The positive benefit obtained from the presence of animals in our lives has been documented through observation, literature, and research. Since the 1970s, individuals and groups have worked to provide the opportunity for animals to be around humans who, in their present situations, were unable to have animals close by. This led to the creation of standards and licensure for human-animal teams who want to provide services for those needing them. Standards and licensure assure everyone involved that the human-animal teams are trained in appropriate behavior for visiting situations, have insurance to cover an accident, and have animals that are well-suited to visiting with people in unfamiliar situations.
What are Animal Assisted Activities?
Animal Assisted Activities involve the interaction between a human-animal team visiting with a client, encouraging interaction between the animal and client. Human-animal teams may also work with groups, presenting an interesting activity to raise the spirits of the group or encourage socialization.
What is Animal Assisted Therapy?
Animal Assisted Therapy is a goal-directed activity involving the client, the human-animal team, and a health or human service professional. It is part of a documented treatment process designed to help the client meet a specific goal, such as increased motor skills, reduction of anxiety or pain, or increased interaction.
I think I might be interested. What do I do?
Many people start by going along on visits to hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, or schools. This is a great way to discover the type of work it entails, and the types of rewards that you receive from helping people.
I want to get involved. How do I start?
The most important step is to have an interested pet. This may be a pet you raise, one you adopt, or one you choose because it seems to be warm, friendly, and gentle. The most common pet used is the dog, but we also see cats, rabbits, birds, horses, lamas, and other various animals.
I have a pet. How do I get it trained?
If it is a dog, one of the most common ways is to enroll in an obedience class. Look for schools listed under "Dog & Pet Training" in the Yellow Pages. If your pet is something other than a dog, you should make sure it is well socialized, affectionate, and tolerant of people and other animals.
Once my pet is trained, what do I do?
If your pet is a dog, you can register to take the American Kennel Club’s "Canine Good Citizen" test. Although this test is not required to become a therapy dog team, it is a good test to help determine if your dog has the basic skills necessary to behave properly around other humans and animals. It is also great practice. You can usually find out about these tests at your local obedience school, or by going to the AKC’s web site at: http://www.akc.org/love/cgc/index.cfm
Unfortunately, a similar test does not exist for other animals.
I’ve heard my pet needs to be certified as a therapy animal. What do I do, and who do I contact?
There are several organizations that certify and insure therapy dogs, but only Delta Society® certifies and insures other animals, too.
To certify through Delta Society®, you will first need to complete their training program, Pets Helping People. The home study version of the program includes a manual, video, written test and your registration materials ($29.00). With your course work completed, and your animal's clean bill of health from a veterinarian, you are ready to schedule an evaluation of your Pet Partner® team skills (see Animal Screening). If you are located in Arkansas or close to the Arkansas area, you can contact us at Pawsitive Connection for an upcoming evaluation schedule, or you may contact Delta Society® directly to locate an evaluator in your area.
Delta Society
289 Perimeter Road East
Renton, WA 98055-1329
1-800-809-2714
http://www.deltasociety.org
Once my animal and I are certified, how do we contact organizations that would like to be visited?
If you live in Arkansas, you may contact Pawsitive Connection to help you get started. They can also answer many other questions pertaining to animal assisted activities and therapy, as well as help you prepare for your test and evaluation. If you live outside Arkansas, contact Delta Society® to find volunteers in your area who may be able to assist you in getting started.
