TALES BLOG /Embarking on a New Adventure: A Farewell Letter from Brittany Filby   Friends of Hand in Paw, After six incredible years serving as Hand in Paw's Director of Communications, the time has come for me to embark on a new adventure. I am thrilled to announce that I will be stepping away from my role at Hand in Paw to embrace a brand-new job title: Mother. This decision was not made lightly, but I am excited for the journey ahead and the opportunity to welcome a new addition to my family. During my tenure of creating Hand in Paw’s communications, design, and branding, I have learn ..read more

TALES BLOG /3 Ways to Volunteer This Spring Happy March! This month, leading to spring, we want to showcase some of the best ways to get involved in your community. What is a better way to welcome a new season than being active and helping out!     Getting involved in local education programs is a great way to make a positive impact in your community. By volunteering in schools or after-school programs, you’ll help foster learning and growth among students, ultimately shaping a brighter future for all. At Hand in Paw, our Therapy Teams visit local schools every week in the Greater B ..read more

TALES BLOG /February: An All-Heart Month Written by Margaret Stinnett, Executive Director Welcome February, you short, weather-harsh but all-heart month!   February is the month of love. I hope you had the opportunity to see the “Wear Red Day” photographs that Hand in Paw posted on social media in collaboration with the American Heart Association of Alabama. These adorable photographs of HIP therapy animals (and my little rescue Audrey) wearing red attire are a joyful way to share something that is a serious topic – women’s heart health.     At the risk of oversharing, I have ..read more

TALES BLOG / 10 Reasons to Support HIP This Holiday As the holiday season ushers in its joy and cheer, we find ourselves reflecting on the warmth of connection, the magic of moments shared, and the transformative power of giving. Here are ten reasons why supporting Hand in Paw is a gift that keeps on giving.   Reason #1: Hand in Paw Therapy Teams help children on the autism spectrum with their therapy.   Reason #2: Therapy dogs can encourage participants to work harder at their therapy, stay in treatment longer, and decrease perceived pain, improving patient outcomes in every hospi ..read more

TALES BLOG / A Season of Gratitude Written by Margaret Stinnett, HIP Executive Director Where thankfulness is an emotion, gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance. Gratitude involves being thankful, but it is more than that. Gratitude means expressing thankfulness and being appreciative of life daily even when nothing exciting happens. Gratitude hints that something wonderful is about to happen.   Hand in Paw thrives because of the support of many people in our community. For 27  years, this nonprofit has never charged a recipient of our services. This is beca ..read more

TALES BLOG / Wags for Wellness at Mcleod Software Each month, Hand in Paw (HIP) Therapy Teams visit McLeod Software as part of the “Wags for Wellness” program. As the therapy dogs and their humans walk the halls of McLeod, employees’ faces light up. The visits to McLeod are a part of HIP Heals, one of three core community outreach programs. Hand in Paw created the “Wags for Wellness” program for healthcare professionals during the pandemic, providing joy and comfort to doctors and nurses during trying times. Today, Wags for Wellness continues to promote mental health, wellness, and compassion ..read more

TALES BLOG / Beat the Heat Alabama is hot in the summer, and it's only getting hotter. With temperatures on the rise, it’s important to take care of your furry friends to make sure they don’t get overheated. Here are some tips and tricks for keeping your pups safe in the Summer heat!   A Fresh Summer Coat If your dog is especially fluffy, they can get a summer cut to survive the heat. Shaving off all that warm, winter fur can keep a dog cool in summer. If they’re the double-coated type, brushing them out to get rid of extra fur can be helpful. Making sure your dog is properly prepared fo ..read more

TALES BLOG / Just Fur Fun They say that laughter is the best medicine. Well at Hand in Paw, we think time spent with our furry friends is the best medicine. Today, let’s have both! So curl up with your kitty, read these amazing cat jokes, and have a laugh – doctor’s orders   What color do kittens love the most? Purrple.   What does the cat say after making a joke? "Just kitten!"   Why did the kitty get an "A" on their English assignment? They properly used an independent claws.   Why did the cat avoid eating lemons? They made him a sour-puss.   Di ..read more

  TALES BLOG / Ways to Socialize Your Dog in Preparation for Therapy Work Socializing your pup is always important, but if you have a goal of one day becoming a Hand in Paw Therapy Team, socialization will be a key skill to work on before evaluating. Why? Because an anxious, stressed, shy or aggressive pup does not make a good therapy animal. During the Hand in Paw training process, our team looks for dogs that not only demonstrate basic obedience skills, but also present some of the following qualities: Seeks & enjoys human interaction and meeting variety of new people Accepts vigo ..read more

  TALES BLOG /Inclusion is Within Everyone's Ability Written by Margaret Stinnett, Hand in Paw's Executive Director Remember Sesame Street in the 70’s and 80’s? My favorite segment was always the “word of the day”.  Children learn words by hearing them frequently, being taught a definition and in turn, incorporating that word into their own vocabulary. So do adults. A new word (for me) is “ableism”. Please see the definition included here. The gist of it is – we decide/judge/assume things about a person when we realize their abilities are different than our very own. Having a son w ..read more