Building a Better World for
People & Animals
Since 1995, Windwalker has advanced the profession of Pet Assisted Therapy across Rhode Island, integrating credentialed therapy teams into the places where comfort and healing are needed most.
WHO WE ARE
Pet Assisted Therapy, Delivered With Purpose
Windwalker is a Rhode Island nonprofit dedicated to the profession of Pet Assisted Therapy. We connect credentialed therapy teams, each one a therapy pet and a university-educated facilitator, with schools, hospitals, courts, rehabilitation centers, and community organizations throughout the state.
Our work rests on a simple belief. The bond between people and animals has the power to heal. Every visit is designed with intention, care, and respect for the wellbeing of the people we serve and the pets who serve alongside us.
1995
Founded in
Rhode Island
Only PAT organization approved
for RI Family Court
Recognized, alongside TICA,
as a PAT organization
University partnership,
CEU approved with NASW-RI
100%
University-educated
PPAT facilitators
OUR VISION
To build a better world for people and animals through the profession of Pet Assisted Therapy.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
Two Commitments That Shape Everything
Therapy Pets Are Family
Therapy pets are not tools or instruments. They are family members whose comfort, safety, and dignity come first. A pet’s eagerness and spontaneity guides the profession, and the length and nature of every visit follows their wellbeing.
02
Facilitators Are Educated Professionals
Pet assisted therapy facilitators must be educated within a college or university environment, just as other professionals are. That standard is why every Windwalker team meets the same bar, in every setting we enter.
For the profession of pet assisted therapy to be integrated into health care, rehabilitation, social services, and education at all levels, and to advocate for the wellbeing of animals and humans.
| Gain national recognition for pet assisted therapy as a curriculum. | Develop and monitor the highest standards in ethics, guidelines, and curriculum. |
| Provide a network of shared experience, learning, and mentoring for those studying, practicing, or advocating in the field. | Promote pet assisted therapy education at every level, from preschool to university and beyond. |
| Collaborate with like-minded people through social reform, public policy, and speaking out against violence toward animals and people. | Inspire treatment programs for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities, and for those who are elderly, abused, or incarcerated. |
| Raise awareness of the tragic link of abuse between humans and animals, and help prevent the ongoing cycle. |
| Honor every pet as family, and respect all of our family therapy pets as family first. | Honor the memory of the therapy pets who remain in our hearts, and their gift of love given so freely and unconditionally. |
Changing the Law, Not Just the Room
Windwalker has worked with Rhode Island legislators for years, helping shape the laws that protect therapy pets and the animals they represent.
LEGISLATION WE HELPED SHAPE
H-8062
Equal Access for Therapy Pets
Therapy pets are allowed the same access as service animals, opening the door to hospitals, schools, and courthouses statewide.
Therapy Pets in Public Places
Establishes the standing of family therapy pets in public places, so credentialed teams can work where they are needed.
Recognizing Guardians, Not Owners
Wherever “owner” appears in the chapter it may be interchanged with “guardian,” language that reflects how we see the bond.
§ 4-1-31
A Voice for Animals in Court
An advocate may be designated in court to speak for animals and protect them in proceedings affecting their welfare.
WHERE YOU WILL FIND US EACH YEAR
Pet Assisted Therapy Awareness Day
Second Tuesday at the State House, designated since 2004 to honor the programs that have reached thousands of Rhode Islanders.
DJ Respect for Living Things Day
Named for DJ, Dog of Joy, the first therapy pet of founder Pearl Salotto and the inspiration behind the DJ Program.
Love in the Lobby
Therapy pets bring comfort to staff and visitors at the RI Department of Health, a partnership that helped shape our ethical guidelines.
FOUNDER
1995
OUR FOUNDER
Pearl Salotto
A unique, energetic and passionate voice for people and animals via the profession of Pet Assisted Therapy.
P. SALOTTO
A teacher and social worker by training, Pearl Salotto founded the Windwalker Humane Coalition alongside Linda Jones on a conviction that has shaped everything since: that pet assisted therapy is a profession, not a pastime, and deserves standards, education, and a place in schools, hospitals, and courts.
In 1995 she created the DJ Professional Pet Assisted Therapy Program, naming it for DJ, Dog of Joy, the Samoyed who worked beside her and showed her what was possible. She went on to shape the credentialing standards Windwalker still uses, help advance Rhode Island legislation protecting therapy pets, and write Pet Assisted Therapy: A Loving Intervention and an Emerging Profession.
HER TEAMS
IN THE CLASSROOM
IN THE COMMUNITY
Supported families after the Station nightclub fire, and in shelters, schools, and nursing homes across the state
Windwalker recognizes Pearl as an Honorary Team alongside DJ, Maj-En, Panda Girl, and Angel. The volunteers below carry her work forward.
The People Behind Windwalker
Windwalker also recognizes its president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer emeriti, along with the many individuals whose support built this organization into what it is today.
Become Part of the Windwalker Story
Whether you bring a therapy pet, request a team, or support the work, there is a place for you here.
Windwalker Humane Coalition is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.