THERAPY PET PALS OF TEXAS INC
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Mission Statement
Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc. (TPPT) was founded solely for the purpose of providing pet therapy to elderly and ill patients and residents in healthcare facilities, and has served in the Austin and The Woodlands/North Texas areas for more than 31 years. Trained volunteers and their calm, obedient dogs visit assigned healthcare facilities twice per month making lasting bonds with the people they serve. Most TPPT volunteers serve nursing homes residents, who are one of the most forgotten segments of our society. Depression runs rampant as the elderly feel isolated; "out of sight, out of mind" is how many describe their lives. Pet Pal Teams provide a ray of sunshine by greeting the residents with a “smile and a tail wag” and sharing their pet’s unconditional love. Last year our Pet Pal Teams volunteered over 13,600 hours visiting the elderly and ill in the 90 different healthcare facilities we serve.
About This Cause
Therapy Pet Pals of Texas (TPPT) is a private, non-profit 501(c) (3) corporation founded in March 1984 and incorporated in January 1990. TPPT is actively serving communities in Central Texas and in The Woodlands/Houston areas. The organization is based on the fundamental philosophy that the human/animal bond plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for most people and that the unconditional love of an animal is a significant factor in bringing joy to life and improving both physical and mental health. Our mission is to enhance the quality of life for institutionalized individuals through our animal assisted therapy program. Our program focuses primarily on the elderly in nursing care facilities. We also provide animal assisted therapy for hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, MHMR facilities and special needs children’s and adult’s centers. Currently, we have over 200 volunteers serving in 90 healthcare facilities in our service areas. TPPT chose to target nursing homes because they are undoubtedly the most in need of volunteers who could bring "the outside world in," and what better way to do this than with a loving pet! We believe that the most "under-served community" in today's society is comprised of the elderly and ill institutionalized patients and nursing home residents. A report issued by the Texas Department of Human Services states, "50% of all residents have no family or surviving spouse. 60% have no regular visitors." Depression runs rampant as the elderly feel isolated; "out of sight, out of mind" is how many describe the sadness of their lives. Another unique feature of our program is that Pet Pal volunteers are assigned to a healthcare facility that they visit weekly and allows them to bond with the residents. Sadly, we are sometimes the only visitors some patients have and many consider our dogs their dogs! Without volunteers who care, depression among the elderly and ill will continue to grow at an alarming rate. Emerging evidence shows that, “…even short-term exposure to dogs has beneficial physiological and psychosocial effects on patients who want it…..Animal assisted therapy (AAT) has been shown to reduce blood pressure in healthy and hypertensive patients. It reduces anxiety in hospitalized patients, too.” (“Animal Assisted Therapy and Heart Failure,” American Heart Assn. Scientific Sessions 2005). In our many years of providing pet therapy, we have received hundreds of positive comments from administrators and staff about the benefits and effectiveness of our program, not only to their residents, but to their staff as well! TPPT members all own their own pets and are required to have them for at least one year to ensure their personal bonding and control. TPPT’s Volunteer Coordinator thoroughly pre-screens all persons and pets who are submitting a registration request. This is done to ensure that the pet meets the basic obedience standards for attendance at the class. TPPT conducts six "hands on" Qualifying and Training Classes each year with a minimum of 10 TPPT Evaluators, who simulate an institutional environment in order to determine the temperament of each dog attending the class. If the dog passes the class, the owner is then invited to submit an application for membership and must sign a medical release giving TPPT authorization to examine the veterinarian's medical records of the dog. An in-depth medical background check is then conducted and completed by the submission of the veterinarian’s professional evaluation of the dog/cat. A TPPT Trainer will then do a minimum of three one-on-one training sessions, lasting 1-2 hours each, with the new applicant and pet in an institutional environment. After the required training visits, the pet is evaluated by the TPPT Trainer as to whether or not the pet can then be certified as a Therapy Pet Pal. Once the new applicants become certified Pet Pal volunteers, they will visit their assigned healthcare facility on a weekly or bimonthly basis. Last year Pet Pal volunteers recorded 13,648 hours of service, providing pet therapy to over 5800 people. Pet Pal Teams greet their residents with a “smile and a tail wag.” But, that’s just the beginning of their duties. In addition to the petting, cuddling, snuggling, chatting, laughing and occasional kissing, three major areas of health problems are also being addressed: (1) PHYSICAL Therapy: Many patients will exercise their afflicted limbs by throwing a ball for a dog to retrieve. They may brush or pet a dog with an arm that has been rendered almost useless by a stroke or injury. They are more motivated to participate in physical therapy if the dog works with them. (2) MENTAL Therapy: Residents/patients who have been withdrawn and non-communicative (i.e. Alzheimer’s) will often show interest and respond to a cuddly feline or fluffy dog that they can hold and love. People who have been unresponsive have been known to speak, touch and smiled at our Pet Pals. Pets are non-judgmental, they do not care if the patient is old, deformed or unattractive--pets love them regardless of their station in life. (3) VALIDATION Therapy: Pets work as "ice-breakers" for volunteers to initiate conversation by breaking down communication barriers. Patient will spontaneously talk about the pets that they have loved in the past. TPPT volunteers listen, ask questions and share in the joy of their precious memories of their beloved pets. TPPT teams bond with their clients and special relationships develop between pet, patient and volunteer when bonding occurs. TPPT is proudly celebrating over 31 years of sharing the unconditional love of our pets through animal assisted therapy, in order to enrich the lives of thousands of Texans confined to living in an institutional environment. We believe that the people who are forced to live in an institutional environment are often the most forgotten segment of our society – “out of sight, out of mind,” is what many of these lonely, ill people believe has happened to them. TPPT volunteers are trying to dispel that theory by choosing to focus our efforts in the particular service area.