Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital partnered with North Shore Animal League America on May 15 for a pet adoption event to promote Mental Health Awareness Month and help puppies and kittens find “furr-ever” homes.
The event, held at the hospital and open to both employees and the public, connected prospective pet owners with adoptable animals through an adoption process that organizers said could allow animals to go home with new owners the same day.
The initiative was organized by Mary Olshwitz, a registered respiratory therapist at the hospital.
“I wanted to do this because animals can be such great companions and really help with mental health, comfort and emotional support,” Olshwitz said. “I thought bringing pet adoption and mental health awareness together would be a positive way to help both people and animals.”
Hospital departments, including operations, patient experience and nursing, collaborated with the animal welfare organization to coordinate the event, which organizers hope will become an annual program across the Northwell Health system.
The event highlighted growing research surrounding the connection between pet ownership and emotional well-being. According to a 2026 report from the Human Animal Bond Research Institute, 87 percent of pet owners reported mental health benefits from having a pet, while 80 percent said their animals helped reduce feelings of loneliness. The report also found that 61 percent of pet owners said their animals provided significant comfort and a positive impact on emotional well-being.
Olshwitz said animals can provide companionship, emotional support and a sense of purpose, particularly for individuals struggling with loneliness or depression. She also noted that caring for a pet can encourage routines and responsibility, such as feeding, walking and providing daily care, which may help motivate people experiencing mental health challenges.
Viktoria Toth, director of psychiatry at the hospital, said the relationship between humans and animals has evolved over thousands of years from working partnerships into emotional bonds that now play a recognized role in health care and psychiatric treatment.
Toth said therapy animals are commonly used in hospitals, nursing homes and psychiatric settings, including programs involving children, older adults and patients with autism or severe mental illness. She noted that pet therapy programs are already active within Northwell facilities, including at Zucker Hillside Hospital, where therapy animals visit inpatient psychiatric units.
She also pointed to scientific research showing that interaction with animals can increase oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine levels while lowering cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone. Toth said these effects have been associated with reduced stress, improved mood and even lower perceptions of physical pain.
“Pets give their owners unconditional love and loyalty with 100 percent acceptance of who they are,” Toth said. “Having a pet helps to combat loneliness; they make you feel loved and appreciated. Who doesn’t want that?”
Within psychiatric care, she added, pet ownership can also serve as a protective factor during suicide risk assessments because of the emotional bond and responsibility individuals often feel toward their animals.
Organizers said they hope the adoption event not only helped animals find homes, but also encouraged broader conversations about mental health, companionship and emotional support within the community.
