VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!
We need volunteers for a booth at the Agility Association of Canada's BC Regionals Competition in June.
Please view our News and Events Page for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pets and Friends?
Pets and Friends is a nonprofit society founded on the belief that people benefit emotionally and physically from regular interactions with loving companion animals. Our highly successful pet visitation program brings animal companionship to residents of hospitals and long-term care facilities all over the Lower Mainland.
How was Pets and Friends started?
In 1982, a small group of friends of the Vancouver Regional Branch of the SPCA tested the effects of bringing dogs to visit long-term care residents in Shaughnessy Hospital. The residents responded with smiles, became more social and showed signs of improved well-being. Pets and Friends was formed as a regular visitation program in order to continue to provide and promote the healing comfort of animals.
Where is the Pets and Friends program offered?
Pets and Friends visits facilities throughout the Lower Mainland. We have over 250 facilities on our roster - these are just some of the places our volunteer teams visit:
Vancouver
- Vancouver General Hospital
- UBC Health Sciences Centre
- St. Paul's Hospital
- Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children
- Canuck Place Children's Hospice
West Vancouver
- Hollyburn House
North Vancouver
- Lions Gate Hospital
- Lynn Valley Lodge
Burnaby
- Fellburn Hospital
Richmond
- Richmond Hospital
- Courtyard Gardens
Surrey
- Surrey Memorial Hospital
- Newton Regency Care Home
New Westminster
- Royal Columbian Hospital
- Salvation Army Buchanan Memorial Lodge
Coquitlam
- Como Lake Private Hospital
White Rock
- Peace Arch Hospital
Who participates in the program and who benefits?
Our members are people with loving pets who want to share them. Many volunteers have had experiences with family members who have been in hospitals or seniors homes and have seen how supportive pet visitation can be. Our volunteers feel good knowing that they bring comfort and companionship to the isolated and lonely. A wide variety of people benefit from our program, including the elderly, chronically ill, mentally ill, disabled, children and young people.
Why do animals have such an impact on people?
Interaction with animals puts people in touch with their emotions. Loving pets are always ready to give and receive affection, something that can be entirely missing from an institutionalized person’s life. Animals spark positive memories in former pet owners and provide depressed and withdrawn people with meaningful social contact. The human-animal bond is very powerful, and it’s as old as time—we always have and always will benefit from the company of animals.