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 6th annual World’s Largest Pet Walk took place on Saturday, September 23rd, and it was an amazing event! With people walking all across the world alongside their pets and neighbors, Pet Partners was able to raise vital funds to register more therapy animal teams. Thank you to everyone who…
Our volunteers are the heart of the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program. They’re the ones who bring the benefits of the human-animal bond to their communities with therapy animal visits. They’re the ones who instruct potential handlers about therapy animal work, and do outreach in their communities to help people…
There’s no way to avoid dramatic statements as we look back on 2020: This was the most extraordinary year in the history of Pet Partners, as it has been for so much of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed life and activities for everyone, and the year we’ve ended…
Not all therapy animals are dogs, and prospective handlers who adopt other species may need specialized information on how to prepare their pets for therapy animal work. For this guest post we welcome Kristin Woodbury with House Rabbit Society and a previous therapy rabbit handler, who offers advice on rabbit…
One of the principles that makes the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program the gold standard is YAYABAâ„¢, which stands for You Are Your Animal’s Best Advocate. YAYABA is your most important responsibility as a handler, because your animal’s welfare should always be your top priority. Practicing YAYABA includes allowing your…
The holiday season is upon us, and we all know this is a time of giving—whether that means giving gifts, our time, monetary donations, or just giving thanks. We know our volunteers enjoy giving their time year-round, so during this special time of year, we’ve created this holiday gift guide…
