About Us

" I cannot talk. I have 4 legs. I have paws. I wag my tail when I am happy. 
I whimper when I am sad. I have arrived. Pet me and you will smile. 
I will calm you. I’m here to help you remember the good things in life. 
I won’t offer solutions. I will just listen. I am a therapy dog."

In 2018 Heeling Friends celebrated 20 years of animal assisted therapy in Routt County. It began in 1998 when a retired Emergency Department Nurse felt that the community had a genuine need for animal assisted therapy services.

Thus, Heeling Friends was created.
Heeling Friends, a non-profit organization, offers its genuine nonjudgmental, touching animal-assisted therapy program to medical facilities, elementary schools, libraries, senior citizen centers, extended care and rehabilitation centers, and seasonally at The Yampa Valley Regional Airport during the busy ski season.

Our purpose is simply stated: "to bring comfort and smiles to all those encountered"

Heeling Friends is 100% comprised of volunteers: our human and animal partners, from our board of directors to our animal assisted therapy instructors/evaluators.

An affiliate of Pet Partners based in Bellevue, Washington, our member teams are trained, evaluated and registered by Pet Partners certified instructors/evaluators.

Heeling Friends looks forward to a bright future of providing countless individuals with the healing powers of the paw!
GOALS:
  • To provide a non-threatening form of motivation
  • ​To increase attainment of specific goals for those in need
  • To bring a sense of community and caring
  • To facilitate a sense of a friendly environment
  • To increase the healing processes for illness and/or trauma
  • To allow self-expression without restrictions

Heeling Friends animal members are registered therapy animals who have undergone strict educational, training and evaluation testing. All animals have been tested for health, safety, temperament and required skills.

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