GEL.PET.GEL.
The next best thing to soap and water!
Globally, therapy animal teams are bringing comfort to children, adolescent, adult, and senior patients, students, and first responders. In hospitals, schools, libraries, airports, and nursing homes, trained animals and their handlers are meeting tens of thousands of people every day.
There are many benefits of a visiting therapy animal-handler program. Along with the benefits, visiting therapy animal teams must do their part in minimizing the spread of germs. Studies show the primary method of infection prevention is hand washing.
Purple in stock (while supplies last). But, orange is forever!
With this knowledge, many facilities and therapy animal organizations have adopted the practice of having people clean their hands via soap and water or hand gel, both before and after patting.
Washing hands with soap and water is the #1 way to minimize the spread of germs. But, if it is not available, we strongly believe hand sanitizer is the next best option. And, it is often more convenient.
It can be awkward for some handlers to ask people to clean their hands before they start patting, as well as after, if a person walks away quickly.
The pins serve as conversation starters. The handler can point to the pin on their volunteer uniform, and on the dog’s visiting uniform (optional), and explain why hand cleaning is so important.
Why the hand cleaning? The explanation is short and sweet:
“My dog is very clean. But he is patted by a lot of people, and during visits he might lay on the floor. We are expected to have everyone clean their hands both before and after petting. This reduces the risk of spreading germs.”
Simply put, using hand sanitizer before and after petting a therapy animal protects everyone — the animal, handler, and those who come in contact with the therapy animal.
Methanol information: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-updates-hand-sanitizers-methanol
For Information on infection prevention, here are a few sites and articles to check out:
Center for Disease Control:
- https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/hand-hygiene/index.html
World Health Organization: - https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Hand_Hygiene_Why_How_and_When_Brochure.pdf
Consumer Reports:
“Washing your hands with soap and water is ideal, but using hand sanitizer is the next best option.”
“ … if soap and water are not available to you, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Just be sure you select a product that contains no less than 60% alcohol (ethanol or isopropanol), the level that is effective at killing most germs.”
-Consumer Reports
MEET OUR INSPIRATION
Nothing inspires us more than seeing the interaction between a beautifully trained therapy animal and patients, family members, medical staff, first responders, students, or the general public.
But, they, just like us, need down time. Here are some therapy dogs on their day off, just hanging out: Viggo, Paddy, Millie, Ruby and Cozy (disclosure, Cozy never was a therapy dog, but loved being in the pictures!)
TESTIMONIALS/FEEDBACK
Christi has been wearing the pin for a few months now. She often hears people read the pin aloud, and has experienced people approach with hand outstretched, palm up, to receive hand sanitizer prior to patting her dog. Also, she has been able to point to the pin and share why, when people question the need to clean their hands before patting. It seems to be an effective and pleasant conversation starter.
*We would love to include comments/feedback you receive when wearing the pins.
*We welcome HIPAA compliant photos of therapy team interactions, showing the GPG pins in use.
*As you support this GPG initiative, would you like your website address included here? Glad to do so.
Come on, join in. You are welcome!
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
If you are interested in having us speak at a meeting of your teams about the GEL.PET.GEL. initiative, we are happy to provide this service.
ORDER YOUR pins TODAY
Healing Paws Inc. is pleased to provide pins at low cost – we want to get the word out and make sure therapy animal handlers are using best practices to protect themselves, their animals and the people with whom they come in contact.
YES, I’D LIKE TO ORDER!
Minimum order - 10 pins (for every 10 pins ordered, you receive 1 extra at no charge).
PRICE INCLUDES SHIPPING, HANDLING, and LOCAL SALES TAX (if applicable):
10 PINS: $22.00 +1 free
20 PINS $37.00 +2 free
30 PINS $54.00 +3 free
And so on, in increments of 10
After covering the cost of the pins, at the end of the year, any additional money will be donated to non-profit animal rescue and non-profit therapy team organizations.