When we arrive at a facility, our pets have no prejudicial barriers to those who may be physically unattractive, missing limbs or are in wheelchairs. They wag their tails, purr or place their heads in the person's lap indiscriminately, regardless of appearance, language, impairment, attitude or physical handicap.

The goals and benefits we attempt to achieve through our Animal Assisted Therapy are:

•	empathy - identifying with and understanding the feelings and motives of others; studies report that children who live in homes in which a pet is considered a member of the family are more empathetic than children in homes without pets.
•	outward focus - bringing individuals out of themselves; animals can help individuals with mental illness or low self esteem focus on their environment.
•	nurturing - promoting growth and development.
•	rapport - building a relationship of mutual trust or a feeling of connection or bonding.
•	acceptance - favorable reception or approval; an animal's acceptance is nonjudgmental, forgiving and uncomplicated.
•	entertainment - giving pleasure through engaging activity; even people who don't like animals often enjoy the antics and reactions of our pets.
•	socialization - enjoying the company of others; studies have shown that when animals visit a facility, there is more laughter and interaction among residents than any other therapy or entertainment time.
•	mental stimulation - exciting to greater activity; the presence of animals in institutions serves to brighten the atmosphere, increasing amusement, laughter and play.
•	physical contact - touch; for some people, touch from another person is not acceptable, but the warm, furry touch of an animal is.
•	physiological benefits - positive effects on the basic functioning of the body; many people are able to relax, showing a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, when animals are present.