Hand in Paw Needs You and Your Furry Friends, too!

Hand in Paw Needs YOU and Your Furry Friends, Too!

You and your pet can bring comfort and joy to those who need it most!

As we near the end of 2022 and reflect on all the great programs and mission moments that happened this year, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for our donors and volunteer Therapy Teams. Our mission to improve human health and well-being through Animal-Assisted Therapy is made possible only through you – you are our backbone!

Thanks to your support, Hand in Paw currently has 65 active Therapy Teams making therapeutic visits to the Birmingham and Tuscaloosa community, but we are facing a problem. The number of Therapy Teams we have is simply not enough to grow and visit the program partners on our waiting list. To truly expand, we need to train more new Therapy Teams each year than the number of current teams who retire or need to take volunteering breaks.

With the help of our Board of Directors and guidance from long-serving Hand in Paw Therapy Teams, we’ve made positive changes to our volunteer training cycle to make the process as fast, effective and supportive as possible while maintaining our high standards of service. Our hope is that these changes allow us to recruit and train qualified Therapy Teams faster so we can expand our reach and visit more people in need!

Miranda Hart is a brand-new Therapy Team who completed our updated volunteer training this Summer with her therapy dog partner, Kaz. Here is what she had to say about her experience:

Our mission to improve human health & well-being is made possible through you!

If I had to describe HIP in a few words it would be ‘supportive, encouraging, and fun.’ My golden retriever, Kaz and I began the application process in May and did four weeks of training to prepare for our evaluation. It was very helpful and fun, and I was even allowed to schedule extra times to come practice with some of their staff - everyone was nothing but supportive. Evaluation day came! Of course, I was nervous, but I also felt very prepared. The participants and evaluator were encouraging and kind. The evaluation was done before I knew it, and EVERYONE in the room celebrated with me. They say Hand in Paw is a family and I 100% agree. Kaz and I look forward to bringing many people joy with the assistance of Hand in Paw.

Miranda & Kaz visiting at Danberry at Inverness

At Hand in Paw, comfort has 4 legs, a wet nose, and a golden scarf.

Do you have a 4-legged friend that you think would make a great therapy dog? Please visit our website at handinpaw.org/volunteer to learn more and submit an application!

To help Hand in Paw recruit and train more Therapy Teams, please make a donation using the envelope provided or visit handinpaw.org/donate.

Kaz

Do you meet our basic Therapy Team requirements?

• Dog is 18 months or older

• Must have owned dog for more than 6 months

• You and your dog have completeda basic group obedience course

Questions?Email Stephanie Stoltzner atstephanie@handinpaw.org