Love On 4 Paws is a volunteer based non-profit "committed to making a positive difference for those in need through animal assisted therapy." They focus on visiting with adults and special needs children in hospitals and health care facilities, but also visit schools and participate in community events. It was founded in 1997 in the Los Angeles area. Love On 4 Paws now has almost 80 volunteer teams and makes an impact on over 50,000 people each year.
In 1990, Sharlene Lauretz began taking her dogs to visit her developmentally delayed daughter's facility and saw how many children at the facility responded to the dogs. Lauretz invited other people and their dogs to participate in Animal Assisted Therapy sessions. By 1997, Sharlene created Love On 4 Paws and continued to expand the program to its current status. They now work on "recruiting only the best teams, assuring the highest visit standards, and serving premier facilities."
Some of the ways that their website lists their impact are below:
Hospital/Health Facility Patients: Volunteers see smiles from patients who rarely smile. They sometimes see a hand gently pet a dog -- a hand that hasn't moved in weeks. In addition, peer-reviewed studies show measurable improvements in stress hormone levels and blood pressure during and after a visit.
Hospital Staff: Visits by therapy dogs seem to improve morale and encourage positive feeling for those providing the care.
Visitors: Patients are often attended by anxious relatives and friends. The presence of a therapy dog can provide a welcome addition to the healing environment.
Students: Special needs students and even college students taking finals find themselves in high stress situations. Therapy dog visits help.
Community: Love On 4 Paws participates in community events. The intent is to introduce Animal Assisted Therapy to those who may be unaware of its benefits. Our dogs are there, too. They do most of the work.
Our Own Volunteers: None of our nearly 100 volunteers is paid, yet they must follow extensive rules and protocols, fight LA traffic, and contribute many hours each month. Why do they do it? Answer: they're all great people with lovable dogs who enjoy making a difference.
Link to their website: https://www.loveon4paws.org/
Link to support their program: https://www.loveon4paws.org/donate/
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