Loving Animals Providing Smiles

We create smiles by connecting volunteers and their certified therapy pets with deserving children, teens and seniors.

For over 20 years, LAPS has brought safe, high-quality, effective and enriching in-person animal-assisted interactions to vulnerable populations including children with emotional or learning difficulties, troubled teens, memory care and assisted-living residents, and patients in skilled nursing facilities.

Each new volunteer and pet attend a 6-session training class to develop true therapy team skills, including best practices in client engagement, furthering therapeutic goals and insuring client health and well-being. Each team is tested to the highest standards and mentored throughout their career.

LAPS volunteers reach hundreds of clients each year, bringing personal contact to underserved populations throughout our community.

LAPS welcomes dogs, cats, bunnies, mini-horses and mini-donkeys as therapy pets working alongside their human partners to share unconditional love with young and old.