Paws for Youth

10/19/2026

We are thrilled to share that Dr. Annette Bouwer has won Phoenix Business Journal's Volunteer of the Year award! Not only does Dr. Annette volunteer for our ABC program AND Paws for Resilience program with her two therapy dogs, Phinley & Dutch, she also serves on our Board of Directors, helping to guide and grow our organization.
This award is such a well-deserved recognition for a truly incredible person - we are beyond grateful to have Dr. Annette in our "pack". 🥰💜

The Phoenix Business Journal recognizes the Valley’s most generous, community-minded and innovative leaders. >> See the full article below ⬇️

10/07/2026

According to our amazing volunteer, Rosemary, Therapy Dog Sophie's new friend "LOVES to practice reading, sounding out words, etc. He seems to love our time together and he obviously practices reading at home. He really likes Sophie too."

It sounds like they're going to have a fantastic time together in our ABC program! 🥰

09/29/2026

The Golden Ticket Raffle is LIVE ahead of our gala! Which destination would you pick and who's going with you?? 🤩

Only 100 tickets will be sold, so you've got a great chance to win an incredible experience AND your purchase supports our free pet therapy programs for local youth! 🐶💜 https://e.givesmart.com/events/P4u/i/_All/B0k5/?search=

09/22/2026

These kiddos are in luck - their school requested our ABC program, and Denise & Therapy Dog Lulu were available to start making visits!

This was actually Denise & Lulu's very first ABC visit, and they did an amazing job connecting with the students! We're so grateful to have such incredible volunteers who bring our programs to life. 🥰💜

09/19/2026

We just finished a lovely tasting for our upcoming A Night of PAWSibilities - Superheroes Among Us Gala, and everything was delicious!

This year, we're moving our event to the beautiful Camelback Inn and we can't wait for you to see all the hard work our committee has been putting in behind the scenes.

Everyone is looking forward to enjoying a fun night with friends and adorable therapy dogs, so make sure to reserve your tickets at https://www.pawsforyouth.org/get-involved/arizona-pet-therapy/ as soon as you can! 💜

09/15/2026

What are ways we can show respect? It's an important question for youth to consider, and a very important strength for them to develop!

During Volunteer Rennie and Therapy Dog Kali Rose's visit exploring the idea of respect, there were plenty of fun activities including this poster made from the group's discussions and creating color-coded bracelets. 💜

08/31/2026

Thank you to The Phoenix Turkey Trot for choosing us to be this year's charity partner! We're grateful for the chance to get out there and enjoy the cool fall weather with all of you. 😊💜

We are excited to announce our partner charity for this year's race, Paws for Youth! Helping children and teens navigate challenges, discover strength after trauma, and feel safety and comfort in a stressful world. Rather than operating a single facility, Paws for Youth brings pet therapy programs to Title I schools, shelters, behavioral treatment centers, and other youth-serving partners – all entirely free of charge. With the unconditional love of therapy pets to guide the way, youth build confidence and enjoy learning the nuances of forming healthy relationships, treating others with respect and kindness, regulating their emotions, and more. It’s pet therapy that goes beyond comfort – it’s transformative, intentional, and driven by data for maximum impact.

08/25/2026

Can you donate 30 seconds of your time?

We've been nominated for a grant from Arizona Financial Credit Union, but we need your help to make it to the finish line! Please visit https://qr.pawsforyouth.org/6a33a174 - all it takes is a moment to vote for us and make a difference for our local kids and teens!

08/10/2026

Thank you to Tempe Diablos Charities for your generous support of our work with local youth! It was such a pleasure to meet with you and discuss exactly what this investment in our community looks like for the kids and teens we serve.

08/06/2026

🌼 An exciting new era is blossoming at Paws for Youth, and we are delighted to announce Suzanne Pearl as our new Chief Executive Officer! 🌷🎉

Suzanne has been serving as our Interim CEO while a hiring committee of current and former Board Members searched to fill the role, and they ultimately voted to select her for the permanent position. She has extensive experience with communications, human resources, and nonprofit work - but we'll get into all that soon in another post. 😊

For now, our staff all gathered for a day of team-building that included learning how to arrange flowers and meeting all FIVE of Suzanne's adorable dogs! 🐾