Everyone knows about the special bond that exists between a pet and its owner. And if you have ever watched children interact with pets, you've no doubt seen the joy and unbridled happiness that is exchanged between the animal and the child.

Hearts in Harmony Certified Pet Therapy Teams offer unconditional love and teach respect, empathy and trust to children who have been victims of abuse or who are at risk of abuse.

The dogs act as catalysts for social and verbal interaction for children who:

• Because of their environment and early histories are at-risk of becoming violent or abusive due to an inability of expressing feelings or thoughts of compassion, nurturing and/or emotional attachment or involvement with others.
• Have exhibited violent and/or abusive behavior toward animals or others, or have themselves been victims of abuse or violence.

The animals also become an extra "tool" for therapists who are helping the children work through emotional issues, because the simple presence of the animal relaxes the child and allows the wall which they have built around their emotions to fall a bit. This can be a first step for many at risk children in learning how they relate emotionally to another living being.

Hearts In Harmony, a non-profit certified pet therapy organization and certified animal therapy organization
using service dogs, therapy dogs, therapy animals and animal volunteers for child therapy, recreation
therapy, animal-assisted therapy, animal assisted activity, animal assisted therapy, pet assisted therapy,
animal-assisted activity, dog therapy, pet-assisted therapy and other types of innovative pet therapy as
therapeutic tools in youth services to help abused children, at-risk children, and neglected children of Texas.

© Copyright 2008 Hearts in Harmony. All rights reserved.
Hearts in Harmony • PO Box 2216 • Flint, TX 75762-2216
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation