The Marisa Tufaro Foundation is extending its partnership with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy to continue making free visits from certified therapy dogs and their trained owners/handlers available to schools, libraries and other facilities serving children.

Through fully funded grants which The Marisa Tufaro Foundation provided, Creature Comfort Pet Therapy was able to enhance the lives of hundreds of children, making more than 100 therapeutic visits to locations across Middlesex County over the last three years.

The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which first partnered with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy in January 2022, recently made a third generous donation to Creature Comfort Pet Therapy, ensuring the nonprofits can continue collaborating to provide free pet therapy services to children county-wide.

The funding for this most recent donation was made in honor of swimmers from the Greater Middlesex Conference who participated in this month’s “Practice for a Purpose,” an annual fundraiser benefiting The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

More than 50 swimmers from the conference participated in a relay carnival at North Brunswick Township High School, using their time in the pool to compete in various relay events alongside student-athletes from other schools as teammates.

One of the head coaches, Nicholas Cano of Perth Amboy High School, whose team participated in the event is among Creature Comfort Pet Therapy’s trained owners/handlers. He and his certified therapy dog, Bleu November (Novi), have made a profound impact through their volunteerism.

“My journey with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy has been nothing short of amazing,” Cano said. “Together with my therapy dog, we’ve had the privilege of visiting schools, libraries, companies, and universities, spreading comfort and joy wherever we go.”

“One of my fondest memories took place at a library. A young child, hesitant and shy, was learning to read. Initially, he was nervous, but Novi’s calming energy helped him feel at ease. Before long, he was reading aloud to her, his confidence growing with every word.

“The gratitude from the child’s parent was a reminder of the power of these moments. It’s incredible how the presence of a gentle, loving therapy dog can open doors to connection and growth in ways we never imagine.”

A highly respected Morristown-based nonprofit, Creature Comfort Pet Therapy serves all or parts of nine northern and central New Jersey counties. Its staff carefully structures therapy dog visits, tailoring all scheduled appointments, ensuring they can be as effective and productive as possible.

Research shows interacting with a therapy dog can benefit children physically and mentally through the reduction of pain, anxiety, fatigue, stress, and depression.

Born with a complex cardiac defect, Marisa Tufaro, the foundation’s namesake, survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing in 2017 at the age of 13 to a rare form of cancer.

Hospitalized for a total of more than two years, Marisa enjoyed the benefits of interacting with therapy dogs during many hospital admissions.

Following one of her surgeries, Marisa was emotionally unprepared and seemingly physically unable to get out of bed until a therapy dog motivated her to do so. The magical moment, in which Marisa sat at the edge of her bed before eventually standing with the help of a physical therapist to pet the therapy dog, reduced one of her nurses to tears.

Established in its namesake’s loving memory seven years ago, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has donated more than $350,000 to fulfill its mission of assisting pediatric patients and children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.

The nonprofit has also spearheaded multiple initiatives resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies, school supplies, and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.

In addition, the foundation has awarded 46 scholarships totaling $33,000 to high school seniors and sent 27 elementary and middle school students to a weeklong summer art camp at Rutgers University’s Zimmerli Museum.

Marisa’s parents, Cyndi and Greg, who established the foundation to keep alive Marisa’s indomitable spirit and ensure her legacy could be one of helping children in need, want others to be able to experience the benefits of pet therapy.

Schedule visits

Any Middlesex County-based school, library or facility that serves children is eligible to apply for grant-funded visits and work with Creature Comfort Pet Therapy to arrange for a certified therapy pet and trained owner/handler to:

  • Visit a library or school, where children can read stories aloud to a therapy dog, which can motivate young readers and increase their self-esteem, confidence, and communication skills.
  • Visit school children with physical, emotional, sensory, and learning disabilities, where pet therapy volunteers work with faculty and staff to determine how therapy dogs can best help students reach their goals.
  • Provide education to school-age children regarding the power of pet therapy and how to meet and behave around animals.
  • Visit a shelter, such as those for women who are victims of domestic abuse and violence, where pet therapy can augment counseling for children and support services for families.
  • Visit an elementary or middle school, where students may benefit from the calm and comfort a therapy pet can provide.
  • Visit a high school or college to help students de-stress during a final exams week or cope with other pressures.
  • Visit summer camps and support groups to provide comfort to children and their families with specific challenges or needs.
  • Visit any other group or facility that serves children in need.

Instructions for schools, libraries, and other facilities serving children to apply for grant-funded visits with a therapy dog can be found below.

Apply for grants

Feb. 1-28 (application period): Visit Creature Comfort Pet Therapy’s website to request a one-time visit (bit.ly/onetimevisit) or recurring visits (bit.ly/recurringvisit). Answer the final question of the online form, which asks how you heard about Creature Comfort Pet Therapy, by mentioning The Marisa Tufaro Foundation.

March 1-14 (grant review period): Requests will be processed and Creature Comfort Pet Therapy’s experienced staff will customize visits.

March 14-28: (grant award period): Awarded applicants will receive confirmation and details of their scheduled visit(s).