Prairieland Visiting Animals Association
Topeka, Kansas

 

About Prairieland

Prairieland Member Pet Partner® Teams

Here are just a few of the current and former Pet Partner teams.

Riley and her Pet Partner, Carolyn, have been a team since October 2003 and have been visiting patients/clients at Aldersgate Village since January 2004. They are also a certified R.E.A.D Team, and they volunteer with Heart of America Hospice. In October 2007 Riley and Carolyn went through training with Animal Assisted Crisis Response, a national organization that is based out of Eugene, Oregon. They became a Certified Crisis Response Team in late December 2007. They also are crisis-response volunteers for the Kansas Capital Area Red Cross Chapter, the Topeka Salvation Army Corps, and the Auburn-Washburn United School District 437.
Golden Retriever Maggie and her Pet Partner Betty have visited a variety of venues, including the St. Francis Hospital Cancer Center, and the Cancer Center and the Senior Diagnostic Center of Stormont-Vail Hospital. Maggie also is a R.E.A.D. dog at Williams Magnet Elementary School, and at the Topeka Shawnee County Public Library. Maggie & Betty are honored to serve as ambassadors of the local pet therapy program.
Jules the Miniature Schnauzer visiting
 Jules is a Miniature Schnauzer. He passed his test to be a therapy dog shortly after his first birthday in October 1999. His partner, Kathy Schlotterbeck, is a retired kindergarten teacher and Jules spent his early months in her classroom. Because of this early experience, he loves all kinds of people. He got his first therapy job in December 1999. He goes to Stormont Vail Senior Diagnostic Center twice a month. He loves his job and willingly lets anyone make over him.
River assists her Pet Partners, Perrin and Rick Riggs, with the seminars and pet manners classes that they teach for the Helping Hands Humane Society in Topeka. River also visits at Brookside Retirement Community in Overbrook, KS.
Gracie the Standard Poodle and her Pet Partner, Nan Palmer, visit at Brewster Place. Nan, a Professor of Social Work at Washburn University, brings a lifelong interest in the benefits of animals soothing the wounded spirit and bringing respite from life's daily challenges. Her year old teammate is a gentle pet who is particularly sensitive to frail and older adults.

Jan and her Golden Retrieve Booker visit a local elementary school by promoting the R.E.A.D® program that strives to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered Pet Partner® therapy teams as literacy mentors. Jan is an elementary school librarian with a special interest in promoting issues surrounding the human-animal bond. She volunteers her spare time with Happy Training! LLC dog training. She especially enjoys her role in the Prairieland Visiting Animals Association as a Delta Society® Team Evaluator.