HIP Fact Sheet
FACTS about Hand in Paw
The Organization
- Founded in 1996
- Mission: To improve the health and well-being of children and adults by serving those with physical, emotional, educational, or psychological needs through interactions with professionally-trained Animal-Assisted Therapy Teams
- Nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, serving Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, Blount, Cullman and Tuscaloosa counties
- Governed by a 16-member Board, a 38-member Advisory Board, and six paid staff members
- Correct spelling: Hand in Paw
HIP Therapy
- Teams are all volunteers. A Therapy Team consists of a trained handler and a trained animal, sometimes accompanied by a Therapy Visit Assistant.
- Hand in Paw is an affiliate of the Delta Society®, the leading international resource for Animal-Assisted Therapy and Activities. The Delta Society® registers HIP Therapy Teams through their Pet Partners® program (www.deltasociety.org).
- Teams are trained in accordance with Delta Society® standards as a basic requirement, supplemented with classes created by HIP. Teams follow strict risk management and infection control protocol at all times and must be re-evaluated every two years to retain their national registration.
- HIP currently has 113 Therapy Teams and 27 Therapy Visit Assistants.
- HIP Therapy Teams make more than 50,000 patient/client contacts annually.
- HIP Therapy Teams serve more than 50 facilities, including: UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hospital, and Center for Psychiatric Medicine; Children’s Hospital, Mitchell’s Place, Hill Crest Behavioral Health Services, Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center, the YWCA, the Exceptional Foundation, the Lovelady Center, the North Shelby Library, the Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs, nursing homes, libraries, schools and other agencies.
- 60+ facilities are awaiting services.
Programs
- Petscription – Positive distraction from pain and worry for patients in hospitals and motivation for meeting therapeutic goals in rehabilitation units and early intervention programs
- Pawsitive Living™ – Twelve-week, goal-directed program for troubled youth, teaching anger management, relationship-building, empathy and compassion
- Sit, Stay, Read! – Encouragement for reluctant young readers to gain confidence, sharpen their skills and improve school performance by reading aloud to a nonjudgmental furry friend
Benefits (SEE SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACTS AND STUDIES AT WWW.DELTASOCIETY.ORG)
- Numerous scientific studies document the physical effects of Animal-Assisted Therapy, positively impacting blood pressure, heart rate, immune system function, lung function, cardiovascular reactivity stress, auto-immune nervous system, motor skills, and pain perception
- Studies show significant emotional benefits from Animal-Assisted Therapy, positively affecting mood, self-concept, empathy, ethics, recovery from trauma, and willingness to engage in physical and social activities.
- Illnesses most commonly reporting benefits from Animal-Assisted Therapy include autism, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, chronic depression, cancer and other terminal illnesses.
Regular Events
- Picasso Pets – HIP’s signature event held each August, auctioning paintings created by animals in conjunction with professional artists (www.picassopets.com)
Funding is provided solely by donations, grants and special events.
1912 14th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
205.322.5144 office
205.322.7784 fax
www.handinpaw.org
