Hand in Paw: HIP Healing and Art-Making

Photo by Hand in Paw.

In Episode 20 of ON THE ROAD WITH MAC AND MOLLY, I visit with Kitty Terry, Executive Director of Hand in Paw (HIP), the internationally-known, Birmingham, Alabama-based, animal-assisted therapy organization.

Photo by Hand in Paw.

HIP, founded in 1996, provides professionally trained animal-assisted therapy teams to help people heal physically and emotionally. These 120+ teams (which are made up entirely of volunteers) address abuse, disabilities, illiteracy, and chronic and terminal illness, through more than 50,000 visits a year in more than 50 facilities in the state of Alabama.

Kitty, sharing from a heart of great passion for the work, shares stories of wonderful successes through each of HIP’s programs: PETSCRIPTION, SIT, STAY, READ!, and PAWSITIVE LIVING™.

PETSCRIPTION volunteers work with patients to provide medical, psychiatric and rehabilitation services via interactions between them and their therapy animals. Whether it's visiting a child in his or her hospital room, bringing joy to an elderly person in a nursing home, or providing motivation to an individual during a rehabilitation session, the therapy animals bring joy, comfort, and lots of hugs.

Photo by Hand in Paw.

SIT, STAY, READ! helps reluctant young readers who are performing below grade level to overcome embarrassment and improve skills by reading aloud to a non-judgmental therapy animal. This program was first conducted in association with libraries and now helps improve literacy skills in other settings as well.

PAWSITIVE LIVING™ is an innovative 12-week program that teaches compassion and anger management to high-risk youth.

Photo by Hand in Paw.

On this program, as well, we hear about the wonderfully innovative Picasso Pets, HIP’s signature event and fundraiser. In this, a family’s or individual’s pet (a dog, a cat, a bird, a pig, a horse . .  . whatever furry or feathery creature it is they love) is paired with a professional artist (the pet’s “muse”) to create a masterpiece. Each human artist helps each animal artist use its feet and/or tail to paint across a canvas. Sometimes, a nose is employed as a stamp. 

Photo by Hand in Paw.

Each canvas is then stretched, the artist puts on the finishing touches, and . . . there you have it: the most unique piece of artwork you will ever own - especially because it was created with the love of and for an animal. The artwork is then auctioned off in conjunction with other large auction items, and is accompanied by a silent auction. All the proceeds from each year’s event are poured back into addressing the organization’s mission of helping people heal.

Photo by Hand in Paw.