(PRESS RELEASE) BELLEVUE, WA – Pet Partners, the nation’s leading organization registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions, is excited to announce renewed support from the Petco Foundation with a $30,000 Helping Hero’s Grant that will go towards its therapy animal program. The funds from Petco Foundation, are raised in Petco stores during their Helping Heroes campaign which recognizes and celebrates the impact that service, therapy and working animals have on the lives of millions of people.
“We are thrilled to have the Petco Foundation support us for a second year with this generous grant that will be used to help with various components of our Therapy Animal Program,” said Annie Peters, CEO of Pet Partners. “Having such a large and well-respected organization like the Petco Foundation support the important roles therapy animals play in our lives means a lot to us as well as our handlers and volunteers.”
Pet Partners registered therapy animal teams assist in their communities in a wide range of settings, making regular visits to hospitals, schools, businesses, and more. In addition to their regular visits, teams also conduct visits in special circumstances. For example, they visit with college students during finals and midterms, and spend time with victims of mass shootings or natural disasters.
“Therapy animal visits can have a tremendous positive impact for someone in need,” said Susanne Kogut, president of the Petco Foundation. “It is especially exciting to see pets adopted from shelters who go on to bring joy to others as visiting therapy animals in facilities and homes all across the country. We are proud to continue our support of Pet Partners in their mission.”
Pet Partners has thousands of therapy animal teams across the U.S. and is piloting programs internationally. To learn more about therapy animal team stories, visit www.petpartners.org. For more on the Petco Foundation, visit www.petcofoundation.org.