The Animal Care Assistance Program is a program that allows volunteers who do not have animals, or who do not have animals qualified to do therapy work, to help Pawsitive Connection fulfill its mission. ACA volunteers help person’s with serious illness care for their pets. By helping with pet care in times of crisis, our volunteers are allowing people to experience the therapeutic benefits of pet ownership for as long as possible.
In partnership with RAIN (Regional Aids Interfaith Network), Pawsitive Connection is developing a specialized RAIN Careteam to assist persons with HIV/AIDS in caring for their pets. It is hoped that the success of the Pawsitive Connection Careteam will lead to an expansion of the ACA Program in order to meet the needs of person’s with other serious illnesses.
What does the Animal Care Assistance team do?
The ACA team can do a number of things relating to the care of pets in the home. Responsibilities may be as simple as walking or grooming a dog, delivering pet food, or changing a cat’s litter box. However, responsibilities may also include foster care for the animal during an owner's temporary hospitalization, as well as, helping people begin to prepare for their pet's future in the event their pet survives them. Tasks will be assigned on a needs basis, and efforts are not limited to any one species of animal.
How often will the volunteer be needed?
This will depend on the special circumstances involved, and will be determined on an individual basis. It is assumed that a volunteer from the team will be needed at least once a week during the course of an illness.
I would like to volunteer for this program, but I don’t have the time to visit someone more than once a week.
This is the reason we are creating a Careteam. A team of volunteers will be assigned to one person and their animal/s. By having a team approach, we can divide up the responsibilities, and assure that the pets are receiving proper care.
How do I become an ACA volunteer?
Currently, the focus of our program is to help person’s with AIDS. Therefore, volunteers will need to go through a RAIN Careteam training class. After taking this 8 hour "AIDS 101" class, several volunteers will be assigned to a Careteam. When the need arises, Pawsitive Connection will be contacted and the team called to action.
If you would like to become part of an Animal Care Assistance team contact Pawsitive Connection.
