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About Love On 4 Paws Animal Assisted Therapy |
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Love On 4 Paws is a tax-exempt, charitable organization under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). Read Our Story The Love On 4 Paws story begins in 1991 with Sharlene Lauretz's daughter Nancy, who is autistic and developmentally delayed. Sharlene noticed that Nancy accomplished more in school and in her therapy sessions, when the family dogs were present. After Nancy moved to a facility for children with special needs, Sharlene would visit with her dogs. Sharlene observed how much Nancy and the other residents of the home enjoyed playing and interacting with the dogs, as well as how this "play" helped their cognitive and physical development. Nancy and her housemates opened up more with the dogs present, worked harder to meet their goals, and did things with the dogs they would not do with people. During this period, Sharlene met the principal of a high school for developmentally delayed students, most of whom were from the inner-city. After a visit to one classroom, which was a resounding success, word spread to other schools. The Love On 4 Paws program became the official animal assisted therapy program for the Los Angeles Unified School District, Department of Special Education. Handler / animal teams worked with special education staff to help blind, deaf, orthopedically handicapped, developmentally disabled, autistic, and multi-handicapped students.
Then, in 1999, Love on 4 Paws began to focus on the challenges of visiting hospitalized children. These young patients, who are often depressed and lonely, feel so much less isolated when the animals come to see them. First Shriners Hospital for Children and, in 2001, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles asked Love on 4 Paws to provide animal assisted therapy for their patients. In addition to offering traditional bed visits in many different areas of the hospital, including Intensive Care (Unit visit teams), our program provides one-on-one therapeutic interventions for children in recovery (Pain Management teams) and rehabilitation (Physical Therapy teams, Occupational Therapy teams, and Speech Therapy teams). Love on 4 Paws volunteer teams now serve several Los Angeles area hospitals, special schools, and assisted living facilities. There is no doubt that allowing therapy animals to visit these venues greatly enhances the patients’, students’, and residents’ quality of life. As a volunteer for Love On 4 Paws, you are part of a special group. The information under Frequently Asked Questions will answer a lot of your questions. If you have other questions, we are available and more than happy to answer them. Send us email or call us at (310) 547-2200. |
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