(PRESS RELEASE) BELLEVUE, WA — Pet Partners, the nation’s leading organization registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions, announces that Happy Happy Hazel, from San Antonio, Texas, has earned the title of 2022 Pet Partners Pet of the Year. Pet candidates and their human teammates across the country and internationally competed for the title, while raising nearly $130,000 for Pet Partners’ Therapy Animal Program which brings unconditional love, happiness, and healing to millions of seniors, patients, veterans, children, and others in need around the world. Happy Happy Hazel is this year’s winner, raising over $30,000, surpassing hundreds of other candidates from 34 states and 3 countries. Quincy Adam, NP from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, was crowned runner-up, raising more than $24,000 for Pet Partners.
Happy Happy Hazel involved her local community in her fundraising efforts, where she volunteers as a registered Pet Partners therapy animal. Thousand Oaks Elementary School held a Frenchy kissing booth in honor of Valentine’s Day to help raise funds for Hazel’s Pet of the Year campaign.
The competition, which kicked off February 1 and ran through March 15, was open to all pets, not just therapy animals, as proud pet parents and pet lovers across the country shared their personal human-animal bond stories and raised funds in their pet’s honor. As this year’s winner, Happy Happy Hazel not only takes home the national title of 2022 Pet Partners Pet of the Year, but also thousands of dollars’ worth of prizes for his fundraising and awareness-building efforts! Happy Happy Hazel will also have the opportunity to take part in a professional photoshoot, be featured on the cover of Pet Partners’ national magazine, participate in national media interviews, and receive many more fabulous pet-oriented prizes generously donated by many supportive sponsors.
“Each one of our pets plays an important role in our lives, and this competition was an incredible display of the unique bonds we share with them,” said C. Annie Peters, president & CEO of Pet Partners. “We enjoyed the stories from all of our candidates and are grateful for their participation and support of Pet Partners. We are especially thankful for Happy Happy Hazel and her human Sara as well as Quincy Adam, NP and his human KC for their efforts and are proud to call them this year’s official winner and runner-up, respectively. Congratulations to them and to all of our incredible candidates and fundraisers!”
Funds raised through Pet Partners Pet of the Year competition support Pet Partners’ Therapy Animal Program, which is made up of visiting therapy animal teams who bring comfort and joy to members of the public, typically in facility settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, airports, and at workplace well-being events. Fundraising events like Pet Partners Pet of the Year help thousands of registered therapy animal teams make millions of visits per year, touching lives and improving health around the world.
For more information on Pet Partners Pet of the Year, contact Ashley Drew at ashleyd@petpartners.org or visit here.