Read With MeTM
Program
Animal-Assisted
Crisis Response Program
Our Troupe Supports
Our Troops
The PAWSitive Therapy Troupe is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to sharing registered therapy dogs with individuals in a wide variety of health care and educational settings--bringing comfort, support and encouragement through the unique healing power of the human-animal bond.
A Community Partner of Pet Partners
PAWSitive Therapy Troupe Pet Partner AACR-trained teams are now available to provide comfort to those who have been affected by natural, human-caused or technological disasters. Our therapy animal teams may be requested by schools, government agencies or first responders. We never self-deploy but we are ready to provide comfort and stress relief where we have been invited.
Troupe Member of the Month - Nancy Sanneman and Annie
Nancy has been a dedicated member of the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe since 2017. Her canine partner is Annie, a 4 year old Bernedoodle. Nancy and Annie have been dedicated volunteers at Loyola University Medical Center where they are regular visitors at the Bernadin Cancer Center and the Pediatric unit several times a month. They also bring needed stress relief and smiles to busy medical residents and medical students at the Stritch School of Medicine. Finally, Nancy and Annie love their work at elementary schools in Lisle and Naperville in the “Read With Me” programs. Young readers learn that reading is fun when they can read to a therapy dog! Nancy and Annie made their first appearance in the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe’s “Canine Nutcracker” in 2018. They starred as “Ballroom” and “Dewdrop” dancers, delighting children and adults alike in this epic holiday ballet. Here is what Nancy has to say about Annie and her PAWSItive Therapy Troupe experiences: “Annie is one of many empathetic dogs in our troupe. It amazes me when she knows just what a patient or a “reader” needs. It's a mystery how she knows if someone is fragile. I’ve watched her lay her head on someone’s chest, or move her chin back and forth on a child’s arm to tickle him and make him smile. She’s wiggled her eyebrows at people that wiggle theirs at her and has used her paw to turn a book page if her reader wasn't paying attention. Wiggling? Annie does that from head to toe, barely containing her joy, when she sees familiar staff members. Sometimes, people ask if she is, "always so calm". Nope. It's the vest. Like her other furry volunteer partners, she knows it means there's a job to do. What could be better than getting dressed and going to "work" where people pet you and tell you you're a good dog!” On behalf of all of us in the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe, thank YOU Nancy for your years of devoted service! |
The PAWSitive Therapy Troupe is an Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy program designed to share registered therapy dogs with patients and students in a variety of health care and educational settings.
Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) share registered therapy dogs with patients or students in a variety of activities such as individual bedside visits, entertaining demonstrations or educational sessions. Animal- Assisted Activities are not necessarily goal-directed, but they are nonetheless certainly therapeutic in nature.
Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is goal-directed intervention in which a therapy dog is an integral part of the clinical treatment process. It is directed by a licensed health care or education professional with specialized expertise and within the scope of his or her profession. AAT is designed to promote improvement in physical, social, emotional and / or cognitive functioning / reading skills. This process is documented in the health care record by the health care professional or in the education plan by the education professional.
Yes! Therapy dogs are NOT “service”, or “assistance” dogs. Service dogs include guide dogs for the blind; hearing dogs that alert their owners to sounds; mobility assistance dogs, which may pull a wheelchair or directly support a person; seizure alert dogs; and others like them. Service dogs are covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act. People with disabilities can BY LAW, take their service dogs with them wherever they go, including planes, restaurants, sporting events, etc.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that therapy dogs and their handlers have the same rights of access as people with disabilities and their service animals. Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs. They are NOT allowed to accompany their handlers wherever they go. Therapy dogs are invited into hospitals, nursing homes or schools to work with patients or students on very specific tasks, or simply to bring their unconditional love to the many people who need them in these facilities. Therapy dogs and their handlers have no more rights of access than anyone with a companion animal or pet.
Therapy dogs are always first and foremost beloved family pets. You cannot “buy” a ready made therapy dog. Therapy dogs and their owners, because of their interest in therapy work have undergone additional rigorous training to prepare them to function reliably in health care or educational settings. Therapy dogs live at home with their families when they are not working.
PAWSitive Therapy teams on the NBC News "Making a Difference" segment -- How Therapy Dogs are Helping Sick Kids at Loyola University Medical Center.
(April 30, 2019)
PAWSitive Therapy Troupe Featured on PBS's "In the Loop"
(May 25, 2017)
PAWSitive Therapy team Amy and Buster on CBS News
(February 16, 2018)
Loyola Celebrates 20 Years of Pet Therapy - For 20 years, the PAWsitive Therapy Troupe has been visiting patients, families and colleagues at Loyola Medicine. These canine caregivers bring comfort, support and encouragement through the unique healing power of the human-animal bond.
(July 2017)
For general information on Animal-Assisted Activities/Therapy, visit the Pet Partners web site.
If you are already a registered Pet Partner Team and would like to become involved yourself, please fill out our online application.
If you have further questions about the PAWSitive Therapy Troupe, contact us at:
