“Can Shelter Pets Heal a Community?”

Matt and co-presenter Stacy Mendell will look at how to harness the power of the human-animal bond to create healthier and more compassionate communities. Their presentation includes therapy dogs Chazz and Ness.

Matt is a certified animal-assisted therapist with a background in clinical mental health, crisis, trauma, and addiction counseling.

Stacy is a licensed clinical social worker who uses four-legged co-therapists in her mental health work on the Western Slope.