|
The Pet Visitation Program at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona is designed to share animals with people of all ages in facilities such as convalescent homes, hospitals, mental health centers, hospices, children’s facilities and schools. Pet visitation is a wonderful and vital therapeutic mode of promoting and maintaining wellness in our community.
The program volunteers visit more than 80 local facilities each month, bringing over 100 hours of canine love to patients in need. Volunteers bring warmth and love to people who aren’t able to experience the joys of pet ownership.
Our pet visitation volunteers witness the emotional and psychological benefits of this therapy with each visit. A national study shows that contact with an animal lowers blood pressure, decreases cholesterol levels, reduces anxiety, boosts the immune system, decreases aggression and increases socialization and communication.
If you and your companion animal wish to be evaluated for the program, they must meet the following criteria; be at least one year old, have a solid temperament, be in good health and be able to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. You must also be able to attend a four week training class/evaluation. Certification through the HSSA allows you and your pet to visit registered facilities in the Tucson area.
Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at 321.3704, ext. 126 for more information on the Pet Visitation Program.
Fill Out Pet V.I.P Registration Form HERE>
Pictured above right and clockwise: Mr. Mel Zuckerman (owner of Canyon Ranch), Jackson (Pet VIP Partner), Lee Ann Van Hoesen, and Amy Eades (HSSA President / CEO). |
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona’s Pet Visitation Program (Pet V.I.P.) has received desperately needed funding which will allow program staff and volunteers to carry on their vital therapeutic work in our community.
Thanks to a generous $15,000 donation from Mel and Enid Zuckerman, owners of Canyon Ranch, the HSSA Pet V.I.P. program will continue to aid the residents of southern Arizona.
"Everyone in our family is a dog lover and we all treasure having dogs in our lives," said Mel Zuckerman, "Nothing can lift the spirits better than the unconditional love and companionship of a pet."
The partnership is a natural complement to Canyon Ranch’s mission of promoting and maintaining health and wellness which is also the goal of the V.I.P. program.
Thank you Canyon Ranch and Mel & Enid Zuckerman for your wonderful support of our Visitation Program!
|
|