Pets, especially dogs and cats can reduce stress, anxiety and depression, ease loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness, and even improve our cardiovascular health.

Caring for an animal can help children grow up more secure and active. Pets also provide and model healthy bonding, relationships and companionship.

The teenage years when we as youth transition from children to adults anywhere from 10 to 30 are very challenging as most youth face an identity crisis, outside negative stimuli, peer pressure, unreasonable and harmful social media influences and perhaps family dysfunction, which we as youth are not emotionally prepared or ready to handle in healthy ways.

The benefits of Pet Therapy at the National Collaboration for Youth Mental Health’s Wellness Centre, in addition to Homestays, is that youth have the opportunity to feel comforted, validated, loved, supported, and made to feel important by a loving and non threatening and safe trained Therapy dog.

The Pet therapy sessions allow youth to pet the animals, feed them, groom them, walk them and hug them.

This beautiful opportunity cultivates in youth

1) acceptance

2) loss of stress

3) safety

4) comfort

5) support

6) responsibility

7) discipline

8) healthy relationships

9) belonging

10) self care

Register now for the National Collaboration for Youth Mental Healths Pet Therapy.