Two organizations are collaborating to expand therapy animal programs in healthcare settings through a new two-year pilot program.
The initiative from the Baxter Foundation and Pet Partners will begin in healthcare settings in northern California, upstate New York and the greater Chicagoland area. It aims to reach 100,000 patients and professionals to create a “more resilient healthcare system” by providing relief from stress and burnout.
Pet Partners currently has therapy animal teams in around 50 medical facilities in California, 12 in New York and 30 in the Chicagoland area, Chief Development Officer Traci Pryor told Fierce Healthcare in an email. Facilities include larger health systems and local hospitals.
“With the Baxter Foundation’s investment, we will work to increase the number of registered therapy animal teams in each of these regions," Pryor said. “We will also implement proven strategies to connect more registered therapy animal teams with local facilities seeking visits.”
The therapy animal company has nine different kinds of animals, though Pryor noted the Baxter collaboration will focus on therapy dogs.
“Together with the Baxter Foundation, we’re bringing these moments of connection to the front lines of healthcare, helping people heal and giving those who care for others the support they need to stay resilient,” Pryor said.
The program has four main objectives:
- Expanding access to therapy animals
- Advancing animal-assisted interventions
- Providing Baxter employees with volunteering and well-being event opportunities
- Strengthening industry research on the impact of therapy animals on healthcare professionals
The planned study will involve surveying healthcare workers “immediately following therapy animal interactions,” Baxter's Chief Communications Officer and Baxter Foundation President Stacey Eisen said in an email.
“The goal is to advance existing research on animal-assisted interventions in healthcare and further public understanding on the benefits of these programs,” Eisen said.
Some research has shown that therapy animal interactions in healthcare settings can lead to lower anxiety and stress levels for patients and providers alike. A March 2025 study involving pediatric emergency department patients found that 46% of patients reported decreased anxiety scores in the presence of therapy dogs, compared with 23% in a control group.
Eisen said in a statement that the collaboration was inspired by a young patient named Izzy, who had a dog named Baxter during her cancer treatment.
“Hearing how much comfort Baxter [the dog] brought Izzy and her family was a powerful reminder of how healing the human-animal bond can be during incredibly challenging moments,” Eisen said. “At Baxter, we support patients and care teams every day through our products and services, and this partnership allows us to extend that support at the bedside and across the hospital in a new and deeply meaningful way.”