PETS FOR LIFE INC
7240 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 www.kcpetsforlife.com

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Organizations Filed Purposes: The purpose of Pets for Life, Inc. is to enhance the care and treatment of people in local hospitals, nursinghomes, shelters for victims of domestic violence, mental health programs, treatment centers for youth andcorrections facilities through the use of certified therapy teams of pets and volunteers

To provide pet-assisted therapy to enhance care and treatment of people, especially the elderly and children

Taking pets to nursing homes, hospitals, etc. for therapy and company of residents and patients. Approximately 169 facilities were visited at various times throughout the year for a total of 18,776 pet visits. The benefits of our pet/volunteer visits to people in the community include the increased emotional/sociological well being of these individuals, as well as positive physiological changes. In the past few years, clinical research has verified that individual pet visits have a very positive physical as well as psychological benefit; anxiety is lessened measurably, blood pressure is lowered, and the risk of heart attack is reduced. Pet assisted therapy/activity is now looked upon as a measurable, medical adjunct to a person's quality of life. In 2020, we had 164 active volunteers and served 169 facilities with regularly scheduled visits. Our volunteer/pet teams made 18,776 client contacts in 2020 and sponsored 12 pet parades. This information is sent to us from the facilities we serve or from our volunteers. We continue to increase our services to children. Through the Leash Pals Program children learn the safe way to greet a dog, when not to approach a dog, and what to do when a stray dog approaches. We have found that this course can be modified for other age groups, as well. We are now presenting this course to many more individuals of differing ages, than we had originally imagined.Our goal is to increase our volunteer base to be able to serve more individuals and facilities in our community.

The Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Program improves children's reading and communication skills by employing a powerful method: reading to a dog. R.E.A.D. dogs are registered therapy animals certified through Pets for Life who receive additional training and certification for this program. The volunteer teams go to schools and libraries as reading companions for children. When a R.E.A.D. dog is listening, the environment is transformed, a child's dread is replaced by eager anticipation, and learning occurs. Participating kids make enormous strides in reading and communication skills while building self-esteem, confidence and social skills. Performance in other subjects tends to improve, as does attendance and even personal hygiene. Reach Out and Read -- Our volunteers and their dogs visit the Cabot Westside Clinic twice a month and interact with children in the waiting room. The children listen or read to the dogs as they await their turn to visit the medical staff.

The Leash Pals Program is a course designed to educate children about a dog's body language in an attempt to keep them safe. Every year over 800,000 dog bites are reported in the United States. Fifty percent of those bitten are children under thirteen. There are a variety of situations that can result in a dog biting. In many cases human behavior plays a large part. Learning to understand what behaviors we exhibit that can lead to aggression, and learning the warning signs the dogs give us can go a long way in avoiding a bad situation. Through the Leash Pals Program children learn the safe way to greet a dog, when not to approach a dog, what to do when an unfamiliar dog approaches and hands-on interactions appropriate for each child's comfort level.

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