The tours help the children understand the bonds between people and their special friends, and instill an early awareness of the long-term responsibilities of having a furry best buddy. People who were unable or unwilling to communicate with anyone else become more responsive and open than their relatives and caretakers remember them being for a very long time. Pets and volunteers who make these visits receive special training as part of the program. Every month, these trained volunteers visit scores of group settings throughout the New York metropolitan area, including the New York Foundling Hospital, the Rivington House AIDS hospice, and the A. Holly Patterson Geriatric Center. Some walk dogs, clean cages and kennels, and groom or play with the animals.
Volunteers also participate in pet therapy and humane education programs.