Pet Partners and the Baxter Foundation are partnering to expand access to therapy animal visits in healthcare settings across the country.
Together, we are bringing moments of calm, comfort and connection to more patients, families and healthcare workers.
As healthcare workers face high levels of stress and burnout, while patients and their families cope with the emotional challenges of treatment, therapy animals can provide much-needed moments of comfort.
Through this partnership, the Baxter Foundation and Pet Partners are:
Together, our goal is to reach 100,000 patients and healthcare workers by the end of our two-year pilot program.
Just a few minutes with a therapy animal can:
• Help reduce stress and anxiety
• Restore focus and emotional balance
• Create connection in clinical environments
• Support resilience during long, demanding shifts
These moments may be brief, but their impact can build lasting resilience. Research shows that even 5-minute visits can lower cortisol and self-reported stress. (Kline et al., 2020, Academic Emergency Medicine).
We are growing therapy animal programs by recruiting and supporting more therapy animal teams and increasing visits to healthcare facilities in priority regions, starting with Northern California, Upstate New York and Greater Chicago, IL. This will help us bring the benefits of therapy animals to more patients and healthcare workers across the country.
Through volunteer education, standards, and support, we are advancing safe, responsible therapy animal visits. This will help ensure every visit supports both human well-being and animal welfare.
Baxter employees are invited to experience the power of the human–animal bond through therapy animal visits and pet-friendly engagement opportunities. These experiences support workplace well-being while reflecting Baxter’s commitment to compassionate care. Baxter employees interested in learning more about the Baxter-Pet Partners Partnership or how to get involved in our Therapy Animal Program, can contact us for more information.
We are conducting a study on the impact of therapy animal interventions on the healthcare workforce to help expand public and professional understanding of how therapy animals support resilience in care settings.
Rooted in the Baxter Foundation’s commitment to empowering community resilience and Pet Partners’ expertise in animal-assisted interventions, this partnership provides moments of comfort, care, and connection when it counts.
For patients.
For healthcare workers.
For the future of care.
