4Paws volunteers provide canine social therapy services to a variety of locations and settings in Sonoma County and in limited capacity in San Francisco and Marin.
Visiting with a dog can have a very positive effect on our sense of wellbeing. People who are in stressful situations, or are anxious, depressed, or feeling alone and isolated can benefit greatly from a visit with a furry canine friend.
Our volunteers and their canine companions visit hospitals providing uplifting visits to patients and hospital staff. Additionally we visit long term care facilities providing patients and staff comfort and an opportunity to destress. We are also regulars at a variety of Assisted Living communities providing furry visits to residents and staff.
4Paws teams also visit a number of classrooms in a variety of school districts in Sonoma County. We provide an opportunity for children to learn about dogs, enjoy the companionship that dogs can provide and provide encouragement to students as they learn and develop new skills. While much of what we do is at the elementary school level we provide social therapy visits to all grade levels including college.