Visiting Pet Program Animal Assisted Therapy Program

05/24/2024

Our volunteers had a great time with the kids and counselors at Camp Tiger. This is always a favorite event!

10/30/2023

10/28/2023

Our final Orientation session for 2023 is in November.
Pre registration is Required.
Please send an email to [email protected] to pre register and receive more information.
Thank you.

10/11/2023

Canine book lovers will arrive at the West Bank Regional Library for another session of Reading to Rover on Sunday, October 15, from 1-2 pm. Presented by the Visiting Pet Program, beginner or reluctant readers read aloud to therapy dogs. (Please do not bring your personal pet!) Parental supervision is required. 🐾 📚

Please call ahead to the Children’s Desk at (504) 364-3664 for the latest information. Large groups (5 or more children and adults) should speak with a librarian regarding reservation spots and attendance limits.

10/11/2023

Claire the greyhound had a great time visiting the 3rd grade girl scouts at St Clement of Rome

06/05/2023

Our June orientation is coming up! Please email [email protected] for more information!

05/26/2023

Another great visit with Camp Tiger

05/19/2023

Great interview featuring Sabrina Jacks and Judi Baynes with Big Bear
https://www.fox8live.com/video/2023/05/19/msy-visiting-pets-program/

04/26/2023

We have two orientations coming up! Please email [email protected] for more information!

01/23/2023

01/22/2023

We had an amazing Reading to Rover visit at the Jefferson Parish Library yesterday. In memory of Fay Schultz, her family made a donation to the VPP for us to purchase and donate books to the kids who read to the dogs. We had 56 books to start and gave away 34! We look forward to giving away books for many months to come.

Come visit us the third Saturday of the month at the East Bank Regional Library, 1pm for the Reading to Rover program.

09/11/2022

08/26/2022

They are the best dogs around! Happy to all of our amazing therapy dogs!

06/23/2022

Pictures from our fantastic visit with Lighthouse Louisiana

06/13/2022

While our nursing home visits are on pause for the summer, our teams are getting to visit a few summer camps. Today, we visited with the kids at Lighthouse for the blind and had the best time!

05/30/2022

Interested in joining the Visiting Pet Program with your animal? Sign up for our orientation on June 18th by emailing paws4visits@ gmail.com (reservations required).

05/27/2022

Our volunteers were back at one of our favorite annual events, Camp Tiger with the LSU medical school.

03/14/2022

Tell us something we didn't already know 😉

To our wonderful teams, we are so happy to have you back visiting. Keep up the amazing work you are doing!

The study appears to be the first of its kind to test the use of therapy dogs in this setting.

11/14/2021

Our first Saturday morning Oschner visit! The dogs and their humans were so happy to be back visiting patients.

11/13/2021

Our first orientation since covid shutdown! We're so excited to start back with some visits and add new teams. We will be holding orientations again in May and June 2022. If you are interested in the program, contact us at [email protected].

11/01/2021

Great mention of our MSY K9 Krewe in Centerlines, the Airports Council International's magazine. https://centerlinesfall2021.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?m=62229&i=718979&p=14&ver=html5

08/27/2021

We hope everyone stays safe with the upcoming storm. https://ready.nola.gov/plan/hurricane/

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important now more than ever, that residents are prepared for hurricane season. Your first step of hurricane preparedness in 2021 should be to get the COVID-19 vaccine. It will protect you and your family if we have to evacuate this year. Additional COVID-relat...

04/30/2021

Thank you to all our wonderful therapy dogs. We hope to be back visiting in the fall. We are planning on an orientation in the fall with a pet evaluation in January. For more information about our program, visit visitingpetprogram.org

Happy National Therapy Animal Day to all of our amazing therapists! We wish you nothing but snuggles and treats.

01/03/2021

Thank you NOLA.com for speaking with Terry and Jeff Stadler along with our new member coordinator, Barbara Hyland on the impact of COVID-19 and pet therapy visits among others. We stand ready to bring love to the patients and facilities we visit as soon as it is deemed safe.

https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_d0143c16-4b8b-11eb-8624-ab534a05c44b.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=user-share

Pandemic halted unpaid workers for gift shops, nurseries, art and music therapy

08/10/2020

Lee's obituary. If you are interested in donating to Lee's Legacy Fund, you can use the donate link on our website. www.visitingpetprogram.org
https://obits.nola.com/obituaries/nola/obituary.aspx?n=aleen-a-gaffney-lee&pid=196615635&fbclid=IwAR37Ghj9IAKTkwkFSjCo0KDR8K--RLzpt4a8107hR5vsiC37MTJqC7bgpb4

View Aleen Gaffney's obituary, send flowers and sign the guestbook.

08/07/2020

The VPP Board is setting up a Lee’s Legacy Fund

The monies in this fund will have a dual impact. Our plan is to split the fund 50/50 split between a Lee Gaffney Legacy Award and a donation in Lee's memory to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

Lee Gaffney Legacy Award. This award will be given out at our annual meeting. It will be awarded to a member that embodies Lee’s spirit and dedication to the VPP. The member that is always thinking of others and going the extra mile.

If you want to participate in donating to this fund we need you to note that the donation is for “Lee’s Legacy”. Our plan is to split this fund 50/50 between the Lee Gaffney Legacy Award and the donation in Lee's memory to the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition.
If you prefer that a greater percentage of your donation go to one vs. the other of these options please let us know and we will apply the funds per your direction.

The Visiting Pet Program is Lee’s Legacy and we want to keep her amazing spirit, infectious personality, and incredible love of animal therapy going strong thru our actions.

Donations can be made by mailing check made out to the Visiting Pet Program to PO Box 24748 New Orleans, LA 70184

08/03/2020

It is with an incredibly broken heart that I share with you the passing of our beloved Lee Gaffney. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a little less than a year ago and fought courageously until she "crossed the Rainbow Bridge" on July 30th. We will share her obituary and details on her memorial service when we are able to.

In the meantime, we know everyone has a Lee story. Lee was and forever will be synonymous with the Visiting Pet Program. We encourage you to share your favorite Lee story with us either via email or on our page. And when we are finally able to get back to doing what we do best -- bringing love and leaving smiles -- continue to share the love of Lee. We are her legacy!

07/05/2020

Thanks Terry Kohl Stadler for showing off our new masks! We can’t wait to wear them when we can safely begin visiting again.

I’m wearing my mask for you! Proud Ochsner employee, member of the Visiting Pet Program. Posing with Ochsner therapy dog, Lucile. Looking forward to our visits again one day ❤️

05/11/2020

Samantha and Hannah miss visiting the patients, doctors, nurses, and families at Ochsner Hospital For Children and Ochsner Rehabilitation Hospital. Samantha can’t wait to snuggle with everyone again!

05/06/2020

Brian, Lynn and Honeybun are missing their friends at St. Anthony's HealthCare & Rehab! They are hoping that you all are staying well and are thankful for all of the work the staff is doing. They look forward to visiting again!