It
is simply a fact that visiting with animals makes people feel
better! Our mission is to give patients residing in hospitals
and similar medical care facilities the opportunity to participate
in therapeutic, recreational and social activities conducted
by trained volunteers and their pets.
 Pet
Assisted Therapy goes beyond traditional treatment by providing
a warm body to cuddle up next to and a spirit-lifting wagging
tail to cheer the patients up. It lets the patients know that
they are needed and loved and helps to improve their quality
of life. This program has proven to give hope, love and companionship
to the often forgotten members of our community.
Our
Pet Assisted Therapy teams (we now have a cat, bunny and cockatoo
in addition to dogs) visit many locations throughout the San
Fernando Valley. Each volunteer receives training and must
be the guardian of a pet which is able to pass prescribed pet
behavioral tests, be spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated and
bathed with 24 hours of the day of the visit. Depending on
the size of the facility, each team (or a combination of several
teams) visits each facility at least once a week for approximately
three hours. Because the therapy teams are well loved by both
staff and patients, they are invited to join in many of the
other festivities offered by the facility and often times celebrate
holidays and birthdays with favorite patients.
If
you are interested in becoming a Pet Assisted Therapy volunteer
or know of a facility that would like to start such a program,
please give our Coordinator a call. Our hours are 9:00 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and our telephone numbers
are (818) 755-6045 or (818) 755-6323. |
