C. Annie Peters is President & CEO of Pet Partners and the Association of Animal Assisted Intervention Professionals (AAAIP). She is a visionary leader, strategic thinker, and exceptional communicator who brings more than 30 years of leadership experience to the Pet Partners team.
Annie drives the strategic direction of Pet Partners to improve programming and increase organizational sustainability. During her tenure at Pet Partners, she has refocused the organization on the importance of educating the public about standards for volunteer therapy animal teams and on the underlying research of why animal-assisted interventions work. In addition, Pet Partners expanded internationally while introducing special initiatives including Read with Me™, an animal-assisted crisis response program, and innovative programming solutions during COVID, including animal-related engagement (ARE).
Under Annie’s leadership, Pet Partners launched AAAIP in 2022 to serve the needs of professionals who wish to practice AAI and integrate an animal into their professional practice. Mental health practitioners, occupational therapists, school-based personnel, and a wide range of other professionals now have a home for education, networking, and certification.
Annie came to Pet Partners from Special Olympics International, where she served as Vice President of Personal Giving and Special Events. During her tenure, she had a broad and positive impact by introducing innovative initiatives globally. She resides in Bellevue, WA with her rescue dog Gidget.
To arrange an interview with Annie, please contact the press office at press@petpartners.org or (425) 679-5514.