Pet Partners and the Baxter Foundation Expand Therapy Animal Programs to Support 100,000 Patients and Healthcare Workers in Two-Year Pilot

Largest Single Investment from a Corporate Foundation Aims to Strengthen Healthcare Resilience by Advancing Therapy Animal Visits in U.S. Healthcare Settings

BELLEVUE, Wash. and DEERFIELD, Ill., March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pet Partners, the nation's leading organization dedicated to improving human health and well-being through therapy animal interactions, and the Baxter Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global medtech leader, today announced a new partnership to expand access to therapy animal programs in healthcare settings across the country. The initiative will begin as a two-year pilot program in key regions, including Northern California, Upstate New York and Greater Chicago, IL, with the goal of reaching 100,000 patients and healthcare professionals and creating a more resilient healthcare system.

As healthcare workers grapple with high levels of stress and burnout, while patients and their families cope with the emotional challenges of treatment, therapy animals can help provide much-needed moments of calm, connection and comfort. Research shows that interactions with therapy animals can lead to lower pain ratings for patients, as well as reduced ^[i]anxiety and depression. And for healthcare workers, even brief, five-minute therapy dog visits have been shown to lower stress, anxiety^[ii]s. Yet, many healthcare facilities lack the administrative support and volunteer base needed to develop and sustain animal therapy programs. Together, Pet Partners and the Baxter Foundation aim to provide resources, training and infrastructure to help more healthcare settings integrate therapy animal visits into their care practices.

"Our collaboration with Pet Partners was inspired by the story of a young patient named Izzy who welcomed a dog into her life during her cancer treatment and named him Baxter – after the Baxter infusion pump that supported her chemotherapy," said Stacey Eisen, Baxter's chief communications officer and president of the Baxter Foundation. "Hearing how much comfort Baxter [the dog] brought Izzy and her family was a powerful reminder of how healing the human-animal bond can be during incredibly challenging moments. At Baxter, we support patients and care teams every day through our products and services, and this partnership allows us to extend that support at the bedside and across the hospital in a new and deeply meaningful way."

The Baxter Foundation's investment will support Pet Partners with the following objectives:

• Expand access to therapy animals: Bring therapy animals to more patients and healthcare workers by increasing visits to healthcare settings and recruiting more Pet Partners volunteers.
• Advance animal-assisted interventions: Support volunteer education and training to ensure safe, evidence-based therapy animal visits, including updating Pet Partners' safety and infection control course.
• Strengthen industry research: Conduct a study on the impact of therapy animals on healthcare professionals to expand public and professional understanding of animals' roles in supporting a more resilient healthcare system.
• Engage Baxter employees: Provide hands-on opportunities for Baxter employees to get involved through volunteering, workplace well-being events and more.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Baxter Foundation to expand access to therapy animals and deepen the impact of animal-assisted interventions in healthcare," said Annie Peters, CEO of Pet Partners. "Together, we are creating meaningful moments that support resilience for healthcare workers and comfort for patients. This partnership represents an exciting step forward in advancing the human–animal bond in healthcare settings nationwide."

The initial two-year pilot is officially underway. Visit www.petpartners.org/baxter to learn more.

About Pet Partners

Pet Partners is the leader in the therapy animal field for registering volunteer teams. Since 1977, we have supported thousands of teams in making millions of meaningful visits across the country and around the world. Through the human-animal bond, we can improve the physical, social, and emotional lives of both the people and animals involved. Pet Partners supports volunteer teams by offering the highest quality preparation, an unmatched approach to evaluation and registration—for nine different types of animals—and a focus on connections. We elevate the importance of therapy animal visits, and our teams help build a healthier and happier world for us all. Whether or not you have a pet, learn more about sharing the human-animal bond by visiting petpartners.org.  

About the Baxter Foundation

Every day, Baxter and the Baxter Foundation strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people who depend on our products, and in the communities where our employees live and work. The Foundation helps advance Baxter's Mission to Save and Sustain Lives by partnering with organizations around the world to increase access to healthcare for the underserved, develop the next generation of innovators who will lead the way in advancing healthcare and create a positive, long-lasting impact in communities globally. For more information, please visit Baxter's Corporate Responsibility page.

Baxter is a registered trademark of Baxter International Inc. or its subsidiaries.

ⁱ  Carey, Ben, et al., 2022, PLOS One

ⁱⁱ Kline et al., 2020, Academic Emergency Medicine

SOURCE Pet Partners