Pets For Therapy

Welcome to Pets for Therapy

Our aim is to give
Joy, Love
and Laughter

History for Pets of Therapy

Pets for Therapy started in 1989

with a little snow white poodle called Jo Jo, dressed up for Christmas

Click here to see Jo Jo in all his glory

Yvonne Cody and Jo Jo's work as the founders and leaders of the Coast's highly successful Pets for Therapy (PFT) program has become legendary.

It all started when....

....... Yvonne was featured in a local newspaper visiting a 100-year old lady at Ozanam Aged Care a Nerang retirement village.

Jo Jo was a young puppy then and Yvonne had dressed him for a Christmas party with reindeer horns, a harness with bells and a small sleigh filled with tiny gifts.

Other aged care facilities saw the article and asked if we would visit their homes, asking Yvonne to dress Jo Jo for each special occasion and so "Pets for Therapy" was born.

Yvonne and Jo Jo did the job alone for nine years but then, due to an ever-increasing demand, Yvonne, an instructor with the Gold Coast Dog Obedience Club, recruited other volunteers and their dogs.

Poem

When God made the earth and sky, the flowers and the trees,
He then made all the animals and all the birds and bees.

And when His work was finished, not one was quite the same,

He said, "I'll walk this earth of mine and give each one a name".

And so He travelled land and sea, and everywhere he went,

a little creatured followed him until its strength was spent.

When all were named upon the earth and in the sky and sea,
the little creature said, "Dear Lord, there's not one left for me".

The Father smiled and softly said,

"I've turned my own name inside out and called you 'Dog' my friend".

THE PETS FOR THERAPY TEAM
are thrilled and proud to announce that we have received the

GOLD COAST CITY COUNCIL AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD
for 21 years of service to the Community of the Gold Coast .