Northern Arizona Pet Therapy Teams and Helping Hands

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Gabriel’s Angels’ volunteer pet therapy teams and helping hands are the heart of our agency! They help drive the mission as well as attend agency events, providing a presence that generates awareness, funding and expansion of our programs. Child-friendly, predictable, and well-mannered pets become registered with their handlers through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs or Pet Partners and join Gabriel’s Angels in serving our mission. The helping hand volunteer is a partner to a matched therapy team on designated visits. Volunteers’ generosity with their time (one hour every week or every other week) are richly rewarded by the gratitude of the children they serve. During pet therapy visits, volunteers spend time engaging children in animal behavior, pet care, grooming, safety, and relating animal needs and behaviors to the children’s needs and behaviors. All volunteers are given tools, teaching aids, training and continued support in helping children achieve critical social skills.