Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
Sometimes the best medicine is an animal which is what the non-profit organization Intermountain Therapy Animals believes in. Their mission is to maximize the benefits from the human/animal bond and bring relief for people in their greatest time of need.
Executive director Kathy Klotz says this amazing service organization started in 1993 and they're one of the largest animal companionship programs in the United States with 350 plus teams of handlers and their animals. Intermountain Therapy Animals is taking their powerful goodwill to over 100 places in Utah like Ronald McDonald House, Primary Children's Hospital and Huntsman Cancer Center, just to name a few. The majority of these highly-trained and compassionate animals, about 95 percent, are dogs; however, they do have a miniature horse, therapy cats, guinea pigs and rabbits.
For the handlers and their remarkable animals, this is serious volunteering, as they interact with patients going through some of the most challenging times in their lives. Research has shown that love for animals can give us motivation to thrive, and at Intermountain Therapy Animals, this also has an impact on the animals. Because of their high levels of intuitiveness and sensitivity, they know the patient is sick. So, the animals' allotted time on any volunteer day is approximately one hour.
At Intermountain Therapy Animals the first step to becoming a therapy team is having a handler and animal that want to help, but there's serious training with an intensive biannual evaluation. There are no breed restrictions, but the animals need to have the right temperament for this work.
For Intermountain Therapy team Otis and his human Eric Eikenberry, Eric states it's about respect and honoring the dog's needs. He says he's fortunate to work for Salt Lake Community College because they give Eric community service hours on an annual basis so he's able to support Otis, his beloved St. Bernard/Great Dane mix, as a top-level therapy dog used on a regular basis. Eric is an intuitive handler as to what's best for the patient and Otis.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
Intermountain Therapy Animals 4050 S. 2700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84124 801-272-3439 www.therapyanimals.org
