Loving Animals Providing Smiles
What We Do:
Create smiles by bringing certified therapy pets to Napa’s most deserving residents: children with behavioral and learning challenges, incarcerated teens, seniors in assisted living, patients in skilled nursing facilities. Train volunteers and pets to the highest safety standards. Dogs, cats and mini-horses share their furry love with young and old.
LAPS teams made a difference in the lives of over 1,600 Napa residents in 2018, spending many hundreds of hours providing safe, effective, and enriching animal-assisted interactions. In 2019, LAPS celebrates 18 years of service to challenging and often overlooked populations.
Each LAPS volunteer bringing a pet into service attends a six-week training class, is tested to the highest standards, and is mentored for three months. Our volunteers maintain a safety record that is second-to-none while connecting with clients of all ages and abilities.
LAPS accepts dogs, cats, mini-horses, mini-donkeys, and bunnies as therapy pets with their human partners.
Other Ways to Help:
- Volunteer with your well-mannered, people-friendly pet.
- Don’t have a pet? Share our story via word-of-mouth and social media. LAPS teams bring quality services to our most deserving neighbors, but not many people have heard of us.
- Be our “Property Angel.” We need an underused business/warehouse space to use for our extensive training classes.
Business Partners:
Eagle Vines Golf Club offers a twosome round of golf to two lucky LAPS donors chosen by random drawing.
Dreamcatcher Labradors offers a $100 gift card to a LAPS donor chosen by random drawing.
Testimonial:
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Kirsty Cringan
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Gwenn McKenzie in honor of my favorite veteran, Army S/Sgt Bob McKenzie
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Gwenn McKenzie in honor of my mom, Ginnie Groth, who enjoyed being our faux senior at team training
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John Lemanski
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Lisa McWilliams in honor of My Beloved Companion and LAPS Therapy Dog, Stella Joy!
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Nancy Large
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Krean Swain
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Cynthia Frederick in honor of Judi
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Carol Beazley in honor of Katie Haubold (NVYS)
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Julie Osborn in honor of Pepé, my LAPS therapy pet
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Nancy Large
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Gwenn McKenzie in honor of Judi Kannon and her therapy pet Lew
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Anonymous
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Shirley Payne
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Anonymous in honor of LAPS supporters at Napa Farmers Market
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Cheryl Blancett
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Heather Graves
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Michelle and Fred Antonio in honor of LAPS Teams (past and current) and Associates
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Gwenn McKenzie in honor of Pepe and Stella, two very special LAPS therapy pets
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Laura Peabody in honor of Judi Kannon - we love you!
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Sheryl Deleuze
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Wendi Piscia
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Gwenn McKenzie in honor of LAPS President Judi Kannon and all of our wonderful LAPS volunteers