Healers: The deeper impact of pet therapy

Healers - The Deeper Impact of Pet Therapy tells the story of how a big red dog and his kind-hearted person ventured into the world of pet therapy together. What started in 2005 with a handful of teams (volunteers and their own pets) visiting a handful of sites, grew into an award-winning nonprofit organization with more than 650 trained and certified teams in 24 specialized programs, providing one-on-one visits at 200 sites throughout a four-state region. Each chapter profiles a PAWS for People program and showcases a team and, more importantly, describes the simple but powerful healing effect of pet therapy on everyone involved. Roger, a golden retriever who flunked out of seeing eye dog school, is the personification of love and acceptance as he sits with a retired priest in a nursing home. Mr. Gibbs, a rescued puggle, visits those struggling with addictions and often adds comic relief to intense group therapy sessions when he falls asleep and begins to snore. Edward, a former classroom bunny, has a new home with Megan, who survived a mass shooting and came away with the desire to give back to her community.Beautiful color photographs depict the diversity of the volunteers―who hail from all walks of life―and their gentle, affectionate pets, who have their own charming (or sometimes harrowing) backstories. Timber, an English Labrador, was a wedding gift and is now offering pet therapy to tourists as a mascot for a water taxi company in Baltimore. Sadie, a Malinois who was rescued out of the war rubble in Syria, is now helping children with autism. Animal lovers will enjoy reading about the joy, comfort, and healing that these teams bring to young and old and everyone in between, as well as learning about how pet therapy is a deeply rewarding activity for the volunteers and their pets.