January 30, 2020
By uclahealth 
“The miracle of animals finding purpose and people finding healing is nothing short of a miracle,” believes Ellie Laks, founder of Gentle Barn and speaker during the People-Animal Connection luncheon. “After sitting here for the last two hours and hearing their stories, I feel so touched and honored to be here. We help facilitate the […]
May 13, 2019
By uclahealth
“I thought we were just going for a walk and he surprised me with this mini horse,” says Teresa Do, a first-time mother at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. “I’m at UCLA Health because I just gave birth to a baby girl five days ago and she’s in the neonatal intensive care unit. It’s kind […]
Tags: Blue Moon, featured, neonatal intensive care unit, NICU, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA PAC, UCLA People-Animal Connection
January 2, 2019
By uclahealth
“I like the horse, it was so cute. Blue Moon had a little braid and shoes,” says Margaret Siguenza, who was visiting Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for a dental appointment when she spotted miniature horse Blue Moon, a volunteer with UCLA People-Animal Connection. Margaret’s mother, Sandra Siguenza, not pictured, adds, “We’re here today for […]
Tags: Blue Moon, featured, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, UCLA PAC, UCLA People-Animal Connection
August 7, 2017
By uclahealth
“My dad’s a pediatrician and my mom is a physical therapist, so I grew up in hospitals,” says Matt Elias, who has been volunteering with his 2-year-old French bulldog, Pierre, at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for the past year as part of the UCLA People-Animal Connection program. “When I got Pierre, I realized I […]
Tags: featured, patients, pediatrician, pet therapy, physical therapist, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, staff, therapy dogs, UCLA People-Animal Connection, UCLA Volunteer, US News, volunteer
November 29, 2016
Post-election recipe for health: volunteer
As the election season recedes and the holidays approach, this may be the perfect time to decompress and reflect within about ourselves and our nation. For me, the process starts with taking a fresh look at the candidates’ slogans. Whether it’s “Make America Great Again” or “Stronger Together,” the message seems to be the same: […]
Tags: altruism, election, health, holidays, No One Dies Alone, UCLA Health volunteers, UCLA People-Animal Connection, volunteer, volunteer opportunities, volunteerism
July 12, 2016
People-Animal Connection teams providing tuck-in and literacy services
By uclahealth
Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA is not going to the dogs. The dogs are going to the hospital. UCLA’s People-Animal Connection (PAC), the animal-assisted therapy program that provides critically ill children and adults with companionship and comfort during their hospital stay, has launched two new programs. The tuck-in program provides hospitalized children and adults with comforting […]
Tags: animal-assisted therapy, children, literacy program, Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA, PAC, Santa Monica, UCLA Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica, UCLA People-Animal Connection, volunteers
May 12, 2016
All Paws on Deck to Encourage Healing
By uclahealth
Therapists at the Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA (RNPH) are getting excellent results with some innovative techniques — sitting, shaking hands, rolling over and allowing patients to scratch their bellies. Such methods come easily to these therapists, since they are dogs — part of the UCLA People-Animal Connection, or PAC. Working as […]
Tags: animal-assisted therapy, nurses, PAC, Pet Partners, Stewart and Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA, therapy, therapy dogs, UCLA People-Animal Connection, volunteers
December 15, 2015
My name is Claudia. I’ve been a patient at UCLA since I was about 4 years old. I’m 21 almost 22. I’ve spent much of my childhood at the Mattel children’s hospital. People always ask me how was it spending so much time at the hospital. I tell them it wasn’t too bad. Because we […]
Tags: Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, paraesophageal hernia, partial gastrectomy, patient stories, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, therapy dogs, UCLA Medical Center Santa Monica, UCLA People-Animal Connection
