Gabriel's Angels is Arizona's only organization providing pet therapy to abused, neglected, and at-risk children. It was founded in 2000 when founder Pam Gaber brought her dog Gabriel to a Christmas party at Crisis Nursery and saw how positively the children interacted with him. This inspired her to create Gabriel's Angels, which now has over 155 pet therapy teams serving 13,000 children per year. The organization aims to help heal emotional wounds in at-risk children by developing skills like attachment, empathy, and tolerance through activities with therapy animals.

1. thebarkingcataz.comDecember 20134
The History of Gabriel’s Angels
Gabriel’s Angels is Arizona’s only organization
dedicated to delivering healing pet therapy to
abused, neglected and at-risk
children, in order to nurture their
emotional development. Today,
Gabriel’s Angels has more than
155 pet therapy teams that serve
13,000 children every year, but
it all began with one remarkable
dog in 2000 – a Weimaraner
named Gabriel.
Pam Gaber, founder of Gabriel’s
Angels, adopted young Gabriel
at around the same
time she began
volunteering at Crisis
Nursery, where she
met weekly with chil-
dren with emotional
challenges. In these
meetings, Pam would
discuss Gabriel with
the kids, who continually expressed interest in
the latest news. Noting that the children knew a
great deal about a dog they had never actually
met, Pam asked to bring Gabriel to that year’s
Christmas party.
When Gabriel made his first appearance at Crisis
Nursery – dressed as one of Santa’s reindeer –
the children were thrilled. Suddenly, any signs of
anger or violent tendencies in the children that
had been visible in earlier meetings were gone.
Their fear and anger replaced with peace and joy,
the children happily interacted with Gabriel and,
in a way that human beings simply hadn’t been
able to, Gabriel made instant, positive connec-
tions with the kids.
On the ride home, Pam sensed that something
special had just happened (and, I suspect, Gabri-
el did, too) and decided that the magic created
that day couldn’t be just a one time thing. The
inspiration for Gabriel’s Angels had been found.
The Benefits of Gabriel’s Angels
In recent years, a great deal of research has
been published that confirms a strong link
between violence against animals
and violence against humans. We
now know that people who commit
violent acts against other people
are more likely to have participated
in violence against children and
animals. Often, the individuals who
participate in violence were exposed
to similar acts while they were young
children, either as witnesses or ac-
tual victims themselves.
Children raised in abusive and/or
neglectful households learn that
violence and threats of violence are
normal parts of life. Exposure to acts
of abuse or neglect can lead to seri-
ous depression and feelings of hope-
lessness because there appears to be no escape
from that way of life. The emotional toll on these
children can lead to severe emotional issues like
withdrawal and anxiety. If the problems are not
addressed, the cycle of violence can continue
into the next generation.
Gabriel’s Angels attempts to break that cycle
and to help heal emotional wounds by using
“animal assisted ac-
tivities” to bring at-risk
children into contact
with therapy animals.
These activities range
from simple activities
like petting and brushing
a therapy dog to more
complex tasks like listen-
ing to a dog’s heartbeat
with a stethoscope and
learning canine anatomy.
Activities are designed
to develop seven core
competencies among
at-risk children: attach-
ment/trust, self regulation, respect, empathy,
affiliation, awareness, and tolerance. As these
competencies are developed, the children grow
emotionally and begin to overcome their per-
sonal challenges.
My Experience with Gabriel’s Angels
Twice a month, I meet up with Chai and her hu-
man companion Nancy, to visit with a group of
young children. Each visit is a wonderful experi-
ence, but I will
always remember
our first time to-
gether. That morn-
ing, at the end of
our hour together,
the children all
sat in a circle
around Chai and
took turns petting
her. The young-
est child, around
nine months old
and too young to
crawl, sat quietly watching. After all of the other
children had had a chance to pet her, Chai slowly
got up, kept her head and body as low as she
could, and walked slowly to the young boy. The
closer she got, the bigger the child’s smile grew
and when Chai give the boy a big lick on the face,
the child’s face lit up like none I had ever
seen. It was a magical moment and con-
firmation that there truly is a special bond
between animals and children.
Since that day, I have seen the bonds
among our little group grow. Simply by
showing up twice a month, as we promise,
we show that, in addition to the people
who work at the group home, there are
other adults who the children can trust and
depend on. Of course, we know that Chai is
the star of the show…but we wouldn’t have
it any other way. Gabriel would be proud.
Contact: Gabrielsangels.org
Pathways Home Animal Rescue
Contact Sue at (602) 481-3498
Pathwayshomerescue@gmail.com
Find Us On
“Helping Lost
Pets Find Their
Way Home”
Fluffies, Scruffies, & Terriers
Petsmart (Scottsdale & Frank Lloyd Wright)
Every Sunday, 2nd & 4th Saturdays
of every month
Petsmart (Fountain Hills, Shea Blvd.)
1st & 3rd Saturdays
of every month
How Gabriel’s Angels
Benefits Our CommunityBy Tom Krepitch
Gabriel
Chai
Micah
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Open to the Public
Tue–Sat 10-5pm
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FRIEND TODAY!
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