Paws for Healing Therapy Dogs Bring Smiles in the North Bay

Medical research consistently shows that the interaction between a person and a pet can be physically and psychologically beneficial. A dogs unconditional love and willingness to please translates into countless benefits for patients, family members, students, and caretakers.

Paws For Healing is a non-profit organization based in Napa, with over 200 active dog teams serving more than 160 facilities in Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties. In addition to visiting healthcare sites and assisted living facilities, Paws For Reading volunteer teams visit schools and libraries in support of enhancing children's literacy skills, and most recently providing much needed stress relief during finals week at local high schools and colleges.

Friendly dogs and their loving owners who are interested in becoming a therapy dog team are invited by Paws For Healing to participate in specialized classes and evaluation by professional canine trainers. Dogs are temperament tested and evaluated for safety and friendliness. Seasoned mentors provide hands-on training and final certification. Trained teams then become part of the Paws for Healing network and continue to receive ongoing training.

The entire Paws for Healing organization, it's members, and dog teams, are all volunteers who generously donate their time to spread joy throughout the North Bay communities. Donations are always appreciated. This will help with expanding services and recruiting new dog teams. If you can help, please visit Napa Valley CanDo’s 2019 Give!Guide. Donations of only $10 make a difference!

For more about Paws For Healing, please visit www.pawsforhealing.org or click here to send an email.