KPETS - Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services

MISSION:KPETS – Keystone Pet Enhanced Therapy Services provides a network of dependable registered pet therapy teams whose passion is Touching Lives & Warming Hearts by providing comfort, encouragement and rehabilitation through human/animal interaction.

KPETS is a non-profit organization established to promote animal assisted therapy/animal assisted activities (AAT/AAA). The healing and rehabilitating benefits of the animal/human bond are provided by registered KPETS volunteers to the community in health-related facilities, social agencies, special-needs programs, schools, libraries, hospices, or wherever the human/animal connection is be beneficial. Recruiting, educating, uniting, coordinating and motivating volunteers with these agencies provide our community with thousands of pet therapy hours a year. KPETS recruits volunteers with pets, then trains and registers them to become KPETS therapy teams. These volunteer teams are then coordinated with facilities and agencies whose clients may benefit from the human / animal bond. Anywhere from special needs kids to those living out their last days in hospice care and everywhere in-between, KPETS 200+ registered teams serve somewhere in our community every day of the year. The types of facilities we serve are: long-term care facilities, hospitals, hospices, schools, libraries, churches, juvenile detention centers, rehabilitation hospitals, adult and child day cares and even private homes. The possibilities are endless. Our volunteers serve in a way they and their pet are most comfortable: The clientele they?d like to serve, on a schedule the fits theirs, and with a group or on their own. KPETS will help them find their niche. For any pet owner, it is a win-win-win situation. You get to spend time with your pet, your pet gets the attention they love, and you are helping someone at the same time! It is very rewarding, seeing the joy these precious gifts from God can bring to others!

KPETS was established in Jan, 03 and 501(c)3 in August of 03. Starting as a small group with a church, we soon realized there were so many people wanting to do this type of volunteering. We expanded our outreach to the general public by forming KPETS and becoming a non-profit organization. We found that the national therapy pet organizations could not keep up with the registration process or offer teams the personal attention to get started. At that point, we pursued acquiring our own registration process and insurance coverage. As of 9/1/09 we currently have 200+ registered volunteer therapy teams reaching over 140 facilities and agencies in Lancaster and surrounding counties. We have one major fund-raiser a year and various other activities to raise funds to cover our non-profit business expenses. There are no fees for our services although we do appreciate donations for presentations and fun events. We survive solely on donations from the community to enable us to serve 1000's each years. As the popularity of pets increases, this is a natural way to help others. As one volunteer put it - "Our pets supply us with endless unconditional love; it's only fair that we should share it with others!"