Paws For Patrick: How Dogs Can Help with Mental Illness
Today we are spotlighting Paws for Patrick, a national nonprofit dedicated to connecting young people with emotional support animals to aid them as they live with mental illness. Fronzie Roemer is a Mom, wife, fitness instructor and the Founder & Chair of Paws for Patrick. She and her family currently reside in Lake Forest, Illinois.
Paws for Patrick came to life because The Roemer’s wanted to honor their late son, Patrick, who lived with depression and anxiety for several years and died from his illness in May, 2020. Patrick always had a special connection to his beloved dog, Cici, and truly found comfort and light with her by his side, even – and especially – during his darkest days.
In August of 2020, Paws for Patrick was officially established and recognized as a 501c3 organization with a mission to connect young people with Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) and Therapy Dogs to aid them as they live with mental illness so that others may feel comfort like Patrick did from his beloved animals. This is done in two ways:
- Guide clients through the process of obtaining an ESA certification letter by connecting them to licensed clinical therapists, assist them in locating, adopting and paying for an ESA, and facilitate and fund the proper training in whatever setting works best for clients.
- Paws for Patrick also has a team of trained therapy dogs and handlers available for group and individual interactions in settings such as schools, youth organizations, therapy sessions and more.
They also seek to raise awareness of mental illness and break the stigma that still exists.
The most rewarding aspect of Paws for Patrick is witnessing a young person smiling on their “gotcha” day of their new ESA, or hear exclamations like, “Now I have hope,” or “my day is better now.” Paws for Patrick is making a difference and Patrick smiling down whenever someone gets his/her/their ESA or is able to spend time with one of the therapy dogs.
Paws for Patrick is excited to be doing more in-person events with therapy dogs, including summer camps, various outdoor events and schools. They hosted their first annual Walk for Awareness and Family Fair on September 26, 2021 as a one-year anniversary celebration. In May of 2022, Paws for Patrick will be Painting Our Town Green to show support for Mental Health Awareness Month and help break the stigma of mental health. Their goal this Spring is to have towns all over the country join this campaign by tying a green ribbon on a tree in front yards, town buildings, schools and workplace.
Current information can be found on Instagram, @pawsforpatrick, and Facebook, @pawsforpatrick.org. For a more in depth understanding of services, visit the Paws for Patrick website.
Readers can contribute by visiting our website, www.pawsforpatrick.org, to either submit a form for an ESA or to make a donation. Every little bit helps.
