| Our Pet Therapy Program is a great way to get involved working with your four-legged best friend! Our Pet Therapy Teams interact with each child teaching them to nurture, respect and love by allowing them to care for the dog through various activities. Walking the dog, bringing him water, brushing him, hugging him and sometimes just "being" with him helps these children cope with the turmoil in their lives. We have even had dogs visit children in "time out" to offer a listening ear and a head to pet. Results have been remarkable.
Through generous funding, we have recently introduced the ACT (Animals and Children Together) Learning Project. This project was developed with targeted activities and tools for use by our Pet Therapy Teams while on visits with three very specific age groups in mind. Phase I, developed for ages zero to five, has been completed and two additional phases are currently in production. Each phase will provide age-appropriate materials and approaches with the assistance of an advisory committee made up of child development specialists, psychologists and professors of social work.
In addition, through our work with teenagers, we have developed animal-related programs allowing them the opportunity to give back to their community.
We need your help. We currently 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 volunteers, whether it be new Pet Therapy Teams or Helping Hand Volunteers. For more information on these volunteer opportunities, please click on the links above or contact our Volunteer Department at 480-460-5333.
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