Jan McCoy Hutchinson and Ashley Drew
(PRESS RELEASE) BELLEVUE, WA – Pet Partners, the nation’s leading organization in registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions, announced the launch of its new chapter, Pet Partners of Arizona, designed to meet the growing demand for therapy animal teams throughout the area. Southern Arizona will be home to one of four newly established Pet Partners chapters and will combine the opportunities available in the local community with the best practices put in place by Pet Partners International Headquarters, while also serving as an extension of existing Pet Partners community-based groups.
“As Pet Partners, and the demand for therapy animal visits, continues to grow, we are committed to dedicating more localized resources across the country to organize and guide our volunteers,” said Annie Peters, president and CEO of Pet Partners. “With the formation of the Arizona Chapter, our dedicated volunteers will be empowered to more directly focus their efforts on sharing the love of their pets with those in need.”
To manage the Arizona Chapter, Pet Partners has added two new members to its staff.
Ashley Drew will hold the title of executive director of Pet Partners of Arizona. She comes to Pet Partners with extensive knowledge in donor stewardship, event management, and volunteer relations, having formerly served as the community impact director at the Never Again Foundation. Drew received her bachelor’s degree in mass communications and sociology. She continued her education at Western International University, earning her master’s degree in marketing. If you are part of a business or organization in the southern Arizona area and would like more information about the healing power of therapy animals, Drew can be reached at ashleyd@petpartners.org.
Jan McCoy Hutchinson will serve as program manager for Pet Partners of Arizona. Most recently, she served as the program director of Gabriel’s Angels, where she developed and maintained partnerships with entities serving at-risk children and their families. Hutchinson has volunteered with Pet Partners since 1999, serving as a handler and evaluator. Alongside her therapy dog, Hutchinson currently visits psychiatric inmates at the U.S. Federal Corrections Center, young readers at the Pima County Valencia Library, and more. A graduate of the University of Arizona, she received her bachelor’s degree in special education and master’s degrees in journalism and education. If you live in the southern Arizona area and are interested in the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program, you can reach Hutchinson at janh@petpartners.org.
“With their previous experience and passion for animal-assisted therapy, Ashley and Jan are the ideal candidates to continue the momentum of our chapter program,” said Peters. “We are thrilled to have them on our team and look forward to everything they will accomplish in their new roles.”
Therapy animals, such as those who participate in the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program, provide affection and comfort to members of the public, typically in facility settings such as hospitals, assisted living, and schools. These pets have a special aptitude for interacting with members of the public and enjoy doing so. Therapy animal handlers volunteer their time to visit with their animals in the community.