Pet Therapy

Pet Therapy is a therapy technique that uses animals to help people.  Pet therapy is a guided interaction between a person and a shelter animal. The goal of Pet Therapy is to improve social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.  Pet therapy builds on the pre-existing human-animal bond. Interacting with a friendly pet can help many physical and mental issues. It can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. It can also release endorphins that produce a calming effect. This can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and improve your overall psychological state.  Residents at area nursing homes and DDSO homes are among those who enjoy our pet therapy visits.

Foster Parents

Fostering is simply nurturing a shelter pet in your home for a period of time. The majority of animals fostered are litters of kittens. Kittens and sometimes puppies come to the shelter stray or abandoned and are too young and fragile to be placed in permanent homes. They need the security of their litter mates, they need special care, and they need to learn important lessons from each other.

Just like kids, kittens and puppies learn to get along with each other by playing. They learn limits, they learn tolerance, and they learn not to hurt each other — too much! This littermate interaction is essential for the healthy development of puppies and kittens. Fostered litters also learn about the home environment — other cats, dogs, and kids. When they return for adoption, they are often the most outgoing, confident animals in the shelter.