| 10 | FURRY FRIENDS 2024 in reading skills,” Quine said. “Kids that have the opportunity to practice with the dog have seen significant growth academically. And those students’ reading abilities, comprehension, fluency — they are improving in all of that.” But the improvements are more than academic. “Their whole presence is calmer, and it allows them to not only identify what those coping strategies are but to really feel them,” Quine said. “When we can feel the impact of something, it’s much more likely that we’re going to continue to practice it, because we like how it feels. We want to experience that all over again.” Steimer said the organization is working diligently to plan for the future and expand its impact. Schools are an important part of that. She even sees Gabriel’s Angels as a resource in addressing issues such as school absenteeism and other core issues students and families face. “Something we’ve been seeing lately is a shift in this realization that pet therapy has a place in helping to heal kids and to help kids show up at school more,” she said. “If we can bring the expertise of understanding how the pet can be brought into the solutions, that’s what we’re looking to do over the next 10 years.” To learn more, visit gabrielsangels.org . Gabriel’s Angels volunteers and their pets enhance the social and emotional development of kids through the life-changing power of pet therapy. Photo by Scott Foust

BY JULIE COLEMAN President & CEO of Helping Animals Live On (HALO) Animal Rescue A Day With 7:30 A.M. >> PUPPY LOVE Veterinary medicine is my love. My little piece is being a doggy doula. I foster about 150 moms and babies per year in my backyard casita, so my day usually begins and ends with cleaning and taking care of them. I do this by myself seven days a week, including three to four loads of laundry a day, depending on how dirty they are! 10 A.M. >> THE HALO EFFECT My mother and I started HALO 30 years ago. My position has morphed to where I oversee all the financial and operational aspects of the business. I take care of all emails that come in and direct them to the appropriate area. This keeps me grounded and focused on the community’s needs and why they come to HALO. I make sure we provide excellent customer service by addressing any concerns because, at the end of the day, we’re here because we love animals. You’re not here for 30 years if you are not providing excellent care to your community. Fundraising is a large part of my job. I spend a lot of my time writing, including copy for our direct mail pieces, our newsletter and thank you notes to our donors so they know how much they’re appreciated. 11:30 A.M. >> A HISTORY OF PARTNERSHIP HALO shared space with Maricopa County Animal Care & Control from 2013 to 2017. During that time, we helped them increase their life-saving rate from 55 percent to 85 percent by changing the standards of care for the animals and establishing new protocols. When this partnership ended, we moved into our own location, where we take in 3,000 to 4,000 dogs and cats a year. This move gave us the opportunity to expand and be a valuable partner to other organizations by accepting large volumes of their animals because there are too many in that area, and the animals are at risk for euthanasia. I forge relationships and communicate with partner shelters locally as well as in New Mexico, California and Mexico. 1:15 P.M. >> COMMUNITY FOCUSED It has gotten harder for animal welfare in Arizona and across the country. There were 10 years where things were horrible, and we created strategies to save more lives, such as bottle- feeding programs and trap-neuter-return programs for cats that weren’t adoptable. The economy taking a turn for the worse over the last two years impacts the animal population. People have to move in with family or downsize from a house to an HEATHER ALLEN BEHIND THE LEASH Heather Allen with a pug puppy that was surrendered. FURRY FRIENDS 2024 | 11 |