Georgiana Stetter recently stepped down after 20 years of volunteer service and four years as co-director of Routt County Heeling Friends.

Heeling Friends was established in 1998 to fill the need for animal assisted therapy services, including pet visitation at Yampa Valley Medical Center. Not long after Heeling Friends started a READ program (Reading Assistance with Dogs) at Strawberry Park Elementary School, Georgiana became a regular volunteer from 2003-16 with her dogs Oskar and Kateau.

Going twice weekly for the entire school year she helped many students, and to this day they recognize her and talk about Oscar and Kateau.

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Georgiana joined the board of Heeling Friends in 2005 and became co-director in 2018. She has played so many roles serving as photographer, secretary at board meetings, administrator, fundraiser, event organizer and media manager. She has tirelessly handled organization paperwork, correspondence, website services, nonprofit legalities, supplies, uniforms, hosted training events and maintained communication with our parent organization Intermountain Therapy Animals, or ITA. Training teams are held to high standards with ITA, and Routt Heeling Friends has become a truly first-rate pet therapy program with strong community support.

Georgiana has given her heart and soul to Heeling Friends, and this letter is simply to give her the recognition she deserves and to say thanks for her immeasurable contribution to this local organization. Thanks for a job well done!

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Lynette Weaver

Heeling Friends founding member