“As a volunteer for Love On 4 Paws, when I share the unconditional love of my therapy pet, it creates this magical experience that not only works to heal the patient’s soul, but also personally brings me great joy and makes my heart sing.” Lynn Attig, Love On 4 Paws Volunteer and Board Member
How did your organization form?
In 1990, Sharlene Lauretz began taking her dogs to visit a special education facility where her daughter was enrolled. She was amazed so many children responded to the dogs. She recruited other people and their dogs to participate in animal-assisted therapy sessions. In 1997 Love On 4 Paws, Inc. was formed as a 501(c)(3) California Non-Profit Corporation. Today, about 60 volunteer teams visit 50 or more facilities and special events in the greater Los Angeles area and Orange County.
What is your connection to the Peninsula?
Love On 4 Paws has deep roots in the Peninsula, where we have been making a positive impact on our community for nearly three decades. Our Director Suni Cookson lives in Rancho Palos Verdes, and many of our volunteers hail from the Peninsula as well. In addition, we have participated in local community events such as the Palos Verdes Street Fair to raise awareness of our organization and give cuddles and hugs to fairgoers.
What service does your organization provide and how does it benefit the community?
The mission of Love On 4 Paws is to share the joy, comfort, and healing power of our pets’ unconditional love with people in need. Our emphasis is visiting with adults and special-needs children in hospitals, schools and assisted living facilities, and we participate in community events. Recently, we also sent our therapy pets out to comfort first-responders and victims of the LA Wildfires. Our 2- and 4-legged volunteer teams have impacted more than one million people since our inception. These include patients, medical staff, hospital visitors and family, students, first-responders, and community members.
Positive interaction with an animal-assisted therapy pet has many mental and physiological health benefits. These include lowered heart rate and blood pressure, reduced stress and anxiety, pain relief, increase in mood-boosting endorphins like cortisol, comfort to the lonely and encouraging exercise.
When visiting the hospitals, our volunteers take a special instant-camera picture of their therapy pet with patients and staff, leaving behind a personalized memento of their visit.
Tell us about the dogs in your program.
The dogs and cats in our program live at home with their human handlers all over Los Angeles and Orange County. Their owners train them, care for them, and take them on hospital or other facility visits at least three times per month. Love On 4 Paws is one of the few animal-assisted therapy organizations that will take any breed and any size of dog. Our website features photos and bios of all our therapy pets; many of them have amazing stories!
How can the community get involved in your mission?
Love On 4 Paws is always looking for new volunteer teams! If interested, you can visit the website for more information and to fill out an interest form. Temperament and sociability are the most important factors for a therapy animal. The organization seeks dogs, cats or rabbits that are friendly, self-assured, confident and love people.
Another way to get involved is to donate. Love On 4 Paws depends on donations, large and small, to continue doing important work in the community. Donations are accepted on the organization’s secure website at https://support.loveon4paws.org/
For more information about Love On 4 Paws visit loveon4paws.org or email [email protected].
People can also follow Love On 4 Paws on Facebook and Instagram!
