Pet Partners and Baxter Foundation Launch Partnership to Expand Therapy Animal Programs Nationwide

Pet Partners and the Baxter Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc., a global medtech leader, today announced a new partnership to expand access to therapy animal programs in healthcare settings across the country.  

The initiative will begin as a two-year pilot program in key regions, including Northern California, Upstate New York and Greater Chicago, IL, with the goal of reaching 100,000 patients and healthcare professionals and creating a more resilient healthcare system. 

As healthcare workers grapple with high levels of stress and burnout, while patients and their families cope with the emotional challenges of treatment, therapy animals can help provide much-needed moments of calm, connection and comfort. Research shows that interactions with therapy animals can lead to lower pain ratings for patients, as well as reduced  anxiety and depressioni. And for healthcare workers, even brief, five-minute therapy dog visits have been shown to lower stress, anxietyii. Yet, many healthcare facilities lack the administrative support and volunteer base needed to develop and sustain therapy animal programs. Together, Pet Partners and the Baxter Foundation aim to provide resources, training and infrastructure to help more healthcare settings integrate therapy animal visits into their care practices. 

Pet Partners and Baxter Foundation Partnership Objectives 

The Baxter Foundation’s investment will support Pet Partners with the following objectives: 

• Expand access to therapy animals: Bring therapy animals to more patients and healthcare workers by increasing visits to healthcare settings and recruiting more Pet Partners volunteers.  
• Advance animal-assisted interventions: Support volunteer education and training to ensure safe, evidence-based therapy animal visits, including updating Pet Partners’ safety and infection control course.  
• Strengthen industry research: Conduct a study on the impact of therapy animals on healthcare professionals to expand public and professional understanding of animals’ roles in supporting a more resilient healthcare system.  
• Engage Baxter employees: Provide hands-on opportunities for Baxter employees to get involved through volunteering, workplace well-being events and more.  

“We are thrilled to partner with the Baxter Foundation to expand access to therapy animals and deepen the impact of animal-assisted interventions in healthcare,” said Annie Peters, CEO of Pet Partners. “Together, we are creating meaningful moments that support resilience for healthcare workers and comfort for patients. This partnership represents an exciting step forward in advancing the human–animal bond in healthcare settings nationwide.” 

The initial two-year pilot is officially underway. Visit www.petpartners.org/baxter to learn more. 

[i]  Carey, Ben, et al., 2022, PLOS One 

[ii] Kline et al., 2020, Academic Emergency Medicine