Helping pets and owners stay together

Mission & vision

We are a 501(c)(3) registered, non-profit providing pet food and financial assistance for veterinary care to senior citizen and low income pet owners.

Hands That Heal RI's mission is to assist the elderly and low income pet owners with caring for their animals. We were formed in 2005 when a local volunteer for Meals on Wheels brought it to our attention that the elderly clients she delivered meals to were feeding the meals to their beloved pets because they couldn't afford pet food. We did not find an organization in the community addressing this need so we formed Hands That Heal RI to provide food and veterinary care to the pets, while providing companionship to the clients. The human-animal bond between pets and their elderly caregivers is one of the strongest bonds in existence. Often their pets are the only companions the elderly have. Medical research has proven that the presence of a pet in the home assists with healing, greater well-being and a lower requirement for pain medication. An added benefit of keeping the pets and their people together is that we are ensuring that the pets stay home vs residing in a local shelter. 

Volunteer

We are a 100% volunteer organization.  All collected funds help our cause.  

Find out how to become a partner.

Our History

Hands That Heal RI