PAWSitive Animal Therapy LLC, based in Barkhamsted, Connecticut, customizes its programs to meet the needs of its clients. Although programs may be similar, no two programs are identical, since no two individuals have identical needs. The programs listed below are a sampler of the types of programs that PAWSitive Animal Therapy LLC can provide. PAWSitive Animal Therapy LLC, however, is not limited to providing only these programs.

Reading Dog Therapy
Reading dog therapy is probably the best known and best publicized form of animal therapy. The PAWSitive Animal Therapy LLC group is experienced with students reading to the dogs. The effectiveness of students reading to dogs has been documented in numerous articles published on the internet. Dogs provide a non-judgmental audience for students who might otherwise be reluctant to read out loud. The dogs are warm  and comforting. They provide a friendly and inviting audience for their young partners. The love of a dog is boundless. What better form of alternative therapy can there be?

Patients in Healthcare Facilities
Patients in healthcare facilities encompass a wide spectrum of needs which can be addressed by animal assisted therapy. The dogs can encourage socialization, help in improving self-esteem and security, provide entertainment and grant acceptance to patients suffering from Alzheimer's, dementia, physical disabilities, or depression.

Studies have shown that the mere presence of a dog can lower a patient's blood pressure. The dog can also encourage physical movement, emotional well being, cognitive awareness and social interaction.

It has been my experience that a tail wagging dog can accomplish astonishing transformations for the residents of a nursing home or assisted living facility. Even the staff welcome a break to pet the dog or to introduce the dog to a particularly needy resident. The dogs are usually in great demand and welcomed by most residents.

Special Needs Students
Pawsitive Animal Therapy LLC has had a variety of experiences working with special needs students ranging from medically fragile students to students with autism to developmentally delayed students to students with physical handicaps. The dogs
 have a noticeable calming effect on each one of these groups of individuals The dogs can aid in physical therapy by allowing individuals to brush them, to throw a ball for them, to walk them and in the case of one tactile defensive student, to touch them. The list of activities special needs students can accomplish with therapy dogs is endless.

Individualized Visits to Patients at Home or in a Healthcare Facility
At the request of a patient or a patient's family member, PAWSitive Animal Therapy LLC can provide animal visits to a specific patient. In addition to the benefits mentioned previously, visits from an animal can make the transition from home to a health care facility less traumatic for the patient, especially if the patient is accustomed to being around animals.