Touching Lives, Warming Hearts Through Human & Animal Interactions

Recognizing the difficulties all of us experienced in 2020 from the COVID-19 pandemic and civil and political unrest, the Manheim Township Police Department wished to protect the mental health and well-being of its personnel.  Knowing that positive wellness is crucial for a police department to be fully effective, KPETS (Keystone Pet-Enhanced Therapy Services) was invited to the police station to provide therapy visits.  On Tuesday, March 16th, and Wednesday, March 17th, 2021, two (2) teams of volunteers met with officers and staff to share a well-deserve emotional recharge.  Becky with Bart the cat, and Kathy with Brody the dog came on Tuesday, while Karen with Kody the dog, and Kim with Goldie the dog came on Wednesday.

Registered KPETS volunteers and their companion animals promote well-being and offer encouragement in our communities by sharing the power and benefits of human-animal interactions.  Serving local communities in health-related facilities, social agencies, special-needs programs, schools, libraries, retirement communities and hospices, KPETS teams readily visit wherever the human / animal connection may be beneficial.  KPETS services are free of charge.  Established in 2003, KPETS has grown into an organization with more than 400 volunteer teams, providing over 10,000 hours of animal assisted therapy to over 300 facilities every year.

“We reached out to KPETS to see if they could visit and help lift our spirits, and they quickly accepted,” commented Chief Thomas Rudzinski.  “This was a great opportunity for us.  Pets have a way of working into your heart, and our interactions with these animals absolutely gave our employees a much needed boost.” 

The officers and staff from the Manheim Township Police Department were grateful for the visit and very appreciative of the time donated by the KPETS volunteers.  We hope to have them visit again in the future!

MEDIA POST CONTACT: Lieutenant Michael T. Piacentino, W: 717-569-6401 Ext: 1583, C: 717-340-2130, piacentinom@manheimtownshippolice.org