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Welcome Med Students!

We’re thrilled to welcome three future physicians to our team over the next few weeks! They are joining us for their Community Medicine rotation, a vital part of the FSU College of Medicine curriculum for students at regional and rural campuses. During this immersive two-week course, these students will work alongside us to better understand how community agencies drive health promotion and disease prevention. They’ll be collaborating with our team to support our mission of maintaining a healthy community while sharing their own fresh perspectives and observations. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome!

Alternate Tuesdays @ 4pm and 6pm - Starting February 3rd

HOPE Community is designed to assist families during brief periods of homelessness, and provides dorm style housing, 3 meals a day, a laundry mat and housing counseling. Mosaic Creative Counseling has begun offering services to families experiencing homelessness, and have asked us to provide an animal therapy experience where the families with young children (0-5) can drop in for a session. Sign up under the "Unique Populations" category! Shadow not required but your therapy animal MUST enjoy small children.

Thursday, February 26 @ 2pm th

Join usfor a group visit to Canterfield Assisted Living (near Lake Ella) on Thursday, February 26 at 2pm to celebrate National Small Dog Day and National Letters to an Elder Day! Residents will be gathered, and you will be escorted to where you are needed by an engaged and excited Activities Director. Sign up in Better Impact under the “Special Events” category. Shadow not required. th

Friday, February 27th @11:30 am

We have been invited to return to the Heart to Heart Wellness Fair put on by Premier Health and Fitness to create heart health awareness. This is an indoor, group event that teams enjoy! Your therapy pet must get along with other animals and enjoy crowds. Shadow not required. Sign up in Better Impact under the “Special Events” category

Wednesday March 4th @ 4pm - 5pm

FSU National Student Speech Language Hearing Association has invited us to a destress event for club members during midterms and grad school admission season. The NSSLHA aims to provide preparation in becoming professionals in the fields of speech language pathology, speech and hearing science and audiology, as well as students interested in related majors and professional fields. Sign up in Better Impact under the “Special Events” category.

Thursday March 5 @11:30 am th

We have been asked to host a short session on Animal Therapy with Leadership Tallahassee Class 43 during their Health and Wellness Day. Animal Therapy is always a favorite during their busy day, and we're excited to welcome them to the Training Center. Sign up in Better Impact under the “Special Events” category!

Renewal Evaluations & Screenings

Renewal evaluations and screenings start during the first week of March and we are looking for help! If you would like to assist, please sign up in Better Impact under the “Screenings, Trainings and Evaluations” category - or by reaching out to us in an email. Thank you!

STELLAANDKENYA STELLAANDKENYA AWARDS AWARDS

Please join us in celebrating TMAT's Stella and Kenya Award recipients for 2025!

Kenya Award: This award is presented annually to an outstanding animal who has inspired volunteerism in their handler. The award is named for Stephanie Perkins’s first therapy dog, Kenya, who inspired Stephanie to start volunteering and has had a longlasting impact.

This year’s Kenya Award goes to Roxie, a dog who didn’t just join a community—she inspired her owner, Jeff Cutshall, to create one. Born under Jeff's watchful eye to a stray dog in Tennessee, Roxie’s "knack" for connecting with people was obvious from her very first breath. That natural gift led Jeff to seek out a path for service, and to our front door. The duo travels from Lamont to the TMH Cancer Center to provide comfort and healing a few times a month, and the only reward Roxie needs is the gentle touches and smiles that she receives while making her “rounds.” We’re so incredibly lucky to have this special pair, and that they have chosen to share their bond with us and with our community.

Stella Award :This award is presented annually to an outstanding individual who embodies volunteerism. The award is named for Stella Furjanic, who was born to volunteer and gave of herself throughout her life. Stella started volunteering with Animal Therapy with her dog, HoneyBoo, later bringing her sister Patty Mitchell and her brotherin-law Chuck Mitchell and their lovely dogs to TMAT. Her enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to our community are still creating ripples in our community today.

This year’s Stella Award honors a volunteer who truly redefines "above and beyond." On most Mondays and Thursdays, you’ll spot Camille Minchin navigating the halls with her feline partner, Mr. Mistoffelees, in his signature stroller—delivering much-needed "purrtherapy" to patients, staff, and first responders. Beyond her rounds, Camille has become an invaluable mentor, even developing specialized cat-centric training to help new feline teams confidently find their paws in a typically dog-dominated world.

Logging Visits

Hours and number of interactions should be logged after each visit. This helps us keep accurate data for funding, planning, insurance and yearly reports. f you are unsure of how to do this - email heather.vanliere@tmh.org! Thank you!

Stop by the training center from 10am - 11am on February 17 to connect with your fellow volunteers over a cup of coffee or tea and a pastry. Share stories and camraderie! RSVP in Better Impact under the TMAT Volunteer Events Category to give us an idea of how many chairs to set out - or just stop by!