We are grateful for Aetna, a healthcare leader and valued partner of Pet Partners.
In addition to being a generous corporate sponsor, Aetna has invited Pet Partners to a number of Aetna locations, including their Hartford, CT headquarters, to have some of our amazing and dedicated therapy animal teams visit with their employees. The visits provide stress reduction for Aetna associates as a part of an innovative employee well-being program, and also raise awareness of the Pet Partners mission. These visits led to the creation of our animal-assisted workplace well-being program.
More than 2,000 employees have visited with Pet Partners teams at more than 20 Aetna locations across the U.S., including Hartford; Downers Grove and Champaign, IL; Plymouth, MN; Albany, NY; New Albany, OH; Omaha, NE; Cranberry and Moon Twps, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Arlington, Houston, and San Antonio, TX; and Walnut Creek and West Sacramento, CA. Aetna employees have reported significant improvements following these visits:
“I can’t adequately explain how much I loved this,” said Sara Darula, customer service representative from Portland, Oregon. “This completely made my day better. I wish they would do this once a week!”
Kelly Cioe, a senior billing consultant in Hartford, said she loves this program. “I look forward to it all week when I know they will be here. The dogs and owners are very sweet and calming, and it is nice to talk with fellow employees that you wouldn’t meet otherwise.”
Annie Peters, President and CEO of Pet Partners, says: “It’s fitting that as leaders in our respective fields we’re working together. Organized therapy animal visits as a component of a comprehensive employee wellness and benefits program is a new frontier!” Annie was able to join several Pet Partners teams at Aetna for a recent visit.
Pet Partners CEO Annie Peters was joined by several therapy animal teams during a recent visit to Aetna’s Hartford, CT headquarters.