The third annual Pet Partners Pet of the Year event raised thousands to support therapy animal teams and brought hundreds of participants and supporters together to celebrate the amazing animals in our lives.  During this six-week competition, which was held February 5 - March 18, 2024, pet candidates (with help…
There is no doubt that time is one of the most valuable commodities that we have—especially in this era in which it seems the world is spinning faster than ever. Yet even with the culture of hustle that surrounds us, millions of people still choose to give their time to…
Dementia is the umbrella term for general loss of mental abilities that affects an individual’s capability to function and carry out activities of daily living. It most commonly affects older adults, but it is not a normal part of aging. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, characterized…
When you think of a therapy animal, what comes to mind? Is it an adorable golden retriever seeming to smile at a client, or perhaps you imagine a horse at an equine-assisted facility? The work of these more common therapy animal species is spectacular, but there are other species in…
Infection control is a hot topic right now, with the COVID-19 coronavirus in the news and flu season underway. There’s a lot of discussion about ways to prevent infection with these high-profile bugs. But infection control is also very important for any therapy animal visit, and it’s one of the…
The Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program has been dedicated since the beginning to bringing therapy animals to people who can most benefit. For more than three decades our dedicated volunteer teams have been bringing the power of the human-animal bond to people in healthcare settings of all kinds. As the…
The positive impacts of a Pet Partners therapy animal team visit often extends well past the visit itself. In this guest post, Dr. Elizabeth Lynch, DVM, shares how one special therapy guinea pig inspired an entire school to embrace the healing benefits of animal-assisted interventions in their classrooms every day.  …
Therapy animal handlers enjoy volunteering their time to enhance the lives of others, but it’s important that therapy animals are also comfortable doing this work. Many people wonder whether or not therapy animals actually like their jobs. Two recent studies have addressed this question. A 2018 Applied Animal Behaviour Science study found…
Pet Partners therapy animal teams visit in a huge variety of facilities and environments. While people most often think of hospital visits and reading programs as settings for therapy animals, there’s really no limit to the places where therapy animal teams can have an impact. We want to share more…
Are you ready to go for a walk? September 23, 2023 is the 6th annual Pet Partners World’s Largest Pet Walk presented by Wellness Pet Company! We're excited to have thousands of people and pets walking all over the country and around the world again this year, and hoping to…
Get your walking shoes and leashes ready! September 28, 2019 is the 2nd Annual World’s Largest Pet Walk, an official Pet Partners walking event and signature fundraiser. This event is for anyone who wants to enjoy the health benefits of being active with pets, of all species, while also supporting…
