"Animals not only feel affection,
but they want to be loved"
- Charles Robert Darwin
Who we are
I believe cats are spirits that have come to Earth. A cat, I'm convinced, can walk on a cloud.
(Jules Verne)
Invisible Bond is an association that promotes Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) with an approach based on respect for animals, ethology, and authentic relationships. We work in hospitals, hospices, nursing homes, social and healthcare facilities, schools, and any other context where the relationship with animals can become a tool for well-being, inclusion, and support.
Our animals' ethological well-being is cared for by our caregivers and monitored by our veterinarian, an expert in AAI. Each animal is certified, and each caregiver and project are duly registered in Digital Pet, in compliance with current regulations.
Our association is founded on simple but essential values: integrity, professionalism, legality, kindness, and respect for both people and animals. Because we believe that only from these foundations can what makes each project truly special be born: a genuine bond, built with skill and a great deal of love.
Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) involve dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and rabbits, selected and trained to work in teams with qualified professionals. The relationship with the animal promotes emotional, relational, and cognitive well-being, helping improve the quality of life of children, adults, and vulnerable individuals.
The Projects
"If you look into the eyes of an animal, all the philosophical systems in the world collapse."
Luigi Pirandello
ALZHEIMER'S COFFEE
INVISIBLE BOND IN HOSPICE 2026/2027
INVISIBLE BOND IN HOSPICE 2026
INVISIBLE BOND IN HOME HOSPICES
COMMON STEPS
CAT & CHILDREN
IST PROJECT
Individual Cat-Assisted Intervention Project (AAA)
IAA EDUCATIONAL LABORATORY PROJECT
Caffè Alzheimer offers Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) for Alzheimer's patients, focusing on cognitive, emotional-behavioral, social, and motor skills. Meetings are held on a regular basis and rotate over three months, focusing on themes: dog (activation/connection), cat (calm/introspection), and donkey (slowness/empathy).
The "Invisible Bond in Hospice" project aims to improve the emotional and psychological well-being of hospice patients through one-on-one interaction with cats, reducing anxiety, loneliness, and pain. Visits take place directly in the patients' rooms and include various modalities. The overarching goal is to create an emotional bond that fosters comfort, serenity, positive memories, and distraction from pain.
This project uses interaction with the cats Mahè and Maui to improve patients' emotional well-being, reducing anxiety and loneliness. The activities include sensory activities (petting and purring), relaxation, observation and care of the cat, and sharing stories. The overall goal is to bring comfort, serenity, and meaningful moments to patients and their families.
The project offers home-based Animal Assisted Activities (AAA), with Mahe', to promote the well-being of vulnerable individuals, bedridden or in palliative care, while respecting their time and space. A qualified team (AAA coordinator, assistant, experienced veterinarian, and healthcare workers) assesses the patient's environment, hygiene, and condition before each intervention, adapting the activities based on the patient's physical and emotional condition. The overall goal is to reduce anxiety and isolation, fostering connection, memory, and serenity through the sessions.
The "Passi Comuni" project offers Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) at the Marassi Prison, aimed at inmates with emotional and psychological difficulties, anxiety, or depression. Through work with two dogs, the four-session program develops skills in reading animal signals, managing arousal, responsible leadership, and cooperative problem-solving, with a rigorous protocol for animal safety and welfare. The goal is to transform incarceration into an opportunity for growth, promoting emotional regulation, empathy, and social reintegration.
The AAA "Cat & Children" project offers monthly visits with a certified cat (Digital Pet) to children hospitalized in pediatric wards, with individual or small group sessions (maximum 3 children), to promote emotional well-being and reduce anxiety. Activities include gentle touch, light play, guided reading, art therapy, and quiet time, always respecting the child and the animal's time, while also teaching young patients to recognize and respect cat language.
The "An Invisible Bond" project involves a monthly individual program at the clinic with Mahé the cat, aimed at patients with motor, mental, and sensory disabilities, selected by the staff. Sessions aim to promote relaxation, nonverbal communication, and multisensory stimulation, with a personalized stimulus regimen and constant monitoring of the well-being of both patient and animal. The project follows the IAA National Guidelines and is registered on Digital Pet, under the supervision of Dr. Massimo Scarzi.
Duration of a single meeting: 30-45 minutes.
Duration of each meeting: 45 minutes.
Duration of each meeting: 40 minutes.
Duration of single meeting:
15 minutes per patient.
Duration of single meeting:
15-30 minutes per patient.
Meeting duration: 45-60 minutes.
Duration of each meeting: 45 minutes.
The Animal Assisted Interventions project was carried out at the Oncology department of the IST of the San Martino Polyclinic Hospital in Genoa with the participation of the dog Freccia, certified for Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) supported by his assistant and the cat Mahe' certified for AAI and her assistant.
The activity took place twice a month for a year, involving hospitalized cancer patients through individualized interventions, always agreed upon with the healthcare team.
The project has received excellent feedback from patients, families, and healthcare professionals. The sessions have fostered moments of serenity, reduced anxiety and stress, improved mood, and improved relationships with healthcare professionals, helping to make the treatment journey more humane and welcoming.
The experience confirmed the value of Animal Assisted Interventions as a complementary support to oncology care, thanks to full collaboration with the IST team and with full respect for the well-being of the dog Freccia and the cat Mahe'.
Duration of department meeting:
45 minutes.
The Legame Invisibile Association offers an IAA educational workshop for children, "Let's Get to Know MAHÉ," to teach them to observe, understand, and respect the language of cats. Through guided observation, educational worksheets, and a face-to-face meeting with certified cat Mahè, children learn empathy, consent, and care for animal welfare, under the supervision of the IAA assistant and expert veterinarian Dr. Massimo Scarzi.
At the end, each participant receives a personalized certificate with fingerprints and a souvenir photo.
The project follows the IAA National Guidelines and is registered in the Digital Pet.
Structure: Gigi Ghirotti Foundation Bolzaneto
Facility: Hospice Gigi Ghirotti Bolzaneto and Albaro
Facility: Hospice Gigi Ghirotti Bolzaneto and Albaro
In collaboration with SkaDog Genova
Email: skadoggenova@gmail.com
Facility: Marassi Prison, Genoa
A footprint forever
"The cat examines the long, invisible, colored thread that makes up the wind."
Ernest Thompson
Every encounter leaves something behind.
An emotion, a memory, a small moment capable of remaining over time.
For this reason, during our Animal Assisted Interventions projects, we have chosen to leave the people we meet with a concrete and personal memory of the experience we shared.
At the end of the meeting, we take a Polaroid photograph of the patient or other individual along with the accompanying cat or dog. We also include carbon-based fingerprints of the active animals and the people encountered.
Two footprints, close together, as testimony to a shared moment.
One copy is left with the person, as a memento of their experience; a second copy remains with us. We preserve each imprint along with the name of the person encountered, building over time a collection of encounters, stories, and emotions that profoundly embodies the meaning of the Invisible Bond.
It's a simple gesture, one I've always cherished and one I want to continue to embrace in all our projects. We've seen how happy it can make people to receive something truly connected to that encounter: not just a simple memento, but the tangible trace of a bond that, even if it lasted just a few minutes, truly existed.
Because this is exactly our wish:
to enter people's lives on tiptoe and leave a small mark as we pass.
VETERINARIAN
"An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language."
Martin Buber
DR. MASSIMO SCARZI
Veterinary Doctor Expert in AAI
Website
Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI), once based on empirical practices, are now a scientific discipline rigorously regulated by National Guidelines (2015). This "Ecosystem of Care" transforms the human-animal relationship into a powerful mediator in therapeutic, educational, and rehabilitative processes.
REGULATORY AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
GUIDELINES
- General
- Dog
- Cat
- Donkey
Projections
"And the ancient friendship, the joy of being a dog and a man transformed into a single animal that walks on six legs and a dew-soaked tail."
Pablo Neruda
May 12, 2026
OPI
New screening on International Nurses Day
August 22, 2026
The Miciottoli
New screening of our short film
Events
"I love the supreme indifference in cats and the elegance with which they move from living rooms to gutters."
Stephen Baker
TOGETHER FOR THE SEA
Structure:
Yachting Club Sestri Levante
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Upcoming Schedules:
November 11, 2026: Sivori Cinema in Genoa
May 7, 2026
"INVISIBLE BOND"
Our short film,
Directed by Nicola Bozzo
Upcoming Events:
October 3, 2026: "Forget-Me-Not"
Event organized by
Gigi Ghirotti Foundation
Piazza de Ferrari (GE)
Opening hours: 9.00-18.30
How to contact us
OPENING HOURS:
Tue, Thu 15 - 18
Wed, Fri and Sat 9.30am - 12.30pm
OPERATIONAL HEADQUARTERS ADDRESS: Via Zara 7-R, GE 16145 c/o Moss by Marti
How to support us
BECOME A MEMBER:
Becoming a member of our Association means actively participating in our projects, participating in the association's events and initiatives, and personally contributing to the growth of an organization built on commitment, care, and solidarity.
Membership fee: €100
Recipient: Invisible Bond Association
IBAN: IT97R0623001482000030857396
Bank: Credit Agricole
Reason: "Name Surname MEMBERSHIP FEE"
DONATE 5x1000:
The 5x1000 is not an additional tax or cost: it's simply a small portion of the taxes you already pay to the state, which you can freely choose to allocate to us. It doesn't cost you anything, but it makes a huge difference to our organization.
How to do it?
On your tax return (Form 730, Redditi Form, or CU), tap the box dedicated to "Support for volunteers and non-profit organizations of social utility," add your signature, and indicate our Tax Code 95259300101.
It's a simple and free gesture that helps us continue to care for our animals and carry out our pet therapy projects.
SUPPORT INVISIBLE BOND:
We believe in the profound value of the relationship between people and animals and the benefits this encounter can generate at every stage of life.
Supporting Invisible Bond means helping spread the culture of Animal Assisted Interventions, promoting projects capable of creating well-being, connections, and moments of authentic closeness.
Recipient: Invisible Bond Association
IBAN: IT97R0623001482000030857396
Bank: Credit Agricole