Founder / Director - Patti Shanaberg
Photo Courtesy of www.rachellaurenphotography.com
Registered Delta Society Pet Partner since 1999
Licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Evaluator since 2003
Licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Instructor since 2012
Reading Education Assistance Dogs ® (R.E.A.D.®) Literacy Mentor Since 2004
Completed Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Instructor Training in 2005
Assistant to Vice President, Media Relations, HOME BOX OFFICE, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
M.A. Candidate, Spiritual Psychology, University of Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA
M.A. Candidate, Rehabilitation Counseling, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
B.A., Psychology & English Literature, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
A.A., Liberal Arts & Horsemanship, Bennett College, Millbrook, NY
A life-long love of animals and unique combination of personal and professional experiences have given Angel Paws Founder/Director, Patti Shanaberg, unique insight, passion and commitment to Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy. “Animals, with their complete lack of agenda, have a unique capacity to reach people on a whole new level many people underestimate. The therapeutic benefits of Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy go far beyond the entertaining diversion people often think of.”
Experience on both sides of patient care has given Shanaberg an empathic understanding of the many challenges faced by both patients and caregivers. Shanaberg has worked as a Nursing Assistant at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois and held a number of graduate level internship and volunteer counseling positions as a masters degree candidate in Counseling Psychology at Southern Illinois University and at the University of Santa Monica’s Spiritual Psychology graduate program in Santa Monica, California.
In the years following an equestrian accident in 1977 that resulted in a spinal cord injury and requires her to use a wheelchair, she's also spent significant time as a patient in various acute care hospitals. “Although I’ve continued to enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle (including competitive Mono-skiing) since my accident I’ve met many people with chronic conditions much more debilitating than mine. I’ve seen how either prolonged or repetitious confinement to a clinical environment – dependant on others and deprived of sufficient contact with nature or animals - even if only for a short time - can diminish the human spirit in profound ways that impedes the recovery process.”
Having also held administrative positions with a number of non-profit organizations, as soon as she learned about the Delta Society Pet Partners® program Shanaberg realized that; “I can’t imagine any more important or appropriate work in which to dedicate my unique combination of personal and professional experiences." Shanaberg has also worked as Assistant to the Vice President of West Coast Media Relations at Home Box Office, Inc. and other public relations positions in Los Angeles, California. Her work has resulted in a number of media placements in a variety of outlets from "Entertainment Tonight" to The New York Times and People magazine. “After years of working in various forms of the entertainment and media relations industries,” Shanaberg felt that; “it was time for me to do something with a more open heart for people in real need.”
Since 1999 Shanaberg and her dog Samantha have served as a registered Delta Society Pet Partners® Volunteer Therapy Team in a variety of health care facilities including Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. After relocating to Newark, Ohio in 2001 Shanaberg completed additional Pet Partners® training at Summa Health Systems in Akron, Ohio (a level I Trauma Center rated among the top 50 U.S. Hospitals by the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation); became a licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Evaluator; and a registered Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.®) literacy mentor.
In 2005 Shanaberg completed Intermountain Therapy Animal’s first “Reading Rendezvous” Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.®) conference and Instructor’s Training Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sadly, in February of 2010, after accumulating over 319 hours of service and helping to train 30 Angel Paws Pet Partners therapy teams Shanaberg's Pet Partner and Angel Paws co-founder, Samantha, sadly lost her battle with cancer at nearly 14 years old. Soon a stray named Molly entered Shanaberg's life and passed her Delta Society Pet Partners Skills & Aptitude Test in June of 2011 and Shanaberg became a licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Instructor in early 2012.
Ms. Shanaberg continues to dedicate her enthusiasm and experience to the development of a dynamic presence for Angel Paws AAA/T in a variety of Licking County health care and educational facilities. “It’s been a privilege to bring the top quality standards of Delta Society Pet Partners® and R.E.A.D.® to Central Ohio and to introduce the many rewards of Animal Assisted Therapy to such a diverse group of dedicated volunteers here – a true labor of love. I think our volunteers really enjoy spending quality time with their pets while serving others and networking with other animal lovers."
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Licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Evaluator since 2003
Licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Instructor since 2012
Reading Education Assistance Dogs ® (R.E.A.D.®) Literacy Mentor Since 2004
Completed Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Instructor Training in 2005
Assistant to Vice President, Media Relations, HOME BOX OFFICE, Inc., Los Angeles, CA
M.A. Candidate, Spiritual Psychology, University of Santa Monica, Santa Monica, CA
M.A. Candidate, Rehabilitation Counseling, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
B.A., Psychology & English Literature, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
A.A., Liberal Arts & Horsemanship, Bennett College, Millbrook, NY
A life-long love of animals and unique combination of personal and professional experiences have given Angel Paws Founder/Director, Patti Shanaberg, unique insight, passion and commitment to Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy. “Animals, with their complete lack of agenda, have a unique capacity to reach people on a whole new level many people underestimate. The therapeutic benefits of Animal Assisted Activities and Therapy go far beyond the entertaining diversion people often think of.”
Experience on both sides of patient care has given Shanaberg an empathic understanding of the many challenges faced by both patients and caregivers. Shanaberg has worked as a Nursing Assistant at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois and held a number of graduate level internship and volunteer counseling positions as a masters degree candidate in Counseling Psychology at Southern Illinois University and at the University of Santa Monica’s Spiritual Psychology graduate program in Santa Monica, California.
In the years following an equestrian accident in 1977 that resulted in a spinal cord injury and requires her to use a wheelchair, she's also spent significant time as a patient in various acute care hospitals. “Although I’ve continued to enjoy an active, healthy lifestyle (including competitive Mono-skiing) since my accident I’ve met many people with chronic conditions much more debilitating than mine. I’ve seen how either prolonged or repetitious confinement to a clinical environment – dependant on others and deprived of sufficient contact with nature or animals - even if only for a short time - can diminish the human spirit in profound ways that impedes the recovery process.”
Having also held administrative positions with a number of non-profit organizations, as soon as she learned about the Delta Society Pet Partners® program Shanaberg realized that; “I can’t imagine any more important or appropriate work in which to dedicate my unique combination of personal and professional experiences." Shanaberg has also worked as Assistant to the Vice President of West Coast Media Relations at Home Box Office, Inc. and other public relations positions in Los Angeles, California. Her work has resulted in a number of media placements in a variety of outlets from "Entertainment Tonight" to The New York Times and People magazine. “After years of working in various forms of the entertainment and media relations industries,” Shanaberg felt that; “it was time for me to do something with a more open heart for people in real need.”
Since 1999 Shanaberg and her dog Samantha have served as a registered Delta Society Pet Partners® Volunteer Therapy Team in a variety of health care facilities including Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. After relocating to Newark, Ohio in 2001 Shanaberg completed additional Pet Partners® training at Summa Health Systems in Akron, Ohio (a level I Trauma Center rated among the top 50 U.S. Hospitals by the Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation); became a licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Team Evaluator; and a registered Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.®) literacy mentor.
In 2005 Shanaberg completed Intermountain Therapy Animal’s first “Reading Rendezvous” Reading Education Assistance Dogs® (R.E.A.D.®) conference and Instructor’s Training Workshop in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Sadly, in February of 2010, after accumulating over 319 hours of service and helping to train 30 Angel Paws Pet Partners therapy teams Shanaberg's Pet Partner and Angel Paws co-founder, Samantha, sadly lost her battle with cancer at nearly 14 years old. Soon a stray named Molly entered Shanaberg's life and passed her Delta Society Pet Partners Skills & Aptitude Test in June of 2011 and Shanaberg became a licensed Delta Society Pet Partners® Instructor in early 2012.
Ms. Shanaberg continues to dedicate her enthusiasm and experience to the development of a dynamic presence for Angel Paws AAA/T in a variety of Licking County health care and educational facilities. “It’s been a privilege to bring the top quality standards of Delta Society Pet Partners® and R.E.A.D.® to Central Ohio and to introduce the many rewards of Animal Assisted Therapy to such a diverse group of dedicated volunteers here – a true labor of love. I think our volunteers really enjoy spending quality time with their pets while serving others and networking with other animal lovers."
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