Welcome to the Pet Therapy Society of Northern Alberta
Pets helping people.
The Pet Therapy Society of Northern Alberta (PeTS) is a registered not-for-profit organization. Our human volunteers and their personal animals provide free pet therapy services to facilities in and around Edmonton.
A therapy animal is not the same as a service dog or an emotional support animal. Service dogs and emotional support animals assist their individual owners/handlers, while a pet therapy animal assists other people, with the assistance of their owner/handler.
Please note as PeTS partners with facilities that still may have COVID Protocols in place, as a Ratified Therapy Team you may still have to follow COVID practices during visits. You must only wear a mask at our Centre if you are attending Step 3 – Prescreen Evaluation located at 5204 – 82 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T6B 0E6
PeTS on Instagram
Error: No posts found.
Make sure this account has posts available on instagram.com.
The Benefits of Pet Therapy
Since the early 1990s, pet therapy has grown in popularity due to the many benefits experienced by recipients, such as:
- Decrease in stress hormones, including cortisol, adrenaline, and aldosterone.
- Increase in health & social inducing hormones, including oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins.
- Reduction in depression.
- Development of social skills.
- Demonstration of a healthy relationship between the animal and handler.
Staff at facilities that receive pet therapy visits note:
- Increased participation in group events during and after a pet therapy visit.
- Behavioral improvements in children.
- Therapy animals are often able to draw positive responses from patients that have been withdrawn or non-verbal.
- Pet therapy allows patients to experience positive physical contact through the interactions with a therapy animal.
