"ASPCA ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY" PROGRAM
Pet Partners.
New York, NY.USA.
Program Description
"Within the NYC area, the ASPCA helps to carry out the Pet Partners mission by providing a full-service program to the public in which individuals can register their dogs and cats as therapy animals who visit hospitals, nursing homes, classrooms, libraries and other facilities."
-aspca.org
The purpose to animal assisted therapy in nursing homes is to provide companionship, pet therapy and a change in routine nursing homes activities. Dogs in nursing homes have shown to decrease elderly depression, loneliness, and stress and are a valuable resource for long-term care facilities.
In order to be registered for ASPCA animal assisted therapy program, dogs and cats must be socialized, and evaluated and then registered with Pet Partners.
A therapy animal must be able to safely interact with seniors in nursing homes by being social, obedient, able to enjoy people, showing no aggression towards other animals, or bite.
Animal registration includes a process of gathering veterinary forms, vaccinations, a therapy handler class certificate, evaluation results, and photos.
Pet Partners offers animal assisted therapy classes including:
-Therapy Handler Course - owners learn dog handling skills such as reading dog body language, improving dog's comfort with strangers, obedience skills in distracting environments, proximity to hospital equipment, and more.
-Pet Partners Team Training Workshop - trains the human side of the leash about animal-assisted therapy covering skills needed to safely visit with a dog in a nursing home or other animals in hospitals and other facilities.
Therapy Dog or Activity Assisted dog programs are different than
Assistance Dogs, Service Dogs, or Guide Dogs Programs, which are trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability.
The animal-assisted therapy program at the ASPCA hopes to bring about greater community acceptance of dogs. Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society) is a national organization that aims to improve human health through the assistance of therapy animals.
source: aspca.org
ANIMAL ASSISTED THERAPY IN NURSING HOMES:
Therapy Dogs International Nursing Home Program - Across the USA and areas in Canada. Provides free visits of dogs to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, hospices and other facilities to provide regular animal assisted therapy, an interactive nursing home activity and to give companionship to elderly.
Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program - Program widely available across the United States, Canada, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Norway, and several other countries.
Trains pet owners and pets on how to visit nursing homes, hospice, hospitals, physical therapy centers, long-term care facilities and other facilities to provide animal assisted activities.
Therapy Dogs Inc. Program - Program available across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories. Provides registration, support, and insurance for those involved in volunteer animal assisted activities.
Pets on Wheels Program - Fairfax, Virginia, USA. Providing regular animal assisted therapy through pet and dog visits to nursing homes and assisted living by trained volunteers and approved pets.
FriendshipWorks PetPals Program - Boston Massachusetts, USA. Arranges for pets (cats and dogs) and their owners to make friendly visits providing animal assisted therapy to elderly in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.
People Animals Love Program - Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. USA.
Certified pet handler volunteers take their pets to visit elderly in nursing homes providing animal assisted therapy.
New Orleans Visiting Pet Program - New Orleans, USA. Animal assisted activity program where volunteer pet handlers and their pets visit nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and other facilities.
Intermountain Therapy Animals Program - Utah, USA. Animal Assisted Activity/Therapy teams visit seniors in Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Centers, Alzheimer's Care Units, Hospitals, Veterans Hospitals, Hospices, Rehabilitation Centers and many other facilities.
Terminally Ill & Their Pets
Pets and Seniors Companionship
Service Dogs for Elderly
