By: Jingwei Zhao

Pets can provide crucial emotional support. This can be often seen in the organization Gabriel’s Angels, a nonprofit working to connect pets with children who need emotional support. Their goal is to help children from ages 6-18 overcome emotional obstacles. Causes can include academic challenges, illnesses, or traumatic experiences. Named after the founder’s late pet dog, the nonprofit has been providing pet therapy for children throughout the state of Arizona since 2000.

The pet therapy works by having teams visit the child that is suffering emotionally either at school or another facility to meet with, sometimes lasting up to two hours at a time. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), day-to-day meetups with dogs can improve a child’s self-esteem and confidence. Forming a bond with a dog can make the child feel loved and be comforted.

Over 2,100 children in Arizona have improved their lives since the pet therapy services in the span of only the previous year. Gabriel’s Angels targets enhancing core strengths identified to be important for proper human development. Some include respect, tolerance, confidence, and attachment. These qualities are being brought out when children have the opportunity to spend time with the dogs.

According to Cara Kiggins, the chief programs officer, “Several kids find a support structure from a dog when they may not have much support.” Kiggins shares a magical moment that occurred during one of the visits. A dog named Lloyd was playing fetch with a circle of patients. However, he would continuously bring the ball to a withdrawn girl. After just a few times of this kind gesture, the girl was already smiling. “That might not seem like a lot. But when you’re in psychological pain, it’s huge,” says Kiggins.

Now, Gabriel’s Angels is made of 109 pet therapy teams, and 16 Helping Hand volunteers. They have also partnered with 74 schools and other nonprofits. Kiggins states, “We’re the only organization that has partnerships with this many nonprofits and schools.”

Gabriel’s Angels is an influential nonprofit working to help children with their emotional struggles through the support of dogs.

Image Credit by KATRIN BOLOVTSOVA