Dogs are a vital, positive part of our lives and our community. We want to bring that power to people who need it most, by launching an Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) program as part of the Nevada SPCA.

Animal-assisted therapy uses dogs to help people recover from or better cope with health problems. It can significantly reduce pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue; and provides comfort and enjoyment for nursing home residents. It's not only the ill person who reaps the benefits: family members and friends who sit in on animal visits say they feel better, too.

AAT is also being used in non-medical settings, such as universities, airports, and community programs, to help people deal with anxiety and stress. It has also been proven to increase literacy, by encouraging student who have demonstrated below-average scores on standardized reading tests to read out loud to therapy dogs in a comfortable, no-pressure environment. According to initial results from a three-year study, students improved their reading aptitude by nearly three-fold compared to non-participants (on average, 31 vs. 9 words per minute).

Please help us unleash the healing powers of dogs on the local Las Vegas community, and sign the petition! Woof!