

	Featured Story		Dog of the Day

About Love On 4 Paws Animal Assisted Therapy

The Love On 4 Paws program provides animal assisted therapy to:
•	Enhance the overall quality of life.
•	Develope therapeutic interventions to meet rehabilitation goals.
•	Decrease loneliness and depression. Love On 4 Paws animals give unconditional love and acceptance.
•	Remove barriers, allowing animals to become part of the life experience.
•	Prepare handicapped children for the companionship of a service animal.
•	Increase motivation for those with physical limitations.

Freddie at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

Love On 4 Paws volunteer handler / animal teams are experienced in interacting with people who are ill, physically handicapped, developmentally delayed, or multi-handicapped. For these people, simple tasks or unexpected situations can become discouraging obstacles, sometimes preventing interaction with others. Animal assisted therapy visits counteract isolation and facilitate socialization, while helping build motor skills, cognitive skills, and self-confidence. As self-esteem increases, feelings of sadness, pain, and vulnerability decrease. It is amazing to watch the way therapy animals bring smiles and happiness to any environment. Suddenly hard work becomes more enjoyable, and challenges become less daunting.

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.

Gidget at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles

In 1995, Love On 4 Paws volunteer teams began visiting nursing homes to reduce the loneliness and stress of elderly people, many of whom were experiencing traumatic life changes and isolation from the outside world.

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.