EnergizeCare Welcomes Pet Partners Central Ohio

On August 21, 2026, EnergizeCare welcomed Pet Partners Central Ohio as a new community partner. Their volunteers and therapy animals will have opportunities to spend time with our participants in person and virtually, using the special connection between people and animals to encourage conversation, engagement, emotional memory and, most importantly, human connection.

Anyone who has loved a pet understands how powerful that relationship can be. An animal can make someone smile without saying a word. Sitting next to a dog, petting an animal or simply watching one walk into the room can bring comfort and a sense of security. It can help someone feel connected and remind them they are not alone.

We believe this can be especially meaningful for people living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

Pet Partners Central Ohio volunteers and their therapy animals will have opportunities to visit our participants at Lisa’s Place in Dublin and during our weekend programs at the Philip Heit Center for Healthy New Albany.

We also plan to use Zoom so volunteers can introduce their animals, share pictures and videos and tell their stories. A story about someone else’s dog may lead a participant to talk about the dog they grew up with. A picture of a cat may bring back the feeling of holding a favorite pet. Sometimes the details of a memory may be difficult to retrieve, but the emotion connected to that experience can remain very real.

This is one of the reasons emotional memory is so important to the work we do at EnergizeCare. We are always looking for different ways to reach the person behind the disease.

Through music, movement, art, conversation, animals and simple human interaction, we work to reduce the isolation that dementia can create.

Our goal is to give our wonderful people more connection, love, dignity, engagement, stimulation, security, togetherness and hope. Pet Partners Central Ohio gives us another special way to do that.

We are grateful to Kim Vohs, Co-Leader of Pet Partners Central Ohio, and to the volunteers who are willing to share not only their time, but also the animals that mean so much to them.

We look forward to seeing the relationships that grow from this partnership.