Paws and Proclamations: Mayor Clark to Sign National Therapy Animal Day Declaration
Oreo and Connie - submitted photo
MEDICINE HAT, AB – A gentle Eskipoo named Oreo and a calm therapy cat named Tim will take their places at City Hall this Thursday as Mayor Linnsie Clark prepares to sign an official proclamation declaring April 30, 2026, as National Therapy Animal Day in Medicine Hat.
The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m., bringing together local volunteers from Pet Partners of Southern Alberta and Gascity Dog Club to celebrate the quiet, often unseen work therapy animals perform across the city.
"We don't just serve one person - we serve a whole community," said Connie Wallin, a longtime Medicine Hat volunteer and Oreo's handler.
Wallin and Oreo regularly visit the Good Samaritan Senior Living centre, Medicine Hat Hospital, St. Joseph's palliative care facility, and Medicine Hat College. When AHS installed new computers, the therapy team was even invited to help with staff stress relief.
Alta and Tim the Cat - submitted photo
Joining Wallin and Oreo at the signing will be Alta McGee (trainer and examiner) with Tim the cat, and Sterling Hinch (trainer and examiner) from Gascity Dog Club. Together, they represent the two organizations that help train and test therapy animals in Medicine Hat: Pet Partners of Southern Alberta (a charity) and Gascity Dog Club (a nonprofit).
"Therapy animals decrease fear, anxiety, and loneliness," Wallin said. "They shorten recovery times, lower perceived levels of pain, and support motivation and focus. This is science. But it's also just love."
The proclamation will not only celebrate existing teams but also encourage more pet owners to consider becoming Pet Partners volunteers to help the community by creating greater access to meaningful therapy animal visits.
National Therapy Animal Day is designated annually on April 30 by Pet Partners, the nation's leading registry for volunteer handlers and their companion animals.
Pet Partners understands that interactions with many species of animals can be therapeutic. We proudly register nine different species of animals for therapy visits, including dogs, cats, horses, rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, birds, miniature pigs, and llamas and alpacas.
Source - Pet Partners website
Event Details:
What: Signing of the National Therapy Animal Day proclamation
When: Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Medicine Hat City Hall
Who: Mayor Linnsie Clark, Connie Wallin & Oreo (therapy dog), Alta McGee & Tim (therapy cat), Sterling Hinch (Gascity Dog Club)
For more information on becoming a therapy animal team, visit www.nationaltherapyanimalday.org.
Full text of the proclamation:
WHEREAS, Pet Partners has designated April 30 as National Therapy Animal Day; and
WHEREAS, scientific research shows that interacting with therapy animals can reduce stress, relieve depression, slow heart rate, lower blood pressure and strengthen the immune system; and
WHEREAS, therapy animal teams in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, play an essential role in improving human health and well-being through the human-animal bond; and
WHEREAS, therapy animal teams interact with a variety of people in our community including veterans, seniors, patients, students, and those approaching end of life; and
WHEREAS, these exceptional therapy animals who partner with their human companions bring comfort and healing to those in need; and
WHEREAS, we encourage more pet owners to consider becoming Pet Partners volunteers to help our community by creating greater access to meaningful therapy animal visits.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Linnsie Clark, Mayor of the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, do hereby proclaim April 30, 2026, as:
"National Therapy Animal Day"
in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, and encourage our citizens to celebrate our therapy animals and their human handlers. Further, I publicly salute the service of therapy animal teams in our community and in communities across the nation.
PROCLAIMED AND APPROVED this 30th day of April, 2026.
