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April 30, 2013 By jmarabella

Sunshine Friends Celebrates 10 Years of Service

March 8, 2009

2009 marks a major milestone for Sunshine Friends: 10 years of incorporation! We are very pleased to be continuing our work to uphold the mission we were incorporated under a decade ago. Founded by 3 dedicated volunteers, SFI started its first year with 10 volunteers visiting 4 locations during a time when we had to work hard to convince facilities that it was a good idea to allow therapy pets in to visit with their residents. Now, in 2009 we have over 160 teams visiting more than 800 people every month throughout 5 counties. Our volunteers all know what a difference the human-animal bond can make in someone’s life but our remarkable growth over the past 10 years is tangible proof that the community as a whole has come to realize the benefits as well.

Filed Under: News

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pawsofcny

A non-profit organization providing pet assisted wellness services in Central New York 🐾

Does your dog have good manners and enjoys meeting Does your dog have good manners and enjoys meeting people?  Do people love to be around your dog? Do you see them smiling or feeling relaxed when they see your dog?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might just have a dog that could be a PAWS of CNY therapy dog!  Our next Initial, Recertification, and Canine Good Citizen evaluations will be held NEXT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15th 2026 from 12:00 noon -2:00 pm at Star Canine Community Training Center, LLC, 6 Adler Dr. East Syracuse, NY 13057.  For more information visit https://pawsofcny.org/certification/ Apply today!! #PAWSofCNY #TherapyDog #CanineGoodCitizen #PetTherapy
All of us at PAWS of CNY wish you a bewitchingly f All of us at PAWS of CNY wish you a bewitchingly fun🧙 and spooktacularly safe Halloween! 🥸 photo credit: Scarlet Aguele. We want to see pictures of your pets celebrating, too! #PAWSofCNY  #HalloweenFun #SafeHalloween #SpookyPets
Want to bring smiles and comfort to people in your Want to bring smiles and comfort to people in your community with your pet? If your pet has a friendly temperament in all environments and gets along with other animals, you may have a good candidate for pet therapy work. Our next Initial, Recertification, and Canine Good Citizen evaluations will be held SUNDAY NOVEMBER 15th 2026 from 12:00 noon -2:00 pmat Star Canine Community Training Center, LLC, 6 Adler Dr. East Syracuse, NY 13057.  For more information visit https://pawsofcny.org/certification/ Apply today!! Poppy and Tilly say you'll be glad you did! #PAWSofCNY #PetTherapy #TherapyDogs #CanineGoodCitizen #StarCanineCenter
It's National Pets for Veterans Day!🐕‍🦺Holly knows It's National Pets for Veterans Day!🐕‍🦺Holly knows the value of giving unconditional support to our Veterans.  She knows pets provide military veterans with profound mental, emotional, and physical health benefits and at PAWS of CNY we have teams that have done just that and more ready to visit you. To find out more about how you can request these beneficial visits go to www.pawsofcny.org #PAWSofCNY  #PetsForVeterans #VeteranSupport #PetTherapy
Look at this cutey-patootie, Blu, who recently pas Look at this cutey-patootie, Blu, who recently passed his initial evaluation to become a PAWS of CNY Therapy Dog!! Congratulations, Blu!! Visit www.pawsofcny.org to find out more about how you can get involved in improving the wellness of Central New Yorkers. #PAWSofCNY  #TherapyDog #CentralNewYork #DogLovers #GoldenRetriever
Today is World Mental Health Day! Research from P Today is World Mental Health Day!  Research from Perspectives on Integrative Medicine cites research The Role of Animal Assisted Therapy in the Rehabilitation of Mental Health Disorders: A Systematic Literature Review (Perspect Integr Med. 2024;3(3):142-151.) published online October 23, 2024 shows that pet therapy, or animal-assisted therapy (AAT), significantly improves mental health by reducing stress hormones, triggering mood-boosting chemicals, and easing feelings of loneliness and anxiety.  And that is exactly what PAWS of CNY teams do no matter where they visit!  If you would like to feel those benefits in person at your hospital, office, school, therapy program, or community event visit www.pawsofcny.org for more information and to apply today! #PAWSofCNY  #AnimalAssistedTherapy #MentalHealthDay #PetTherapy #StressRelief #MoodBoost #AnxietySupport #TherapyDogs
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Recent Posts

  • Paws to Read at the Liverpool Library
  • Everybody loves Bodhi: Golisano’s therapy dog is always best in show at Syracuse children’s hospital
  • Poppy Featured on Laboratory Alliance of New York
  • Harley Featured on The Daily Orange
  • 2024 Fundraiser at Wolff’s Biergarten

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About PAWS OF CNY

PAWS of CNY, Inc. is a non-profit organization located in Central New York that is dedicated to enriching the lives of people and animals through mutually beneficial interaction. Over 100 volunteers across Onondaga, Oswego, Cortland, Madison, Oneida and Cayuga Counties bring their pets to visit residents at more than 100 facilities in Central New York, bringing smiles to more than 1,200 people every week. Read about our available programs.

Recent Posts

  • Paws to Read at the Liverpool Library
  • Everybody loves Bodhi: Golisano’s therapy dog is always best in show at Syracuse children’s hospital
  • Poppy Featured on Laboratory Alliance of New York
  • Harley Featured on The Daily Orange
  • 2024 Fundraiser at Wolff’s Biergarten

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PAWS of CNY, Inc. is a charitable, 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

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