TYLER, Texas (KETK) – A donation of $10,000 was awarded to a local nonprofit Wednesday in Tyler.

Altra Federal Credit Union gave Therapet Animal Assisted Therapy the money after receiving some national recognition.

Therapet specializes in cheering up patients while they are being treated, and has 65 dogs involved in the program.

Therapet Animal Assisted Therapy Executive Director Elysia Reineck said the money will be put to good use.

“$10,000 is incredible for us,” Reineck said. “It’s going to help us continue to train animals to provide health, hope and healing to our community, visiting hospital patients, schools, libraries, prisons, those kind of places to really help people who are desperate to have the interaction of an animal.”

Therapet is going into their 30th year, looking forward to helping many more people with hope and healing.