About Us
Our Mission
Pals For Life (PFL) founded in 1984, provides innovative animal assisted therapy programs to local community institutions and organizations throughout the Delaware Valley. Our therapy programs provide specially trained teams of human/animal companion volunteers, participating in group programs, to promote happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives to members of our community. We are unique from other animal-assisted therapy programs in that our teams (a human volunteer with his/her pet) visit facilities as a group, under the direction of a Program Director. Visits are always at a prearranged time and with a stated purpose and/for specifically designed programs.
Our History
Pals For Life was formed in 1984 by Paula Kielich. Paula had an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and an MBA in Marketing. She grew up with dogs and had significant experience in training.
Paula knew that many people could benefit from contact with pets but had life circumstances that prevented them from owning one. Three local animal shelters were brining pets to visit nursing homes, had decided that they did not have the resources to continue. Paula met with them and explored the idea of starting a non-profit organization, borrowing their pets, and bringing them to the facilities that they would no longer visit. They were all in full support of this. Paula subsequently left her corporate management position and started Pals For Life.
Paula began borrowing shelter pets and visiting nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, mental health facilities, schools, summer camps and colleges throughout the Delaware Valley. It was a win-win situation. The residents, patients and students befitted immensely, the animal shelter pets loved the excursions – and many were adopted by the staff members of the places visited.
After the first year, volunteers and their pets started joining the organization. All pets had to pass a rigorous evaluation, which continues to this day. Pets included dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, lizards, miniature horses and even a Mounted Police horse. Over the following years, PFL transitioned away from borrowing animal shelter pets to using only volunteers and their pets.
In 1995, the organization began holding an annual benefit gala. Proceeds from this event were used to add a Program Manager to the staff. This enabled more facilities to be visited.
Program Manager (subsequently Program Director) Kristen Abbott joined Pals For Life in 2004. Under her leadership, a Read to Pet Pals program was established at libraries and schools. She also developed an emotional support program for middle school and high school students. College visits were expanded. A Corporate Wellness program was initiated.
In September 2021, Paula began enjoying a well-deserved retirement. Her successor Peggy Schmidt and her therapy dog Mr. Smart T. Pants joined the team in order to continue all the marvelous work that Paula began.
Today Pals For Life provides over 250 visits in a typical year, with the help of over 90 volunteers and their outstanding therapy pets.