Word Week “Therapy Animals Change Lives!”

Join us as Dr. Jennifer Henley, Manager, San Francisco SPCA Animal Assisted Therapy Program, shares her insight on the Human-Animal bond. Free admission and refreshments. Saturday, March 10, 2018, 4pm-5pm at Umpqua Bank, 3938 24th St. in Noe Valley. A Word Week 2018 event.

You often think of the SPCA as a place for animal rescue, however did you know they have one of the largest animal therapy programs in the World. With the help of 300 volunteers, therapy animals touch the lives of such diverse groups as returning veterans with PTSD to children having challenges with reading. Each year over 100,000 members of our community benefit from animal therapy which includes specially trained dogs and even a pig!

Our speaker:
Dr. Jennifer Henley joined the Peace Corps (Cameroon). Upon completion of her service she relocated to SF and began working for the SF SPCA. Her primary interest is in the human-animal bond and its therapeutic benefits. This led to her current position as head of the Animal Assisted Therapy department at the San Francisco SPCA. The department works with nearly 300 volunteers, whose pets go through extensive certification to be qualified to visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric centers/behavioral health clinics, schools, libraries, SF Jail, and day programs for developmentally disabled persons.