Pet PALS Brightens Our Day

What’s more relaxing than getting to hang out with some really awesome animals? Nothing! P.E.T. P.A.L.S which stands for Pets in Education and Therapy, People and Animals in Life Sharing made their way to Waverly recently for a visit! This organization was created in 1983, as a partnership with the Black Hawk Humane Society what we know today as the Cedar Bend Humane Society. The animals are the personal pets of the volunteers, these animals and owners go through an in-depth screening process to be the most beneficial to the people they serve. The volunteers bring their pets out to numerous locations around the community, and we had the pleasure of hosting them.   

The clients at the shelter got the chance to bond with cats and dogs.  There was fetch, treats, and a whole lot of snuggles! Some clients reminisced on memories of their own pets and the bonds they had with them.  Bonds with animals are just as strong as those with humans for some people and this can help people open up and bring back memories that bring a sense of safety.  This is one of the many reasons why we have a fostering for hope program.  We understand this bond is special and don’t want people to not seek help because they may lose their pet.   

We hope to continue this partnership with P.E.T. P.A.L.S and encourage relationships with animals.  Also, if you are interested in becoming a foster pet parent with our fostering for hope program for any animal you think you can give back, feel free to reach out with any questions to elizabethh@fofia.org. When you do that we can go over what that looks like and the opportunities you have to impact our clients life in a positive way!