RTNT Episode 35 - Staying Paws-itive with Pets

Welcome to the April show of Radio Totally Normal Toronto on CJRU 1280 AM and cjru.ca. Julie of RTNT was the host for this April 14, 2021 episode number 35.
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Today we are going to speak on Mental Health and Pets. First off, we’re going to connect with staff and members of Progress Place to listen in on their Round Table discussion on the topic. We recorded the discussion over Zoom as the Clubhouse is not currently open to record in our studio.
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This episode features perspectives and information that are not directly from RTNT. We are NOT health professionals who specialize in Covid-19 or any other physical health matters. If you have any questions about Covid-19 please visit the website for either Toronto Public Health or Public Health Ontario or contact your doctor directly for any health questions or concerns.

This episode may contain conversations around suicide and suicide prevention. If you are in crisis, please call 911 or the Gerstein Crisis Centre (if you’re in Toronto) at (416) 929-5200.

Afterwards, we are spoke with Liane Weber of The LifeLine Canada Foundation. They have an amazing program, among others, called Companion Paws Canada.

Taken from the Companion Paws website: “Medical studies have confirmed what we all know from experience, spending time with an affectionate pet makes us feel better. In fact, contact with a compassionate animal can significantly improve mental and physical health, as well as reduce stress, depression and anxiety. A pet can make a huge difference in your life.”

Our round table discussion involves a group of animal loving staff and members. We are really fortunate to be able to draw from their knowledge and experience around pets. It’s difficult to know the true benefits of owning a pet until it's something you experience for yourself. This discussion was so fun to do that they lost track of time!

We would like to thank all those involved with this episode of Radio Totally Normal Toronto. Please check out the Lifeline Canada Foundation website and on the app store. Thank you Liane Weber.

A special thank you to our interviewers of RTNT. Thank you to all the members and staff of Progress Place who work hard each month to create a recurring episode of Radio Totally Normal Toronto.

Thank you to our listeners. Please, share this episode with your friends and family.

*To learn more about RTNT or listen to previous episodes please check out radiototallynormaltoronto.org. You can stream RTNT on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast if you search up Radio Totally Normal Toronto.
If you’d like to learn more about Progress Place you can:
-Visit progressplace.org.
-Follow us on social media
@progressplaceclubhouse on Instagram & Facebook
@Progress_Place on Twitter*

Thanks again for listening to us and stay tuned for a new episode in two months!