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Central Arkansas Pet Partners Featured in AY Magazine

Aug 10, 2022 | Press

A person with an IV in their arm rests on a bed, holding a large, curly-haired black dog. The dog is wearing a bright yellow vest and is lying comfortably next to the person, looking relaxed and content.

Lucy, and her handler Allan, were recognized in AY Magazine for the work they do for UAMS and the Central Arkansas Community.

Lending A Paw: Central Arkansas Pet Partners Provides Animal-Assisted Intervention in Stressful Situations

Little Rock attorney Allan Gates, the president of Central Arkansas Pet Partners, never expected to become a volunteer doing hospice work. 

An older man in glasses and a plaid shirt stands beside a hospital bed, smiling down at a black and gray dog. The patient’s hand is reaching out to pet the dog. Medical equipment and supplies are in the background.

“It doesn’t sound like what you do for fun,” Gates says. “But I ended up shadowing Merry Zakrzewski while she was doing a dog therapy visit at the Arkansas Hospice Ottenheimer Inpatient Center at CHI St. Vincent. There was a young Black woman with an illness related to sickle cell anemia. She was unresponsive when we went in. Merry took her dog over and put his paw on the bed. The young woman’s mother moved the daughter’s hand over the dog. The young woman opened her eyes and smiled.

Read the full article at AY Mag.com