End-of-the-year donations? Consider supporting a Canine Ambassador

Winston Gieseke, Palm Springs Desert Sun
·1 min read
Ernie Banks the dog comforts Laszlo Nagy at the Desert Care Network - Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022.
Ernie Banks the dog comforts Laszlo Nagy at the Desert Care Network - Comprehensive Cancer Center at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Calif., Nov. 17, 2022.

Do you know anyone who lives at an assisted living facility or is undergoing cancer treatments? Many of them are bed bound or awaiting radiation.

Imagine their faces as all of a sudden they see a four-legged Paws & Hearts Canine Ambassador come up to greet them. Pet therapy is often credited with diminishing physical and emotional pain, reducing boredom and anxiety and simply making people happy.

Paws & Hearts currently has 25 teams, human and canine, visiting facilities throughout the Coachella Valley, including hospitals, Alzheimer's/dementia care and special needs classrooms.

As the holidays are upon us, this is a wonderful time to give back to the community by volunteering or making a donation to this local nonprofit that is enjoying its 24th year of service to the Coachella Valley.

As its mission statement reads: "Paws & Hearts is a leader in the field of Animal Assisted Therapy and its mission is to enrich the lives of those that need the one-on-one attention that only a four-legged healer can provide."

To volunteer or to make a donation, visit pawsandhearts.org.

Winston Gieseke is the philanthropy editor at The Desert Sun. Reach him at winston.gieseke@desertsun.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: End-of-the-year donations? Consider supporting a Canine Ambassador