Written by Richard Waxman—Executive Director of “Paws & Hearts,” this message is ‘s-paw-nsored’ by Lucky and Scruffy –the true founders!
Our 501 C3 Non-Profit is now in its 23rd year of serving the desert community with its therapy dog program. Our group takes therapy dogs into local hospitals, long-term care facilities, cancer centers, special ED classes and Alzheimer’s facilities
on weekly visits.
Our teams (human and canine) are made up of local residents who have amazing dogs that want a weekly job making a loving visit to a facility to help the residents feel just a bit better.
The concept is very simple: if you are a full-time resident (sorry, no snowbirds), with an amazing dog and wish to share him or her with the community, our organization will temperament test your dog. If he or she passes, we will train the two of you to become volunteers. You must be able to commit to weekly visits, and be willing to be just the guys at the end of the leashes…our dogs do all the work!
On Monday mornings my little guy “Terry” visits The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional, and just recently a patient paid Terry the highest compliment. She looked at him and said, “Terry, thank you for calming me down before my appointment!” That’s what these visits are all about!
For more information on our program & to make a much needed year-end donation, please check out our website: pawsandhearts.org and give us a call if you think you and your dog have the temperament for this type of amazing work! 760-836-1406.
