| Pet therapy works because animals in the program are non-threatening, and there can be no argument that they are non-judgmental and don’t expect anything in return for their company! For more than 25 years, VBSPCA has offered a pet therapy program to the community. Volunteers and administrators alike find it to be a rewarding experience and agree that pet therapy brings visibly positive responses from those who are visited. One patient that I visit at Bay Lake Nursing Home is unable to speak, but every time I place “Scooby Snack,” one of our popular therapy kitties on the bed next to her, Scooby Snack’s fur brushes against her hand and you can just see the joy radiating from her face. It’s no surprise that baby animals like puppies and kittens receive a spectacular reception. At an Alzheimer’s unit I visited recently, the residents followed me through the facility, stopping with me each time to visit with other residents, laughing as the puppies wiggled against them. This truly was a heartwarming experience and it was hard to leave with everyone begging me to stay!
 One of VBSPCA’s long-time volunteers makes regular visits to a psychiatric facility in Virginia Beach along with her faithful companion, Amanda, a gentle golden retriever. Amanda makes her rounds and takes time to greet every patient individually. She approaches them with a wagging tail and brings comfort with her touch. It appears that Amanda enjoys these visits as much as the residents! Even if it is just for a little while, Amanda helps people forget their troubles.
Not all of the therapy animals are dogs and cats. One of our pet therapy volunteers brings her rabbit and guinea pig for regular visits. They sit contentedly in residents’ laps as their soft fur is stroked, helping to brighten the day just with their companionship. The employees of all the facilities where the VBSPCA volunteers provide pet therapy also look forward to the visits. It is a program that is regarded highly by everyone involved; these amazing creatures remind us daily of the meaning of respect, empathy, compassion, tolerance and unconditional love. The mission of the Virginia Beach SPCA is to increase the community’s capacity for compassion and decrease its tolerance for cruelty. We are grateful that over fifteen retirement properties, nursing homes and other institutions open their doors to Virginia Beach SPCA volunteers and our four-legged friends to share in achieving this objective. Since the program’s inception, Virginia Beach SPCA volunteers have performed over 18,000 pet therapy visits. These numbers underscore that there is no therapy quite like a puppy licking your face!
At the present time, the Virginia Beach SPCA is not actively recruiting new pet therapy volunteers, but if you are interested in receiving pet therapy at your facility, please contact Teresa Lamarche at 427-0070 Ext. 41 or outreach@vbspca.com.
 Teresa Lamarche is the Community Outreach Director at the Virginia Beach SPCA. She has over 15 years of outreach, public relations and marketing experience and facilitates the pet therapy, adult volunteer and mini-events programs. Teresa has been instrumental in communicating outreach programs to the public, including those with an emphasis on projects that may harm or endanger animals as a result of changing the current environment, as well as helping people with disabilities and those who receive government assistance. Her family includes four rescued dogs - two from Dayton , Ohio and two from Virginia Beach .
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