Man with Dog, Image Courtesy of Maggie Smith, FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The following websites provide information on the benefits of animal-assisted therapy and volunteering with pets. There are pet therapy programs in Canada, the U.S., India, China, Japan, the UK, and many other countries.
Individual Animal-Assisted Therapy Organizations and Programs
Animal Angels Foundation (Mumbai, India) – Provides animal-assisted therapy for children with developmental and learning disabilities and emotional and behavioural disorders, as well as visits to nursing homes and orphanages
Dr. Dog (throughout Asia) – Facilitates therapy animal visits to hospitals, schools, nursing homes, etc.
Pets as Therapy (UK) – Facilitates therapy dog and cat visits to day centers, hospitals, hospices, residential care homes, special needs schools, etc.
Project POOCH (Oregon, U.S.) – Pairs young offenders and shelter dogs for rehabilitative purposes
PetPartners (U.S.) – Sends animal-assisted therapy teams to schools, nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, etc.
Therapeutic Paws of Canada – Organizes visits to seniors’ facilities such as nursing homes, Alzheimer’s day away centers, hospitals, and other establishments, and runs the Paws to Read program for children with reading difficulties
Therapy Animals Supporting Kids (TASK) (American Humane Association) – Provides therapy animals to support traumatized children in various contexts; Pets and Women’s Shelters (PAWS) Program (American Humane Association) – Works to enable women and children escaping domestic violence to keep their pets
Directory of Animal-Assisted Therapy Providers
Land of PureGold Foundation Directory of Animal-Assisted Therapy Programs (comprehensive U.S. listing, some Canadian, Indian, Italian, and UK organizations)