$700 raised by 7 donors
7% complete
$10,000 Goal
Annie’s Therapeutic Companions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer organization consisting of Pet Partners registered and insured animal assisted therapy teams, based out of rural Dublin, Texas. Our organization is run by volunteers who love people and animals, who own and train their own animals and want to serve the public by utilizing them. ATC teams consist of a handler and dog or other animal who have been extensively trained to offer consistent, safe attention to those in our care. All of the registered teams in our organization are also extensively trained to help in crisis situations and have an additional certification from Pet Partners in Animal Crisis Response. Pet Partners is the national leader in demonstrating and promoting the health and wellness benefits of animal-assisted therapy, activities and education since 1977.
Our teams make consistent, weekly visits to nursing homes, Erath County first responders, Texas Health Stephenville Hospital, visit schools, work at summer camp with special needs kids at Cutting Edge Pediatric and Adult Therapy in Plano and Mansfield and special needs kids in general. We have been serving Erath, Comanche, Hamilton with trips to Collin and Tarrant counties since 2015.
**One of things that makes our organization different than other nonprofits is, we are 100% volunteer and have NO paid employees and haven't all these years. All of our funds go directly into supplying what our teams need to serve and back into our community which would be to our first responders, nursing homes, hospital and those we serve.
Here's a little glimpse into what we see as we visit those we serve:
As ATC works with kids (in schools as well as special needs facilities) we are blessed to be able to help kids progress with a goal in mind regarding their therapy. The kids that have walkers or crutches that don't want to walk end up being so excited to walk a therapy animal they go all around the school, those that are non verbal start saying words, those that don't like to read start reading and reading out loud, those that have a hard time focusing and following directions are able to and desire to. When we work on fine motor skills with the kids it consists of brushing, braiding manes and tails, using rubber bands, tying ribbons, writing names and drawing pics, painting pawnails, (all of which are done on the dogs and minis). The kids’ start doing things their therapists can't even get them to do just because an animal is involved and it's a fun, exciting thing for them. Kids that are afraid of dogs or horse are suddenly are cuddling with them and talking to them. The kids’ gain confidence all around.
As ATC works with kids at our local public library we see shy kids go from being uncomfortable reading out loud, to wanting to read to our therapy dogs and further their reading skills gaining confidence and a new love for reading. Many kids this is their first experience being around a dog and this is a perfect setting for them to meet a trained, calm dog for the first time and learn how to properly approach dogs, as we teach them about dogs in the midst of our time with them.
As ATC visits different shifts of our Erath County first responders a few times throughout the week during the day and different night shifts that week, we are a mental health stress relief for them, which they always comment about. Our teams are a great support for them especially during these times. Unfortunately, there have been times where one of their comrades have passed away due to health reasons or line of duty. They talk to us and decompress as opposed to sharing with someone they don't know and we're also able to be the ice breaker that helps them talk amongst themselves especially when a tragic crisis just happened. We are their support during these hard times checking up on them, reminding them someone cares for them and are thinking of them. We are also on an Emergency Task Force in Erath County and on call 24/7 for our first responders for crisis situations they encounter and the community. We have a wonderful rapport with our first responders.
As ATC enters a nursing home/assisted living facility we are the lonely person's friend and comfort, and the staffs' encouragement and smile that they're doing a great job. It's amazing how many people are alone and we make it our goal to be the consistent, happy visitor they can count on seeing.
As ATC visits Texas Health Stephenville, we encounter many that are missing their pets so as we enter rooms the patients’ faces light up with joy. We are able to make a long day a little shorter and brighter, comfort a family losing a loved one, watch as peoples' blood pressure drops drastically as they pet and hold the dogs (which the nurses even comment about) be in the ER with a child having a traumatic experience and calm them down. We are also a big mental health stress reliever and encouragement for the hospital staff on their long, stressful days and on call 24/7.
The goal of Annie's Therapeutic Companions is to bring hope of life, encouragement, comfort, peace and joy to each individual, no matter the setting. We strive to make a positive impact on the individual's physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Our volunteer animal assisted therapy teams serve and motivate individuals in their therapy or learning environments and bridge communication gaps with the medical staff, first responders, teachers or other providers.
We also educate the general public, healthcare professionals, educators and facility leaders on the opportunities and benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy. We have made it our goal that at each and every facility visited our teams are reaching out to each and every staff member, all the patients and every family member.
Our vision is to be involved in every facet of the community where therapy animals may be used and provide the greatest of benefits. We are currently on call 24/7 for mental well being, comfort, encouragement and support to our Erath County first responders, Texas Health Stephenville, and the community in general during times of crisis, disasters and personal loss.
Over the past 8+ years we have served, it has been extremely difficult to get funding via grants, as we don't fit in a category for the majority of grants that you can apply for. We really rely upon days like this to help our organization and people like you to help us!
We are desperately needing help with funds for another miniature horse that we can train, get tested and licensed to replace our love we just recently lost (for those that aren't aware, our miniature therapy horse who worked alongside our founder since 2016 passed away very unexpectedly in July from a freak thing). She loved her job and was a great asset working with special needs kids, the elderly and first responders. We are also needing some help with specific operational needs, as well as funds to fix our miniature horse trailer as it is over 20 years old and needs new seals to prevent leaking. We would love to put an AC unit in it as most of our work traveling with our miniature horse is done in the hottest months which has limited us quite a bit to where we can go and how long we can be out. These last few years have been brutal with the heat and going from place to place just doesn't work with the way we keep our animals clean, smelling good and refreshing for those we serve to have a comforting, happy experience (also it's hard on the mini which we do NOT want). Our animals welfare absolutely takes first priority to us!
The costs we would need for getting another mini horse is as follows:
>Cost to purchase- $3,000
>Traveling costs for places we need to travel and train at - $300
>Training gear items and costs -$250
>Traveling costs to test it - $200
>License and Testing costs - $200
>Official therapy work gear - $300
Our organization supplies our teams with everything they need to serve so we are able to maintain consistency throughout the organization. The facilities we serve know what to expect from our organization and our teams, and we work hard to provide everyone the BEST interactions we possibly can.
Listed below are the specific needs and further details we are asking for.
Current costs for teams:
*training classes
*licensing and relicensing
*animal shampoos/conditioners/colognes and various other grooming supplies
*dog harnesses/animal therapy gear, leashes, patches, waste bags, containers, sanitizing supplies
* human uniform; shirts, vests, sweatshirts, working essentials bag
*various office supplies
* transportation costs - currently we are spending $450-$750 per month in gas alone. Vehicle maintenance. These costs are only provided to our founder as she is serving full time and the current team on call 24/7.
Total - $5,000
To give an example: for our organization to start up a new team our costs are $550
We currently have 2 teams that will need start up costs; 2 that will need dog harnesses, leashes, fees for licensing/testing as they are not new to the organization, but are working with new/additional dogs.
Thank you for considering us! Your tax-deductible donation ensures our organization's success and growth so that we can continue to reach many people and provide the numerous mental health, physical and emotional benefits associated with animal-assisted activity and therapy visits.
We thank you for your support as we are funded solely by people who believe in the therapeutic benefits of human animal interactions. (Animal-assisted therapy, animal-assisted interventions, animal-assisted education and animal-assisted activities) people like YOU!
*What makes Annie's Therapeutic Companions different from other nonprofit organizations when providing our services to different facilities, general public, and first responders?
We do not get paid by ANY facility we visit, are SOLELY 100% volunteer and provide our services FREE of charge. All of our funds go directly into providing our services and no person in our organization is on payroll. Any funds we have extra go directly back into the community, first responders and nursing homes.
Thank you for participating and assisting us in our mission! We are truly grateful for your support! We couldn't do any of this without your help.
"ATC fully recognizes each person has different circumstances and needs and are therefore viewed with those specific needs in mind.
ATC strives to provide unique opportunities for each individual to receive different resources and opportunities specifically allocated to them in order to grow and thrive."
Organization name
Annie's Therapeutic Companions
other names
(Annie's Animal Assisted Companions)
Causes
Mental and Behavioral Health, Seniors, Intellectual, Developmental, and Physical Differences
Operating Budget
Less than $100,000
Counties Served
Erath, Collin, Tarrant
BIPOC Leadership
Neither/None
Equity Statement
Equity Statement
Address
1617 County Road 555