The hospital’s pet therapy program has returned to Queen’s North Hawai’i Community Hospital and the first team members include a Brittany Spaniel mix and a miniature horse. Adaka, a two-year-old Brittany Spaniel mix, and Darby, a 16-year-old miniature horse, visit patients and staff alike, providing comfort and joy.
QNHCH has teamed up with Pet Partners, the world’s leader in pet-assisted therapy training and evaluation. Pet Partners is the gold standard in animal-assisted interventions offering a rigorous evaluation process for nine species of animals.
“There is something special about animals and we know that animal-assisted interventions can help improve people’s health,” said Fund Development and Volunteer Manager Julia Ramos. “Volunteering with your pet to help our patients is a rewarding way to contribute to the community. Anyone interested in learning more is asked to visit petpartners.org.”
