Originally published May 19, 2020; updated March 4, 2021 This post was originally published in May 2020, when we had early optimism about the possibility of returning to more typical therapy animal visits. Over the past 10 months we've seen the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic go through recurring waves…
The 4th annual World’s Largest Pet Walk took place on Saturday, September 25, and it was an amazing event! People across the U.S. and around the world participated, showing their support for therapy animals and the benefits of walking with pets. Thank you to everyone who registered, everyone who walked,…
It's almost April 30, which is National Therapy Animal Day! This special event was created by Pet Partners to recognize and celebrate the amazing work of therapy animals and their handlers. National Therapy Animal Day has several goals: Recognize and honor therapy animals for the amazing work they do. Raise…
Holding the title of therapy animal handler is an honor unlike any other. As a handler, you are able to build a profound bond with your therapy animal, as well as spread the joy of that bond to others in your community. The depth of this bond is what makes…
This post is part of a continuing series on preparing your pet for therapy animal work. Animals who become part of our Therapy Animal Program need some essential skills in order to do this work safely and successfully. While the skills will vary depending on the animal's species, all prospective…
Dr. Leo Bustad was one of the founders of Pet Partners (then called Delta Society). His influence on the field of animal-assisted interventions was major, going beyond his role in founding our organization. In this guest post, Dr. Alan Beck shares some thoughts on Dr. Bustad’s influence and his memories…
