“We All Know Wheatie, But Who’s Dawn?”
Think volunteering with your therapy dog will be tough? Believe me — all you need to do is take care of your dog and he or she will do the rest? Feel awkward talking to strangers or sick people? Have a hard time making small talk? Well, there’s no need when you’ve a therapy dog at the end of the leash.
When I first started making visits, someone asked me what I talked about with the patients we visited. After thinking a few minutes, I said, “You know, I really don’t say much. I just tell them Wheatie’s name and breed and answer any questions they have about him. After that, the patients just talk directly to Wheatie and I’m kind of invisible. Wheatie’s really the volunteer; I’m just his transportation.”
This point was highlighted when the person who schedules our visits told the staff on one floor, “Dawn and Wheatie will be visiting tomorrow,” to which they responded, “Oh we LOVE Wheatie, but I don’t think we’ve ever met Dawn!” Did I mention we’ve been making regular visits there for the last THREE years?!!
Because the focus is really on Fido during your visits, pet therapy can be a great way to transition into volunteering. Both you and your dog will need some training before you get started and most facilities require testing through organizations like American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC), Delta Society, or Therapy Dogs International. If you’re interested in becoming a pet therapy handler, talk to your local animal shelter, facilities that conduct obedience classes, and area hospitals about requirements in your area and facilities that provide training and testing. You can find a testing center for CGC in your area.
If you’re interested in pet therapy, here are some websites to visit: Therapy Dog International, Delta Society , and the American Kennel Club. Also check out my article Dog-assisted therapy: therapeutic for patients and good for your health at TPPC.tv podcasts for people with pets.
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