Two Organizations, Two Paths in Animal-Assisted Interventions If you know an animal that can make a difference in people's lives, you may have started to research ways to make that happen. Research might have led you to the term “animal-assisted interventions”: goal-oriented and structured interventions that incorporate animals in health, education, and human service…
Since 2017, Pet Partners has offered a scholarship funded by Dr. Aubrey Fine, named the Magic Award in memory of his therapy dog Magic, to registered volunteers for use in personal/professional development in the field of AAI. In 2022, the scholarship was expanded to include members of our sister organization,…
Your dog may be ready to share their love with others, and that’s great! But first, they need you to listen. At Pet Partners, you and your dog work together—you as the handler and your dog as your partner. Together as a therapy animal team, you prepare to visit people who may need comfort, connection, and joy. That teamwork matters. Your dog is…
It’s that time once again: September 24, 2022 is the 5th annual Pet Partners World’s Largest Pet Walk presented by Wellness Pet Company! Last year's event was the largest to date. This year, we want to go the extra mile and have an even BIGGER event! We're excited to have…
In 2020, when stay at home orders and social isolation measures were put in place to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, reading visits at schools and libraries under our Read With Me™ initiative ceased to be an option in many places. At the same time, many families were experiencing educational…
Programs where children read to therapy animals have long been a part of AAI. Our Read With Me™ initiative gives schools, libraries, and therapy animal teams tools and resources for setting up animal-assisted reading programs onsite. But with stay at home orders and social isolation measures in place during the…
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…
Congratulations! Your dog passed the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. That’s a big deal, and you should feel proud. You and your dog have already built a strong bond, and you’ve taken the time to help them learn important skills. That kind of dedication means a lot. Now, maybe you’re…
The first-ever Pet Partners Pet of the Year, a new signature fundraising competition to support Pet Partners, was held February 1–March 15, 2022. And we are so excited at the success of this inaugural event! During the six-week competition, pet candidates (with help from the humans who love them) raised…
Are you an animal lover looking for a fun way to stay fit and give back? Join hundreds of pet owners, animal enthusiasts, and charity supporters by participating in the 7th annual Pet Partners World's Largest Pet Walk, presented by Wellness Pet Company. This pet-friendly fundraising event benefits the amazing…
Many people who want to volunteer with their pet start with a simple idea: My pet brings so much joy to people. Could I share their love through volunteering? When you first start exploring volunteering with your pet as a therapy animal, one of the first names you may see is Pet Partners. That’s because we’re one of the largest and most established therapy…
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…
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…
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…
Your Questions About Volunteering with Your Pet, Answered Want to Volunteer with Your Pet? You’re in the Right Place Maybe your dog loves meeting neighbors. Maybe your cat curls up on the lap of every guest in your home. Maybe your rabbit, bird, or guinea pig has a way of making people smile. If you have ever wanted to volunteer with your pet, Pet Partners can…
Rosario Rogasch first became a registered therapy dog handler back in 2005 when Pet Partners was still known as Delta Society and a much smaller organization. For almost two decades, she has been a dedicated pet therapy volunteer with four different therapy dogs and a long-term monthly donor. How…
One of the principles that makes the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program the gold standard is YAYABA™, 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…
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…
This interview was originally published July 15, 2019. There have been changes in some of the laws since this interview was originally published. We held a Facebook Live event with Ellie Wetzel on February 16, 2021 that covers some of this new information. You can view a recording of this…
