About us

Comfort brought by gentle animals

Faithful Friends is an all-volunteer animal-assisted therapy ministry. Since 1993 our registered pet teams have visited hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and care centers across the Houston and Clear Lake area, at no cost to anyone we visit.

How it began

A ministry born from hardship and hope

Faithful Friends started with one person coming out the other side of a hard year. After the most difficult twelve months of her life, founder Shari Ferguson felt called to bring comfort to people who were hurting.

Through her church she found a way to combine three things she already loved: caring for children, walking alongside seniors, and her deep affection for dogs. She first learned that animal-assisted therapy existed at dog shows, while showing her Siberian Husky.

She began with two volunteers and two dogs. In September 1993, University Baptist Church in Houston became the home of the Faithful Friends Animal-Assisted Therapy Ministry, and the teams have been visiting ever since.

What began with a single care center now reaches communities across the greater Houston and Clear Lake area, month after month.

The dogs who started it

The first teams

A good therapy animal has never been about breed or pedigree. It is about a calm, gentle heart, and some of the gentlest hearts came from the hardest starts.

Reveille and Tamu

A dependable Collie mix and an energetic Siberian Husky. Tamu was the dog that first brought Shari to animal-assisted therapy, and both learned to settle gently into the quiet of a nursing-home room.

Bear

A rescued Chow who had known abuse and neglect. Known in the ministry as “God’s little miracle,” his own story of recovery is what let him reach traumatized teenagers no one else could.

Who we visit

Where our teams go

Our volunteers bring warmth and companionship to the places where a little comfort goes a long way.

Hospitals

Bedside visits that ease anxiety and brighten long days of healing.

Nursing and senior living

Familiar warmth and companionship for residents and their families.

Care and rehabilitation centers

Gentle visits that support recovery, therapy, and emotional wellbeing.

Schools

Calming, confidence-building moments, including children reading aloud to a patient dog.

Over the years our teams have included dogs of every size, as well as cats, rabbits, a ferret, and even turtles. What matters is a calm, friendly temperament and current vaccinations, not breed or species.

Where we are today

The ministry now

Still volunteer-run, still free, and still built on the same idea it started with.

All-volunteer

Every handler is a volunteer. There has never been paid staff on a visit.

Free to every facility

Visits are provided at no cost to the hospitals, homes, and schools we serve.

Registered teams

Each animal passes a temperament evaluation and keeps its vaccinations current before it ever visits.

A 501(c)(3) organization

In May 2026 the ministry became Faithful Friends Animal-Assisted Therapy, Inc., a tax-exempt organization in its own right.

Houston and Clear Lake

Teams visit communities across the greater Houston and Clear Lake area.

More than three decades

Continuously visiting since September 1993.

Come and be part of it

You do not need to own a pet to volunteer, and there is no age limit. If you would like to join us, or invite our teams to visit your facility, we would love to hear from you.

Ways to get involved Contact us

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Curious about visiting with us, becoming a pet team, or inviting Faithful Friends to your facility? Here are the questions we hear most often.

Getting Involved

Do I have to own a pet to volunteer?

No. Pet ownership is not required to join Faithful Friends. Many people serve by helping during visits, and even pet owners always make their first facility visit without an animal so they can see how our teams work.

Is there an age requirement to join?

There are absolutely no age restrictions for joining Faithful Friends. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Handlers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, and all handlers must show they can control the animal at a temperament test.

How do I get started?

New human volunteers attend an orientation workshop held on the third Saturday of February, April, June, August, and October. To register, email newvolunteer@faithfulfriendsaat.com. You're welcome to bring photos of your pet to the workshop.

Can my children volunteer with me?

Yes. Families serve together often. Children may participate, and handlers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Anyone handling an animal completes the same temperament evaluation as everyone else — showing they can control the animal — so every visit is safe and positive.

Becoming a Pet Team

What kinds of animals can participate?

Over the years our teams have included dogs of every size, as well as cats, rabbits, a ferret, and even turtles. Breed and pedigree don't matter — what matters is a calm, gentle, friendly temperament and up-to-date vaccinations.

What vaccinations does my pet need?

Animals must be vaccinated against all diseases that can be transmitted from animal to human, human to animal, or animal to animal, and current shot records must be kept on file with the ministry. All vaccinations must be updated with Faithful Friends Animal-Assisted Therapy, Inc., even though a vaccine may have been given in a previous year(s). We must have a record with a current-year date on the top showing all vaccines are current.

What is the temperament test?

It's a short, low-pressure evaluation of how your animal responds to strangers and unfamiliar settings, checking for any signs of aggression. Animals are re-checked periodically, including during the months their rabies vaccination is renewed.

Can I bring more than one pet?

You may own as many pets as you like, but only one animal accompanies you per visit so each team can give residents and patients calm, focused attention.

Visits & Facilities

Where do your teams visit?

Our teams visit hospitals, hospice, nursing homes, assisted-living and memory-care communities, schools, and care centers across the greater Houston–Clear Lake area — bringing comfort wherever it's welcome.

Why does animal-assisted therapy help?

Many doctors and therapists have found that time with a gentle animal can lower blood pressure and ease stress, creating a calm, non-threatening moment of connection for people in difficult situations.

Can Faithful Friends visit our facility?

We'd love to hear from you. Please reach out through our contact page and we'll talk through how a regular visit from our pet teams could serve your residents, patients, or students.

About the Ministry

Who is Faithful Friends?

We're a group of volunteers who share a common desire to spread joy and happiness to those in difficult situations by visiting them with their pets. The ministry was founded by Shari Ferguson and became part of University Baptist Church in Houston in September 1993.

Is there a cost to participate?

Faithful Friends is a volunteer ministry. Reach out and we'll walk you through everything involved in joining — from the orientation workshop to your pet's evaluation — and answer any questions along the way.

What Our Clients Say

Stories of Comfort & Joy

The difference a friendly visit can make

When the dogs come through the doors, you can watch the whole room light up. Residents who don't say much all week will talk for an hour about the pet that came to see them. It's one of the most anticipated visits we have.

Activities Director

Senior Care Community

My daughter was nervous to read out loud at school until she started reading to one of the Faithful Friends dogs. He never corrects her, never laughs — he just listens. Her confidence has completely changed.

Parent

School Reading Program

Volunteering with my dog through Faithful Friends has been the most rewarding thing we do together. Seeing him bring a smile to someone having a hard day reminds me why we started.

Pet Team Volunteer

Bringing Comfort & Joy

Get Involved with Faithful Friends

Our volunteer pet teams visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and care centers across the greater Houston–Clear Lake area.

We'll Reply Soon

All Ages Welcome

Serving Since 1993