Hand-In-Paw Inc.

Filing Period

Jan 1, 2011 to Dec 31, 2011

Signed

Jul 18, 2012

Return Version

2011v1.2

Gross Receipts

$421,321

Mission

Major Activities

Activity 2

Pawsitive living: this 12-week violence prevention program teaches compassion and focuses on finding solutions to the challenges of everyday life, from communication and conflict resolution to understanding self-worth. Through it hand-in-paw serves youth in group homes who have been abused or neglected, who have exhibited violent behavior, or who are at-risk to become abusers. Highly qualified facilitators follow an evidence-based curriculum written by a counselor and a licensed clinical social worker and lead a number of hand-in-paws professionally trained handler and animal therapy teams that is equal to the number of youth participants. The animals serve as a bridge of communication and are also used to empower the participants, thereby teaching care giving, responsibility, empathy, and unconditional love.

Activity 3

Sit, stay read!: in collaboration with staff at schools, libraries, medical centers, and shelters, reluctant readers ages 5-12 are paired with hand-in-paws therapy teams to make reading a fun, non-threatening, and positive learning experience. Each child reads aloud to his or her animal (and the animals handler), one-on-one for 20-30 minutes. Frequency and program length varies by facility, with sessions most often held weekly in blocks of eight weeks or longer. Research indicates that children with low self-esteem are often more willing to interact with an animal than with a person. During such interactions they are inclined to forget about their limitations. On day one, children are given a reading journal that contains get-to-know-you questions designed to build rapport. The journals are then used throughout the term to track the number of pages read and to record information about what books the children enjoy most. The participating children read age-appropriate books with animal themes, some of which our volunteers give them to keep. Teachers report an increase in self-confidence and classroom participation, and academic performance as a result.

Filer

EIN

63-1190375