Tedd Rosenfeld and Kevin Lian
(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 Southern California, designed to meet the growing demand for therapy animal teams throughout the area. Southern California will be home to the first 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 Southern California 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 Southern California Chapter, Pet Partners has added two new members to its staff.
Kevin Lian will hold the title of executive director of Pet Partners of Southern California. He comes to Pet Partners with extensive knowledge in staff leadership and development, finance management, and donor relations, having most recently worked at the Boys & Girls Clubs of West San Gabriel Valley. Lian is a graduate of UC Irvine, where he received his BA in sociology. If you are part of a business or organization in the Southern California area and would like more information about the healing power of therapy animals, Lian can be reached at kevinl@petpartners.org.
Tedd Rosenfeld will serve as the Pet Partners program manager for Pet Partners of Southern California. He brings more than 35 years of experience in the broadcast television industry. For the past 18 years, Rosenfeld has volunteered with Pet Partners as an evaluator and handler. He played a major role in establishing therapy animal programs in several Los Angeles hospitals. If you live in the Southern California area and are interested in the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program, you can reach Rosenfeld at teddr@petpartners.org.
“With their previous experience and passion for animal-assisted therapy, Kevin and Tedd are the ideal candidates to kick off 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.