistance dogs, founder of TAT and TAT-WAZ (animals as therapy), successful breeder of Hungarian shepherd dogs (Puli) and president of the first Austrian Puliclub. She is particularly interested not only in the development and promotion of animal-assisted interventions, but also in the continuous improvement of these approaches through innovative methods. In addition, she has dedicated herself to the development of therapeutic and/or educational concepts in which animals are used as valuable assistants and quasi-therapists. Through her work and conviction, it is her great wish to establish a standardized professional profile for animal-assisted interventions throughout Europe in order to sustainably improve the quality and professionalism in this field and to enable a better future for the animals and the people who benefit from them.

Rene Schwarz
Senior Assistance Dog Trainer EURO-DOGS.eu
Has completed his training as a certified assistance dog trainer and plays an important role in training at EURO-DOGS.eu. His passion for animals and his desire to help people with disabilities motivate him every day. After working in healthcare for many years, he had to stop due to health problems. Nevertheless, he was not discouraged and successfully completed his training. In his spare time, he is involved in animal welfare projects and spends time outdoors with his beagle dog Leni. He will provide an important link between the members and the organization and has agreed to lead the PSDeurope WhatsApp group as administrator. This group enables exchange and support among dog owners and promotes a strong community. We share experiences and helpful information to make traveling with assistance dogs easier.

Stefanie Holzberger
Assistance Dog Trainer
Stefanie is an assistance dog trainer with a passion for animals. After two years in employment, she became self-employed and now runs her own training center for assistance dogs in Lucerne, Switzerland. It offers training courses, workshops and information events for prospective assistance dog owners. Together with her PTSD team, the Italian running dog mix Blake, she shows the important human-dog relationship. Charlie, a Dalmatian dog, completes the trio. Stefanie, who speaks German, English and French, is popular in the region and is praised for her results. Their specialist knowledge increases understanding of assistance dogs. She offers individual coaching and training packages to support progress. At the end of the training, participants receive a confirmation and documents to get them started in practice.
