PET THERAPY & SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
Pawsitive therApy
PAWSitive Pet Therapy volunteers visit area senior centers, nursing homes, and other facilities with their CGC certified dog (or therapy certified cat). All PAWSitive Therapy animals are well behaved and current on vaccinations. The Naperville Area Humane Society works with the volunteers and facilities to ensure a perfect match for both parties. Currently, Pawsitive Pet Therapy volunteers have visited 70 different locations and dedicated over 1,300 hours in 2023.
The Animals
Some of the PAWSitive Therapy animals are rescued, each having their own stories to tell, and we believe that people can relate to their hardships, often comparing their own stories to the animal’s stories of fear, loneliness, and neglect. No matter what their story is, all of our PAWSitive Therapy animals share their unconditional love with everyone they meet!
The Experience
However, we believe the program goes much deeper as the human-animal bond is very powerful. Our PAWSitive therapy animals and handlers aim to provide support, comfort and companionship to the people and facilities they visit. Interaction with the animals, their unconditional love, and limitless patience is an experience that cannot be described!
Paws for tales
Our Paws for Tales animal-assisted reading program provides schools with certified volunteer/animals team visits, which help children of all ages to feel more comfortable by reading aloud to a dog in a non-judgmental, supportive environment. Since the program began in 2009, educators have consistently shared that their students' reading skills as well as classroom behavior have improved while part of the program.
Our Paws for Tales program will motivate many children to improve their reading skills; however, the program goes much deeper. The bond between humans and animals is very powerful. Interacting with and reading to a therapy animal while they provide unconditional love and limitless patience is an experience that cannot be described. Positive effects on the participating child have been observed even during the first reading session with the dog. Check out the video below of one of our teams and the impact that they have had at a local school.
are you Interested in becoming a pET Therapy volunteer?
We are always seeking additional volunteer teams of handlers and their pet! As a Paws for Tales or PAWSitive Pet Therapy volunteer you will visit area senior centers, schools, and other facilities with your own dog or cat that is certified for pet therapy. Your animal needs to be friendly, well-behaved and current on vaccinations. We have a CGC evaluator on staff and are able to evaluate and certify animals right here at the humane society! Please view our CGC class schedules here.
There are numerous facilities throughout the surrounding communities that would like visits from our volunteers. We will work with you to find the right facility and the right schedule! There are facilities that would like visits during weekdays, weeknights, weekends or for special events, so the possibilities are endless!
Contact Information
For more information about becoming a Pet Therapy Volunteer or if you are a location that would like to schedule a session with one of our PAWSitive Pet Therapy or Paws for Tales teams to come out please contact Julie Balsamo at jbalsamo@naperhumane.org or 630-420-8989 x1010.