irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $28KTHERAPY DOG TEAM PROGRAMS: New York Therapy Animals 175 therapy dog teams bring comfort, support and smiles to people within the NYC and Westchester communities in more than 250 venues. Our unique services benefit hospitals, healthcare, assisted living and Alzheimer's facilities, shelters, children and adults with special needs, socio-emotional mental health challenges, humane education components, and student, office, and corporate wellness stress-relief interactions. Environments and lives are transformed by sharing a distinctive, attentive and compassionate kind of healing through supportive therapy dog teams to people in need. Our animal-assisted interactive community programs serve people of all ages in various socio-economic matters in areas of physical, occupational, speech and psychotherapies and special education. New York Therapy Animals is the official NY affiliate for the Reading Education Assistance Dogs(R) R.E.A.D. (R) children's literacy support program in schools and libraries. This program is a successful motivator with a strong academic influence to touch-tackle the nervous aspects of reading. Striving readers read 1:1 to the non-judgmental therapy dog in a safe atmosphere with the assistance of their human partner who guides fluency and comprehension. Statistics show this program to be effective in improving students test scores, elevating reading levels, and enhancing social skills and self-confidence. Benefits of interacting with a therapy dog include lowering blood pressure and stress and anxiety levels with significant measurable feelings of relaxation.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.)
Literacy program where children read one-on-one to therapy dogs in schools and libraries to improve fluency, comprehension, confidence, and test scores in a non-judgmental environment.
Social-Emotional Mental Health Programs
Therapeutic discussions and relaxation techniques facilitated by therapy dog teams to help children and adults manage anxiety, depression, bullying, and stress.
Therapy Dog Team Programs
Certified therapy dog teams provide comfort, emotional support, and therapeutic interaction in hospitals, assisted living facilities, schools, and corporate wellness settings across NYC and Westchester.
activities · 1 group
What they do
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Animal-Assisted Support Services 3 activities
- Deploying therapy dog teams for emotional support and wellness servicesDeploys 175 trained therapy dog and handler teams to provide emotional support, social-emotional mental health support, and wellness services across more than 250 venues annually in New York City and Westchester, including healthcare facilities, schools, and corporate settings.
- Operating the R.E.A.D. literacy program for childrenProvides one-on-one literacy support to K-3rd grade students, including those with special needs and ESL/ELL learners, by having children read aloud to therapy dogs to improve reading fluency, comprehension, test scores, and confidence. The program operates in collaboration with NYC public and private schools, the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Library, Westchester schools, and under the official R.E.A.D. (Reading Education Assistance Dogs®) program framework.
- Training and certifying therapy dog-handler teamsOffers a recurring 7-week education and hands-on training program for handler-dog teams to become licensed and insured therapy dog teams, including ongoing therapy dog training classes and human workshops for handlers in New York City.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$128K
Contributions & grants$43K33%
Program service revenue$81K63%
Investment income$4K3%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$92K
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead9%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$31K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineFacilities
balance sheet
Total assets$183K
Cash$183K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$183K
Liquid reserves23.9 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +14.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nancy George-Michalson | Executive Director | 20 | $23K |
board members · 4
- Edward W Meredith — Treasurer / Director
- Heidi Slayton — Secretary / Director
- Nicholas Wolferman — Director
- Philip Arnold — Chairman
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- Books of Wonder Partner — Collaborated with Books of Wonder children’s bookstore on a sponsored event celebrating Todd Kessler’s children’s books with therapy dog teams.
- Brooklyn Library Partner — Host site for R.E.A.D. program sessions.
- Coralstone Press Partner — Partnered with Coralstone Press to celebrate Todd Kessler’s children’s books through a joint event involving therapy dogs and children reading.
- Department of Education (DOE) Government — Partners with the NYC Department of Education for the Comfort Dog Program and the R.E.A.D.® literacy program in schools.
- Department of Education (DOE) Comfort Dog Program Partner — Partners with the DOE Comfort Dog Program to provide education and training for school faculty and their dogs.
- Department of Education (DOE) in NYC Partner — Exclusive partner for implementing the R.E.A.D. program in NYC public schools.
- Grimes Elementary School, Mount Vernon, NY Partner — Site where R.E.A.D. therapy dog teams conduct literacy sessions with students.
- Intermountain Therapy Animals Network — NYC affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals, using their training and testing protocols.
- Intermountain Therapy Animals Network — New York Therapy Animals is the New York City affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals.
- Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) Network — New York Therapy Animals is a NYC-based affiliate of Intermountain Therapy Animals.
- New York Public Library Partner — Host site for R.E.A.D. program sessions.
- New York Public Library Partner — Partners with the New York Public Library for R.E.A.D. school and library programs in New York City.
- PBS WNET Partner — Partnered with PBS WNET for the American Graduate Day special event featuring the R.E.A.D. program.
- Queens Library Partner — Partners with the Queens Library for R.E.A.D. school and library programs in New York City.
- READ718 Brooklyn Partner — Partners with READ718 Brooklyn for R.E.A.D. programs in Brooklyn.
- Reading Education Assistance Dogs (R.E.A.D.) Partner — Official New York affiliate delivering the R.E.A.D.® children's literacy program in schools and libraries.
- Stephen Gaynor School, New York City Partner — Site where R.E.A.D. literacy program is implemented with students.
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Animal-Facilitated Engagementmethodology: animal_facilitated_engagementBy deploying therapy animal teams in clinical and educational settings, the organization increases patient and child engagement in therapeutic or learning activities because the animals provide non-judgmental companionship that reduces anxiety and lowers emotional barriers to participation.
- Therapy Through Human-Animal Bondmethodology: human-animal_bond_therapyBy leveraging structured interactions between humans and trained therapy animals, the organization promotes emotional healing, stress reduction, and physiological well-being because the presence of animals triggers calming psychological and biological responses.