Angel Paws' Pet Partners© Service Description
TITLE: Angel Paws Volunteer Pet Partners Team
SERVICE DESCRIPTION: Angel Paws' Pet Partners© Teams (1 Team = 1 animal and 1 handler) visit select health care and/or educational facilities to safely and effectively interact with patients, families, visitors, students and/or staff. Handlers must document visits and cooperate with facility staff when appropriate and/or necessary, maintain Pet Partners standards of practice and be receptive to on-going training and feedback.
TIME COMMITMENT: Angel Paws Pet Partners© Teams are asked to commit to two (2) scheduled visits per month of approximately 1 to 2 hours each – 1 visit every other week. Scheduling may vary with program needs and occasional optional requests may be made for special events and presentations. Flexibility is available and dates and times may be changed to accommodate individual schedules with advance notice.
SERVICE DESCRIPTION: Angel Paws' Pet Partners© Teams (1 Team = 1 animal and 1 handler) visit select health care and/or educational facilities to safely and effectively interact with patients, families, visitors, students and/or staff. Handlers must document visits and cooperate with facility staff when appropriate and/or necessary, maintain Pet Partners standards of practice and be receptive to on-going training and feedback.
TIME COMMITMENT: Angel Paws Pet Partners© Teams are asked to commit to two (2) scheduled visits per month of approximately 1 to 2 hours each – 1 visit every other week. Scheduling may vary with program needs and occasional optional requests may be made for special events and presentations. Flexibility is available and dates and times may be changed to accommodate individual schedules with advance notice.
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FUNCTIONS:
Handlers. Human volunteers must be comfortable interacting with patients who are seriously ill &/or have significant learning challenges and be sensitive to their needs and preferences as well as those of their visitors. Handlers must be skilled in assessing sensitive situations and be able to respond appropriately while also being aware of patient needs that could/should be met by facility staff members and make appropriate referrals when necessary. Handlers are required to be confident, outgoing and friendly at the same time as being astute observers of their animal's behavior, able to take PRO-active appropriate measures to support and ensure comfort, mannerly behavior and interactions at all times. Handlers must also be astute observers of both staff & patient response to the program, document observations, benefits &/or challenges of the program. Must be willing to accept and apply feedback and be positive advocates for both the Angel Paws program and Pet Partners. Animals. All animals are required to be calmly and willingly responsive to their handler's verbal/visual (not physical) cues but to also demonstrate spontaneous interest in meeting new people. Dogs will be asked to heel (or walk close by on a loose leash) sit, down, stay, visit, and may be assisted in gently getting on beds &/or chairs and lying quietly where cued.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Handlers. Volunteers are required to exhibit good judgment in interactions with people and their pet partner and responses to questions and requests. Handlers must be able to recognize and deal appropriately with stress when seen in others, their animal, or themselves; must be knowledgeable, patient, competent & positive ambassadors for Animal Assisted Activities & Therapy, the Angel Paws program, Pet Partners, R.E.A.D. and each facility being visited at all times. Must be able to put animal first in all interactions. Animal/Handler Teams will, above all, inspire confidence of safety, comfort and control in all interactions with people of diverse ages, races, functional abilities, interests and needs. Teams must possess the poise and judgment to function as a team as well as be perceived to be functioning smoothly in a position of high visibility, sensitivity and potentially highly charged emotional situations. PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS: |
VIDEO
"Moment by Moment: The Delta Society Pet Partners" Pet Partners Prerequisites & Training & Registration Process in a Nutshell |
Handlers must be at least 10 years old and all handlers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Facility age requirements may vary.
Animals must be at least 1 year of age and have lived with their owner for a minimum of 6 months.
Acceptance into the Angel Paws program requires training and registration through Pet Partners® (includes current health screen signed by a veterinarian, Pet Partners Handlers Training, 22 part skills & aptitude test by licensed evaluator and written exam) as well as satisfactory completion of Angel Paws training, orientation and supervision. Animal/Handler teams must adhere to all Pet Partners and Angel Paws policies and procedures at all times. Copies of all Pet Partners documentation must be supplied to Angel Paws Director in addition to all Angel Paws documentation and signed agreements. TB tests and confidentiality agreements may be required along with facility specific orientations. Appropriate skills and aptitude must be demonstrated during on-site training as well as during the Pet Partners® Skills & Aptitude Test. Handlers must be willing to accept and apply feedback.
ONGOING PARTICIPATION requires continued performance to the standards of the program as reviewed and evaluated by facility staff and Angel Paws program director. Participation in the program may be terminated at the request of the facility staff liaison or Angel Paws director for unreliability or inappropriate behavior as defined in either Facility, Angel Paws or Pet Partners policies & procedures (but we are pleased to report that this has never happened!).
Animals must be at least 1 year of age and have lived with their owner for a minimum of 6 months.
Acceptance into the Angel Paws program requires training and registration through Pet Partners® (includes current health screen signed by a veterinarian, Pet Partners Handlers Training, 22 part skills & aptitude test by licensed evaluator and written exam) as well as satisfactory completion of Angel Paws training, orientation and supervision. Animal/Handler teams must adhere to all Pet Partners and Angel Paws policies and procedures at all times. Copies of all Pet Partners documentation must be supplied to Angel Paws Director in addition to all Angel Paws documentation and signed agreements. TB tests and confidentiality agreements may be required along with facility specific orientations. Appropriate skills and aptitude must be demonstrated during on-site training as well as during the Pet Partners® Skills & Aptitude Test. Handlers must be willing to accept and apply feedback.
ONGOING PARTICIPATION requires continued performance to the standards of the program as reviewed and evaluated by facility staff and Angel Paws program director. Participation in the program may be terminated at the request of the facility staff liaison or Angel Paws director for unreliability or inappropriate behavior as defined in either Facility, Angel Paws or Pet Partners policies & procedures (but we are pleased to report that this has never happened!).
