honoring National Therapy Animal Day, April 30, 2023

April 30 is National Therapy Animal Day. Created by Pet Partners, the nation’s leading organization registering therapy animals for animal-assisted interventions (AAI), National Therapy Animal Day recognizes all of the exceptional therapy animals who partner with their human companions to bring comfort and healing to those in need. Therapy animals and their handlers can be found helping people of all ages in a variety of settings including (but not limited to) hospitals, pediatric care units, schools, and assisted living facilities.

Therapy dogs play a different helping role than service dogs and emotional support animals. They aren’t trained to live with a specific handler. Rather, these are dogs that — with their human teammate (often the dog’s owner) — volunteer in clinical settings, such as hospitals, mental health institutions, hospices, schools, and nursing homes, where they provide comfort, affection, and even love in the course of their work. Therapy dogs are trained to be comfortable in new environments and to interact with different people. They should have a calm temperament, be unfazed by unfamiliar noises and movements, be comfortable being handled, and love people.

Learn more about the differences at AKC American Kennel Club What’s the Difference article.

On National Therapy Animal Day, we do the following:

Recognize and honor therapy animals.
Raise awareness and educate the public about the role therapy animals play in enhancing the health and well-being of humans.
Honor the thousands of dedicated handlers (the human members of therapy animal teams) who volunteer their time and compassion during visits.

Six Ways to Celebrate National Therapy Animal Day

1. Work with your local officials to have April 30 officially proclaimed National Therapy Animal Day.

Use our action alert form to send a request to your city, county, or state leaders: https://action.petpartners.org/page/77186/action/1. Then contact Pet Partners to tell us about your proclamation.

2. Wear a National Therapy Animal Day T-shirt.

Pet Partners is offering a new limited-edition commemorative shirt design. Shirts come in avariety of styles, colors, and sizes, and are only available for order only through April 10. Order today: https://www.bonfire.com/2023-national-therapy-animal-day/ Proceeds benefit Pet Partners.

3. Participate in Treats & Sweets Day.

In honor of National Therapy Animal Day, people all over the country are breaking out theirmixing bowls and whipping up some treats and sweets to participate in this year’s Treats & Sweets Day for Pet Partners. Funds raised support the education and registration of thousands oftherapy animal teams who make over 3 million life-enhancing visits each year. Learn more and sign up today:http://www.treatsandsweetsday.org/.

4. Celebrate your pet by posting on National Therapy Animal Day.

Celebrate National Therapy Animal Day by posting about your pet on April 30. Visit Pet Partners’social mediachannelsto post pictures of your pet.

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/petsforhealth

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/petpartners

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/pet-partners/

TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@petpartners

Tell us how your therapy animal is making a difference in your community. Help us spreadawareness of the importance of the human-animal bond on National Therapy Animal Day by adding #NationalTherapyAnimalDay to your posts.

5. Donate to the match campaign.

With the help of dedicated supporters like you, Wellness Pet Company will match donations up to $20,000. Your contribution helps make more therapy animalteams possible.DonateApril 20-30,2023to activate the match: https://action.petpartners.org/page/122585/donate/1.

6. Express your appreciation for a Pet Partners volunteer.

This year, Volunteer Appreciation Week is celebrated April 16-22. We celebrate all of the dedicated volunteers who are the heart of our Therapy Animal Program. On April 16, visit your favorite social media platformto thank a volunteer and show how important they are to your community. Make sure to include #PetPartners in your post.Happy #NationalTherapyAnimalDay and thank you for all you do!