The Therapaws Mission
Therapaws of Michigan, Inc. (Therapaws), a canine- assisted therapy program, is dedicated to promoting and fostering the human-animal bond in therapeutic and educational settings.
In the spirit of this mission, individual owner-dog teams visit residents and patients in health care facilities, providing social, emotional, and physical benefits. A strict screening protocol assures the selection of well- mannered dogs of sound temperament and good health.
Therapy Dogs Incorporated (TDInc.), a national organization that all Therapaws members must belong to, provides registration, support, and insurance for therapy dogs that are tested and screened according to its guidelines and standards.
History of Therapaws
Therapaws of Michigan, Inc. (Therapaws) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) all-volunteer organization whose goal is to facilitate healing and provide emotional and social support for those who are hospitalized or residing in a long-term care facility due to an acute or chronic illness.
Through team visits, Therapaws members bring the healing power of their companion dogs to those in need. All registered Therapaws owner-dog teams go through rigorous screening and testing according to standards set by Therapy Dogs Incorporated (TDInc.), a national organization located in Cheyenne, Wyo., that also insures each registered therapy dog with a three million dollar liability policy for a $25 fee per year. (Visit their website at: www.therapydogs.com).
Although Therapaws became incorporated as a board-directed organization in January 2001, its roots go back to 1988 when Susan Fischer and her Golden Retriever "Willie" first began visiting patients at the University of Michigan Hospitals.
Originally called Therapets, the organization grew and became an outreach program through the Humane Society of Huron Valley. The name was changed to Therapaws of Michigan, Inc. in 2001 and the organization became registered with TDInc. (Therapaws™ of Michigan, Inc. and its logo are registered trademarks.).
Therapaws Today
Pet Therapy Team Visits
Today, Therapaws has about 50 pet therapy teams who visit more than 40 settings in Ann Arbor and surrounding communities. These include various floors, departments, and units within the University of Michigan Hospitals, including Mott Children's Hospital, St. Joseph Mercy Hospitals, and the Veterans Administration Hospital as well as dozens of extended care and assisted living facilities, psych centers, rehabilitation centers, and schools and libraries.
Therapy Dog Testers
Among its members, Therapaws has five testers who are qualified by TDInc. to test dogs for admission to TDInc. and the Therapaws program.
R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs)
In 2004, Therapaws partnered with R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs), a program launched in 1999 by Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) in a public library in Utah. The mission of the R.E.A.D. program is to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered pet therapy teams as literacy mentors. The R.E.A.D. program improves children's reading and communication skills by making dogs available for children to read aloud to. It was found that the level of reading-aloud confidence scored high in testing individual children involved in this program. Now, dogs are being used for boosting reading confidence in schools as well. (Learn more about ITA's R.E.A.D. program by visiting www.therapyanimals.org). Today, several Therapaws members also are registered as R.E.A.D. teams and visit facilities in Belleville, Chelsea, Dexter, and Ypsilanti. Therapaws is looking to expand the R.E.A.D. program into Ann Arbor and other communities.
Pets by Prescription
Therapaws also has a program through the University of Michigan Hospitals called Pets by Prescription that allows patients to request a dog visit at any time during their stay. Therapaws teams assigned to hospitals also must go through the hospital volunteer orientation programs.