Gabriel's Angels is, in part, named after our first charter therapy dog, Gabriel, a Weimaraner who is an advocate for abused children. The children we serve, our supporters, and our volunteers are our angels.

Our results with these first children were outstanding and exceeded even our own expectations! Both the on-site caregivers and social workers quickly confirmed that the children we worked with were more empathetic and nurturing to one another other. We could see the improvement ourselves in the way they began treating Gabriel.

We then knew that we could indeed make a difference, and we began a concerted effort to tell as many people as possible about our program. In response to the overwhelming support and encouragement we received, we formally organized Gabriel's Angels and were incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of Arizona on May 12, 2000. On January 24, 2001, we were granted our 501(c)(3) status by the Internal Revenue Service retroactive to date of incorporation.

Gabriel's Angels has now grown to over 75 teams volunteering that regularly visit crisis nurseries, domestic violence shelters, group homes and homeless shelters in the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas. Each dog must undergo a certification process that involves training and testing, and each human volunteer must also be trained and pass the standard security screening required by state law.

Currently, we have close to 20 facilities waiting for Pet Therapy Team placement. This need in the community demonstrates the necessity of programs such as this, as well as our effectiveness. We are always looking for new Pet Therapy Teams or Helping Hand Volunteers. For more information on these volunteer opportunities, please click on the request information button or call our Volunteer Department at 480-460-5333.

The local media has generously recognized us for our Pet Visits with abused and at-risk children. All Phoenix television stations have done stories on Gabriel's Angels, and our organization and its volunteers have been featured in the local print media as well, including the Arizona Republic, East Valley Tribune, and Arizona Foothills Magazine. You can view some of this media coverage by clicking on our News tab.