How to Volunteer

A Pet Partners^® Affiliate

Serving the Midlands of South Carolina

How To Volunteer

Many people have wonderful pets they want to share with patients. But it takes more than a friendly Fluffy to become a Pet Partner team! It takes hard work, training and dedication. It's important that teams are properly screened and qualified to work with patients. They need special skills and education to conduct visits safely and effectively. Here is the process:

Prerequisites:

Make sure you and your animal partner meet all the program prerequisites:

	All domesticated animals who can pass the Team Evaluation are eligible to become Pet Partners. Wild or exotic animals -- including snakes, ferrets, and lizards -- are not eligible.
	The person handling the animal (handlers) must be at least 10 years old. Handlers younger than 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must have written permission to participate from a parent or guardian.
	People who do not have an animal may also register as Pet Partners.
	All animals except birds must have lived in the owner's home for at least 6 months. Birds must have lived in the owner's home for at least 1 year.
	All animals except "pocket pets" must be at least 1 year at the time the animal is evaluated. Pocket pets (e.g., guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, etc.) must be at least 6 months at the time the animal is evaluated.
	*Dogs trained to aggressively protect and/or encouraged to actively bite, even as a component of a dog sport (e.g., bite work that is part of Schutzhund) may not* be Pet Partners.**
	Animals who are fed a raw diet or who live with other animals fed raw diets are not permitted in the program.

Step 1: Your Animal's Training

We do not train your pet for you. Your pet must already have excellent obedience skills. Dogs must know the cues to sit, stay, lie down, come when called and "leave it." They must walk politely on leash and not jump on people.

Both cats and dogs must show no more than a casual interest in our evaluator dog during the Reaction to Another Dog test. They must be social, outgoing and confident in new situations and environments. They must enjoy being touched all over their bodies by strangers. They must enjoy exuberant or clumsy petting without shyness, fear or becoming overly excited so that they could pose a danger to a frail patient. They must not be afraid of healthcare equipment or loud noises and of course show no aggression to people or other animals.

We're sorry, but we can not "prescreen" animals for suitability. Instead, we encourage you to review our requirements carefully and consider your pet honestly for this type of volunteer activity. If you feel your animal needs more training, we encourage you to do that before taking the Team Training Course.

Step 2: Your Training

Your next step is to attend the Team Training course. The course is for people only, and is a comprehensive overview of animal-assisted activities and therapy. It covers how to evaluate a facility, how to work with different types of patients, how to recognize stress in your animal, how to protect your animal and much more. There are two options:

You can attend one of our Team Training courses, taught by a Pet Partners-licensed instructor. This is a full day workshop. Our next Team Training course will be summer/fall 2012.
You can take the online course directly from Pet Partners.

You should either take the workshop or the online course before participating in a Team Evaluation.

Step 3: The Team Evaluation
During the workshop, you will have a chance to sign up for the team evaluation. (If you take the online course you should complete that first and then wait to sign up when we have an evaluation.) Each screening takes about 30 minutes. Find out more here.

	Team Training course participants will sign up for screenings during the workshop. The next screenings will be summer/fall 2012.
	If you have taken the home study course, you can sign up for a screening as well. You can request an appointment time by e-mailing PrescriptionPaws@aol.com.

Step 4: Review
If you pass the team evaluation, you need to complete an open book review of the workbook you receive during the workshop. We want to make sure you've covered all the important material!

Step 5: Vet Check
You need a special health clearance from your vet.

Step 6: Registration
You will send your registration information and separate fee to Pet Partners. The fee covers your photo ID, pet tag, newsletter and primary liability insurance! If you live in the South Carolina Midlands and would like to join Prescription Paws, you can enjoy a discount on your registration because we are an Affiliate.

If you are interested in signing up for a future Team Training Course, please send us an e-mail.

For more information about Prescription Paws, please send us an e-mail.