Angie’s Healing Hearts honors the life and legacy of Angela Gomez by celebrating the comfort, connection, and healing that animals can bring to people.

Originally created as a pet therapy program, Angie’s Healing Hearts brought friendly dogs and dedicated volunteers into hospitals, assisted living centers, rehabilitation facilities, senior centers, and other care settings. Through those visits, animals offered comfort, joy, and companionship to people who needed it most.

At this time, Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center is not currently offering regular pet therapy facility visits. Like many community programs, Angie’s Healing Hearts has been impacted by staffing, volunteer availability, training needs, and the resources required to operate this type of outreach safely and consistently.

But the heart of the program remains.

We are currently reimagining Angie’s Healing Hearts as a community wellness and outreach initiative rooted in the same spirit of compassion. While traditional pet therapy visits are paused, we are exploring meaningful ways to continue connecting people and animals through humane education, supervised animal interactions, wellness-focused community partnerships, and outreach opportunities that support emotional well-being.

The Healing Power of Animals

Animals have a remarkable way of reaching people. A gentle touch, a wagging tail, a quiet moment with a dog or cat—these simple connections can bring comfort, reduce stress, encourage conversation, and remind people they are not alone.

Over the years, we have seen how animals can soften difficult days, bring smiles to people in care settings, and create moments of peace and connection. Angie’s Healing Hearts was built on that belief, and it continues to guide how we think about the future of this program.

Behind the Name

When the light that beamed from Angela Gomez was taken far too soon, her family chose to honor her life by focusing on love, joy, compassion, and meaning.

Angela was killed at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017. In the years since, her family has continued to share her legacy through Angela’s Wishes and through efforts that reflect the kindness, warmth, and love Angie brought into the world.

Many who knew Angie have said her presence made the world a better place. Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center is honored to be part of sharing that legacy through Angie’s Healing Hearts.

Looking Ahead

As we look toward the future of Angie’s Healing Hearts, our goal is to build a program that is thoughtful, safe, sustainable, and true to Angie’s memory.

We are currently exploring opportunities with community partners who are interested in animal-assisted wellness, humane education, and meaningful human-animal connection. Each opportunity will be reviewed carefully to ensure it is appropriate for the people we serve, the animals in our care, and the resources available to support it.

How You Can Help

Angie’s Healing Hearts depends on community support. Donations, volunteer interest, and partnership opportunities may help us rebuild and expand this program in a sustainable way.

If you are interested in supporting Angie’s Healing Hearts, learning more about future outreach opportunities, or discussing a potential partnership, we invite you to contact Mary S. Roberts Pet Adoption Center. 

Together, we can continue honoring Angie’s legacy by creating moments of comfort, compassion, and connection.