New York Therapy Animals

Handler Workshops, Therapy Dog Training Classes, Team Assessments and Continuing Education: New York Therapy Animals is the New York City affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals. We recruit, educate, train and mentor interested people along with their well-mannered dog who meet the requirements for our practical application curriculum. Upon successful completion by the handler and the dog of our seven-week workshops, which include handler workshops, therapy dog training classes, and team assessments, they become a trained, licensed and insured therapy dog team. These therapy dog teams are now qualified for volunteer placement with our many healthcare facilities; assisted living facilities, educational venues - universities, schools, and libraries; corporations; and other community activities. Our teaching methods promote healthy relationships through humane education skilled training.

Therapy Dog Team Programs: New York Therapy Animals 140+ therapy dog teams bring comfort, support and smiles to people within the NYC and Westchester communities in more than 250 venues. These venues include healthcare facilities, assisted living facilities, educational venues - universities, schools, and libraries; corporations; and other community activities. Environments and lives are transformed by sharing a distinctive, attentive and compassionate kind of healing through supportive therapy dog teams to people in need. Our animal-assisted interactive community programs serve people of all ages in various socio-economic matters in areas of physical, occupational, speech and psychotherapies and special education. Beneficiaries of such services include, but are not limited to, hospital patients and staff, assisted living facility residents, Alzheimer's patients, and students. New York Therapy Animals is the official affiliate for the R.E.A.D.(R) Reading Education Assistance Dogs(R) R.E.A.D. (R) children's literacy support program in schools and libraries. R.E.A.D. is a great motivator with a strong academic influence and assists to touch and tackle the nervous aspect of reading. Striving readers read 1:1 to the non-judgmental therapy dog in a safe atmosphere with the assistance of their human partner helping with fluency, comprehension, improving test scores by enhancing their confidence levels and the love of reading. The organization service includes social-emotional mental health programs with school professionals helping children struggling with identity, bullying, anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Students are led in therapeutic discussion and relaxation techniques to enhance their self-esteem, social skills and confidence with a therapy dog team's calming presence. Benefits of interacting with a therapy dog include the lowering of blood pressure, decreased heart rate, slower breathing, significant measurable relaxation, fewer requests for pain medication, shorter recovery times, and lowering of stress and anxiety levels.