Therapy Pet Pals of Texas

What Therapy Pet Pals of Texas does

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc. (TPPT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in March 1984 by Kathryn Lashmit in Austin, Texas, after a trial visit with her puppy to a local nursing home produced a visible emotional response from residents. The organization recruits, screens, and trains volunteer pet-owner teams to deliver animal-assisted therapy visitations to approximately 90 healthcare institutions across Texas, including nursing homes, medical hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and MHMR State facilities. All services are provided at no cost to facilities or their residents, with volunteers required to commit to a minimum of two visits per month to their assigned facility following qualification through AKC Canine Good Citizen certification and a supervised two-hour training class that simulates healthcare-facility situations involving wheelchairs, walkers, and other medical equipment.

TPPT operates from a headquarters at 3930 Bee Cave Road, Suite C, Austin, TX 78746 and a second training/class location at the Oklahoma Community Center in Magnolia, TX (The Woodlands/NW Houston). There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is a single, unified service — the Pet Therapy Visitation Program — supported by the Pet Pal Pointers Handbook and recurring newsletter (Pet Pal Tales). Revenue is derived entirely from charitable contributions: individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorship, supplemented by a $100 non-refundable volunteer application fee. Named foundation supporters include the Carl C. Anderson Sr. & Marie Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation, ExxonMobil Foundation, The Abbott Foundation, WellSky Foundation, Arnold Foundation, Ed Rachal Foundation, Donald D. Hammill Foundation, ForeSight Foundation, RWH Foundation, and The Lind Family Charitable Foundation, alongside corporate sponsors such as AT&T, Dell, Microsoft, IBM, and Kendra Scott.

The go-to-market motion is community-led: volunteer acquisition via the website, newsletter, and direct outreach; pet certification through AKC Canine Good Citizen; mandatory training; and assignment of teams to facilities. Marketing is constrained to a static website (therapypetpals.org), a photo gallery documenting volunteer activities, and digital donation integrations (PayPal, Give as you Get, Giving Assistant). Leadership includes Executive Director Nancy J. Gray, Board Chairman Thomas G. Bradfield, D.V.M., Volunteer Coordinator Nedy West, Grants Manager Jane Adams, Houston Chapter Director Mary Horner, and board members Jason M. Gray, Esq. and Darrin P. Jensen, with Directors Emeritus James D. Lashmit and Megan S. Medica.

Name

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas

Legal name

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas, Inc.

Website

https://therapypetpals.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1984 that trains approximately 200 volunteer pet-owner teams to provide free animal-assisted therapy visits to roughly 90 healthcare facilities across Texas, including nursing homes, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal-Assisted Therapy Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Medicine & Training-Integrated Veterinary Services (HLAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics & Hospitals (AFAEANAA)

Keywords

• Animal-assisted therapy
• Pet therapy visits
• Volunteer training programs
• Nonprofit healthcare services
• Therapy dog certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Therapy Pet Pals of Texas operates entirely on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. No fee or service charge has ever been required for their Pet Pal programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas recruits and certifies volunteers with their therapy pets (dogs and cats meeting AKC Canine Good Citizen standards and health requirements) and assigns trained teams to make regular animal-assisted therapy visits to healthcare facilities including nursing homes, medical hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and MHMR State facilities. All Pet Pal visitation services are provided free of charge to facilities, with a $100 non-refundable registration fee charged to volunteer applicants to cover processing costs.

Product overview

Therapy Pet Pals of Texas is a nonprofit organization offering a single unified pet therapy program rather than a multi-product platform. The core offering is the Pet Therapy Visitation Program, which operates through trained volunteer pet/owner teams that visit healthcare facilities. Supporting the program are Qualifying and Training Classes that certify volunteers and their pets, and the Pet Pal Pointers Handbook that provides operational guidelines. The organization serves approximately 90 different healthcare facilities across Austin and Houston locations. No fee or service charge has ever been required for any of the Pet Pal programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pet Therapy Visitation Program Animal-assisted therapy visitations in which trained volunteer pet/owner teams visit healthcare facilities (nursing homes, medical hospitals, rehabilitation centers, MHMR State facilities) to provide companionship and emotional support to patients and residents. Approximately 200 trained volunteers serve approximately 90 facilities, with each team committed to a minimum of two visits per month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving approximately 90 different healthcare facilities/institutions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Healthy PetsminorOthersCorporate sponsor related to pet industry
• Hearts & PawsminorOthersCorporate sponsor related to pet industry
• Westlake Animal HospitalminorOthersLocal veterinary hospital sponsor providing support
• Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming/Bee CaveminorOthersLocal pet business sponsor providing donations and support

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• American Kennel Club (AKC): National kennel club that administers the AKC Canine Good Citizen certification—a prerequisite that TPPT requires for therapy pet admission. Comparable as an upstream enabler of TPPT's certification standard rather than a direct service competitor.

Direct peers

• Love on a Leash: Nonprofit that trains and certifies therapy dog teams to visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centers. Comparable to TPPT in mission, volunteer-led model, and target facility types, with chapters across multiple states.
• Pet Partners: The largest national nonprofit registering therapy animal teams for animal-assisted interventions in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Directly comparable to TPPT in mission and operating model, but operates at a national scale with a broader volunteer base and standardized therapy team certification.
• BrightSpot Therapy Dogs: Regional therapy dog organization providing animal-assisted therapy visits to hospitals, schools, and care facilities. Comparable to TPPT in operating model, target facilities, and volunteer-pet team structure, with a focused regional presence.
• Alliance of Therapy Dogs: National therapy dog registration organization testing and certifying volunteer-pet teams for visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities. Directly comparable to TPPT in service model and target customers, with a substantially larger national footprint.

Broad incumbents

• PetSmart Charities: Major animal welfare nonprofit funding pet-related programs nationally. Comparable in nonprofit structure and animal welfare mission, but operates as a grant-making organization supporting programs like TPPT rather than delivering direct pet therapy services.
• Canine Companions for Independence: Large nonprofit providing highly trained service dogs to people with disabilities at no cost. Broader and more established than TPPT in the human-animal assistance space, but focused on service dogs for individuals rather than therapy pet visits to facilities.

Regional players

• Intermountain Therapy Animals: Regional therapy animal organization based in Utah operating the R.E.A.D. literacy program and animal-assisted therapy visits to hospitals and care facilities. Comparable to TPPT in service delivery model, with a regional geographic focus that overlaps in mission rather than geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therapy-pet-pals-of-texas-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Therapy Pet Pals of Texas