The good Cornellians can do: Dr. Elizabeth Dunn Lynch ’90, DVM ’95

Dr. Elizabeth Dunn Lynch '90, DVM '95 has seen firsthand the positive impacts that therapeutic animals can have on humans.

For more than 20 years, Elizabeth has volunteered with Pet Partners, an international organization that promotes animal-assisted interventions. During this time, she has volunteered as an animal trainer, an evaluator of therapy animals, and now as National Program Educator for Pet Partners—where she trains other evaluators and helps ensure the welfare of the therapy animals working in the program.

“We have assisted in childhood literacy interventions, drug and alcohol addiction treatment, animal-assisted group therapy in psychiatric facilities, treatment in chemotherapy infusion centers, and relieving the pain of loneliness of elderly people living in assisted living centers,” Elizabeth says. “As I witnessed the uncomparable magic that an animal has on a frightened child, a psychiatric patient, or a person trapped inside the prison of dementia, I realized how much of a positive impact a therapy animal team can have on our community.”

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