Share-A-Pet is honored to be one of four national Pet Therapy organizations. Like the others, we offer certification and insurance for you and your therapy animal to provide pet-assisted therapy in hospitals, nursing homes, children’s centers and schools.
Unlike the others, at Share-A-Pet we incorporate a family spirit and a team commitment. Being the newest of the four gave us the luxury of not only learning from the others, but of seeing how we could improve the structure to be more supportive and user friendly.
Share-A-Pet is Unique
We pride ourselves as an organization that oversees and assists our members in every aspect of the volunteering process. From completing the certification process to establishing you in a facility and serving as your liaison, the Share-A-Pet Family is there to help.
OUR GOAL
It is our goal to be one of the nation’s leading volunteer organizations inspiring volunteerism in every community. Share-A-Pet was created for the purpose of filling a void in the lives of the elderly and otherwise restricted but it has become much more. Because our volunteers and their amazing pets have such a positive life-changing impact on our patients, we have greatly expanded our vision.
It is now our mission to not only recruit, train and register the best Pet-Assisted Therapy teams all over the globe, but to use our knowledge and expertise in the field of pet-assisted therapy to actually change the way in which our patients live and function on a daily basis. We have already seen so much progress in so little time.
Wherever there are people in need, we want to be there sharing the love of our pets and offering specific assistance to enhance their quality of life. We will bring a piece of home back to those who are less fortunate. We are on the verge of change for the better. Organizations like ours, all over the world are paving the way for new and better living conditions for patients. We want to help lead this movement for change. Our teams have already become the heroes of their communities by sharing the greatest gift of all, love.
OUR HISTORY
Share-A-Pet began in December of 2003 as a man and his dog with a mission. Founder Sachin Mayi and his loving yellow lab, Tenzin, wanted to share their love with those in need. They were graciously received by the Broward Children’s Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, where Tenzin was able to get responses from children who were not responding to other therapies. They were so amazed to see these miracles with the children that they decided to contact other facilities and see how they could benefit them as well.
Everywhere they went they found that there was a great need for pet-assisted therapy. Many facilities had been on waiting lists for pets for as long as two years. Sachin and Tenzin went to work, and within a short time they had established a rapport with several care facilities. Once they saw the effect they were having on the wonderful people in these facilities, they couldn’t resist going to visit them and decided to dedicate their lives to serving those in need by offering pet-assisted therapy to as many facilities as they could.
This dedication and its positive, loving effects caught the attention of the press and others interested in participating in the program in January of 2005. Since then Share-A-Pet has registered close to 1,000 highly qualified volunteers, pet assisted therapy teams and leaders across the nation who dedicate their time to serving those in need. The program has expanded to include not only children’s centers and nursing homes, but hospitals, cancer centers, and also schools with our “Pawsitive Reading” Program. To read the complete story of how our organization began, order our book “Some Angels Have Fur”.
Our Vision
To inspire everyone in our communities to participate in improving the lives of individuals in need.
Our Mission Statement
To bring happiness and improve the lives of individuals confined to hospitals, nursing homes and children’s centers and to improve the reading skills of struggling students by providing certified and insured pet-assisted therapy.
Commitment
Our patients are our most precious asset. That is why, at Share-A-Pet, we believe in going the extra mile. Many of our volunteers have been known to spend extended hours with patients in need. In addition to their regular pet-assisted therapy, our volunteers have provided books on tape, clothing, TVs, and other items to add to the comfort of residents. It is no wonder we have become a favorite in our communities.