One of the first things one will notice when visiting the Republic of Armenia, are the abundant amount of stray dogs. For Armenian-Americans, who come from a society where pets are basically worshiped, it is odd to experience a cultural attitude towards dogs that does not obsess over “man’s best friend”. Taking care of the stray dog population has been a challenge for a developing country like Armenia. Having an overwhelming stray population is not just an issue for the dogs themselves however, but is also a public health issue. Nairi Krafian, a specialist in animal science and biopsychology, founded an organization called Oknooshoon in 2017, which is the first initiative in the country to introduce therapy dogs to the Republic. The goal of which is to help shape a new understanding of what dogs have to offer the people, by training stray dogs for Canine Assisted Intervention (CAI) to assist vulnerable populations. Listen to our latest episode, where we discuss with Nairi all about the dogs of Armenia, and Oknooshoon’s challenges and hopes in redefining the perception and value of dogs in Armenian culture and society.