Outreach Spotlight
ElderPet
ElderPet, a service organization founded and led by Thompson School associate professor of animal science Jerilee Zezula, has been named the Pet Partners Affiliate of the Year by the Delta Society, the leading international resource for the human-animal bond. ElderPet facilitates therapeutic relationships between pets and the elderly, people with disabilities, hospice families and patients and residents of health care facilities. Working with Exeter Hospital, ElderPet provides the Delta Society’s Pet Partners training and evaluations for teams of pets and owners who visit hospitals, Alzheimer units at nursing homes, and local libraries.
Zezula, a veterinarian, credits ElderPet’s variety of services – including training and evaluation, continuing education, and special events – and high level of support to its animal assisted therapy teams for helping secure the award. “I think we have a unique program,” she said.
For more information on ElderPet, go to http://www.elderpet.org/.
