North Star Therapy Animals

Therapy Animal Services in Minnesota

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  • Who We Are
    • Therapy Animal Stars

      We are a group of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about therapy animal services and benefits they bring to individuals in our communities.

    • Who We Are

      • Our Story
      • Our Mission
      • Our Services
      • Meet Our Stars
      • Facilities We Visit
  • Become a Team
    • Wanted! More Teams

      We are looking for more therapy animal teams to join us. If you are interested in forming wonderful friendships, making treasured memories & finding personal fulfillment then you are in the right place!

    • Become a Team

      • Getting Started
      • Membership
      • FAQ
  • Our Animals
    • Leaving Paw Prints

      A therapy animal is a specially trained animal that partners with its human handler to volunteer at a variety of facilities and events, bringing joy, comfort, and companionship to those they meet.

    • Our Animals

      • Meet Our Stars
      • What is a therapy animal?
      • Who Uses Therapy Animal Services?
      • FAQ
  • News & Events
    • Therapy Animal Tales

      Read about the great work our teams are doing out in the field and stay up to date on what’s happening with the North Star Therapy Animals organization.

      Have a great story to share? Send us a note and let us know!

    • News & Events

      • News
      • Events
  • Request a Visit
    • We’d Love To Visit!

      Invite us over to bring happiness, companionship and courage to the people you work with.

    • Request a Visit

      • Request a Visit
      • Facilities We Visit
      • Our Services
  • Members
    • Membership Has Benefits

      Being a North Star Therapy Animal member has many benefits. You witness people make amazing transformations, your relationship with your animal grows and you also get to see what’s in this section!

    • Members

      • Member Login
  • Contact
    • Hello There!

      Want to learn more about North Star Therapy Animals? Fill out the contact form and we will get back to you.

    • Contact Us

      • Contact Form
      • Request a Visit
      • Become a Member

Facilities We Visit

North Star Therapy Animals provides therapy animal services to a wide variety of facilities throughout the Twin Cities area.  At many of them, we primarily engage in animal-assisted activities or AAA, but at others, we provide animal-assisted therapy or AAT, a more specialized type of therapy animal service.

NSTA is delighted to be working with the following facilities:

MSP International Airport

University of MN – Pet Away Worry and Stress Program

Elder Care

  • Augustana Chapel View Care Center – Hopkins
  • Benedictine Health Center – Minneapolis
  • Brookdale Minnetonka Carlson Pkwy – Minnetonka
  • Carefree Cottages of Maplewood – Maplewood
  • Catholic Eldercare – Minneapolis
  • Eagle Crest Commons – Roseville
  • Edendale Residence – Eden Prairie
  • Elim Home Nursing Home – Watertown
  • Estates of St. Louis Park – St. Louis Park
  • Folkstone Senior Living – Wayzata
  • Heritage of Edina Assisted Living – Edina
  • Inver Glen Senior Living – Inver Grove Heights
  • Joanna Shores – Arden Hills
  • Mala Strana Assisted Living – New Prague
  • Martin Luther Campus – Bloomington
  • Mission Nursing Home – Plymouth
  • Nagal Assisted Living – Waconia
  • New Perspective Senior Living
  • Parkshore – St. Louis Park
  • Prairie Adult Care – Eden Prairie
  • Roitenberg Nursing Home – St. Louis Park
  • St. Therese – Minneapolis
  • Schule Haus Senior Housing – Jordan
  • Sojourn Adult Day Services – Mound

Memory Care

  • Arbor Lakes Senior Living – Maple Grove
  • Emerald Crest Memory Care – Minnetonka, Burnsville
  • Olive Branch Estates – Chanhassen
  • Rakhma Grace House – Minnetonka
  • The Alton Memory Care – St. Paul

Schools

  • Alice Smith Elementary School – Hopkins
  • All Saints Catholic School – Lakeville
  • Anthony Middle School – Minneapolis
  • Augsburg University – Minneapolis
  • Cedar Ridge Elementary School – Eden Prairie
  • Chanhassen High School – Chanhassen
  • Crestview Elementary School – Brooklyn Park
  • Delano Elementary School – Delano
  • Dunwoody College of Technology – Minneapolis
  • Eagan High School – Eagan
  • Eden Prairie High School – Eden Prairie
  • Elizabeth Hall School – Minneapolis
  • Falcon Heights Elementary – Roseville
  • Hopkins High School – Hopkins
  • Hopkins North Jr. High – Hopkins
  • Inver Hills Community College – Inver Grove Heights
  • Jefferson High School – Bloomington
  • Kenwood Elementary – Minneapolis
  • Minnewashta Elementary School – Excelsior
  • Minnesota State Academies – Faribault
  • Neil Elementary School – Plymouth
  • Orono Schools – Long Lake
  • Our Saviors Lutheran School – Excelsior
  • Plymouth Creek Elementary School – Plymouth
  • River Bend Education Center – Minneapolis
  • Rondo PreK – St. Paul
  • Rosemount High School – Rosemount
  • St. Catherine University – St. Paul
  • Shakopee High School – Shakopee
  • Sojourner Truth Academy – Minneapolis
  • Thomas Lake Elementary School – Eagan
  • University of Minnesota – Minneapolis
  • Wayzata Junior High – Wayzata
  • Webster Elementary School – St. Paul

Libraries

  • Carver County Library System – West Metro
  • Columbia Heights Library – Columbia Heights
  • Dakota County Library System – St. Paul Metro
  • Hennepin County Library System – Metro-wide
  • Ramsey County Library – Roseville
  • Scott County Library System – Metro
  • Wentworth Library – West St. Paul

Specialty Care

  • Park Nicollet Melrose Institute – St. Louis Park
  • Parkinsons Specialty Care – Edina
  • Rise – Spring Lake Park
  • Riverside Cancer Care Center – Minneapolis

Hospice and Palliative Care

  • Allina Hospice – St. Paul
  • Health Partners Hospice – Metro-wide
  • Fairview Hospice – Metro-wide

Hospitals and Clinics

  • Abbott Northwestern  – Minneapolis
  • Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota – Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnetonka
  • Fairview Southdale – Edina
  • Gillette Children’s Hospital – St. Paul
  • Hennepin County Medical Center – Minneapolis
  • Maple Grove Hospital – Maple Grove
  • Methodist Hospital – St. Louis Park
  • North Memorial Hospital – Robbinsdale
  • Park Nicollet Clinic – St. Louis Park
  • Regions Hospital – St. Paul
  • VA Medical Center – Minneapolis

Shelters

  • Bridge for Youth – Minneapolis
  • Harriet Tubman Center – Minneapolis
  • People Serving People – Minneapolis
  • Women’s Advocates Family Shelters – Minneapolis & St. Paul

Rehab Facilities

  • Courage Center – Golden Valley
  • Pride Institute – Eden Prairie

Other

  • Living Well Disability Services (formerly Dakota Communities) – Eagan
  • Dakota County 911 Call Center – Roseville
  • Holmes Greenway Apartments – Minneapolis
  • Hosanna Church – Lakeville
  • Mall of America – Bloomington
  • Minneapolis Veterans Home – Minneapolis
  • Partners for Violence Prevention (PVP) – St. Paul
  • Ronald McDonald House – Minneapolis
  • Science Museum – St. Paul
  • St. David’s Center – Minnetonka
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North Star Therapy Animals is with Sheryl Stock Cater.
3 days ago
North Star Therapy Animals

North Star Therapy Animals lost a precious volunteer on January 6. Mac was 13 1/2 years old and had been a Pet Partners therapy dog since 2013!

Mac and Me (handler Sheryl) volunteered at Schools, MSP Airport, Fairview Hospital, Libraries, Shelters and more over his 10 year volunteer career.

Thank you Mac. You made a huge difference in so many lives!
... See MoreSee Less

North Star Therapy Animals lost a precious volunteer on January 6. Mac was 13 1/2 years old and had been a Pet Partners therapy dog since 2013!

Mac and Me (handler Sheryl)  volunteered at Schools, MSP Airport, Fairview Hospital, Libraries, Shelters and more over his 10 year volunteer career.

Thank you Mac.  You made a huge difference in so many lives!
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So sorry for your loss😢. I’ve been doing pet therapy since 2009. & what I know is that you & Mac left a legacy of love in the hearts of those you visited that will never be erased. People remember those that touch their lives in special ways.

I am so sorry for this loss. What a difference Mac made. May memories bring you comfort.

So sorry for your loss! You are in our thoughts and prayers for comfort and healing ❤️🙏🏻🐾 Mac, your angel wings are lined in gold!

So sorry for your loss. I hope all the wonderful memories you have of him help you during this time.

I'm sorry for your loss. Max will be deeply missed.

I’m very sorry for your loss. ❤️

Thank you for all the visits you and Max have done.He will be missed

Rest easy Mac. Thanks for all you did. 

So very sorry for your loss. Thank you for the love you shared with so many, Mac and Sheryl.❤️🥰

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North Star Therapy Animals
1 week ago
North Star Therapy Animals

www.dvm360.com/view/habri-selects-final-grant-recipient

The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) and Pet Partners announced that Purdue University will receive a grant for its research project that will investigate the impact interacting with a dog has on human brain activities
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HABRI selects final grant recipient

www.dvm360.com

The grant will be awarded to Purdue University to be used in new brain imaging research to measure human-dog interaction
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North Star Therapy Animals
2 weeks ago
North Star Therapy Animals

Benji, the Pet Partners therapy Shih Tzu, is convinced that Bully Sticks are fruit. So he insists on getting the recommended 5 servings a day.

To placate this pup, however, you need only scratch him behind his ears. Benji will then forget about the sticks, and that's no bully.
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  • Likes: 8
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Such a lovable Boy.

He is the best !!

Sweet benji 💕

So cute!

Benjamin!!!! 🐾

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North Star Therapy Animals
2 weeks ago
North Star Therapy Animals

mnwild-my.sharepoint.com/personal/sam_johnson_xcelenergycenter_com/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2F... ... See MoreSee Less

https://mnwild-my.sharepoint.com/personal/sam_johnson_xcelenergycenter_com/_layouts/15/stream.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fsam%5Fjohnson%5Fxcelenergycenter%5Fcom%2FDocuments%2FDog%20Show%20live%20shots%2FTherapy%20Dogs%20Dog%20Show%5F01%2D07%2D2023%5F08%2E39%2E26%2Emp4&ga=1
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North Star Therapy Animals featured on KARE11

I was having trouble seeing the link but I think this link works…

Wonderful job Kathy.love the glasses.

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North Star Therapy Animals
3 weeks ago
North Star Therapy Animals

Come join us today at thecLand O Lakes Kennel Club dog show ... See MoreSee Less

Come join us today at thecLand O Lakes Kennel Club dog showImage attachmentImage attachment+1Image attachment
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  • Likes: 24
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Louie and I had so much fun talking to people about therapy dogs and visiting opportunities!

Cruiser had a great time!!

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All North Star Therapy Animals are registered with Pet Partners.

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