I started volunteering with Furry Tales two years ago at a time when I was considering a future career in Animal Assisted Therapy. Ione invited me to a volunteer training evening. The information she provided during the training explained how outreach sessions are run and also provided theoretical background of the human-animal bond. After the training evening I volunteered in outreach sessions, it was fascinating to see how Furry Tales staff & volunteers interacted with individuals of the group and also attended to the needs of the animals. Most importantly everyone was having a great time and a smile could be seen on every face. Project Manager Ione took the time to get to know me and asked about my dreams and visions for a business. She provided me with advice on business set-up and courses to take and was a great source of support in the early days of my dream. With this I have been able to progress and am now very close to launching my own business PAWS. At PAWS, I work with my co-therapist, Frank the Newfoundland dog. We work on a 1:1 basis with clients to help them to achieve therapeutic goals and also provide Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal Assisted Education (AAE). A huge thank you to all the staff and volunteers at Stepney City Farm for helping me to take the first steps.
Post by Sarah King, Founder of Paws AAT.