Any breed of dog can become a registered therapy pet.
Research has shown pet therapy can greatly benefit the sick and the elderly both emotionally and physically. While dogs are the most common pets used for pet therapy, there are also opportunities for cats and pocket pets. To get started working as a pet therapy volunteer, you and your furry friend will need to get registered with one of the organizations that evaluate animals for therapy work. Note that therapy pets are not certified, they are registered.
Instructions
1. The nice thing about The Delta Society is that they welcome all species, not just dogs.
Evaluate your pet to make sure he is a good fit for a pet therapy program. Most programs require that your pet has lived with you for at least 12 months and is at least one year old at the time of evaluation. Animals that exhibit aggressive behavior or have a history of biting people are obviously not good candidates for pet therapy.
2. Horses, and mini horses, are also registered therapy animals.
Enroll your pet in a dog therapy training program or obedience class if you are seeking to register a dog. To get a dog therapy certification, your dog will need to pass an evaluation. Most evaluations require that your dog obeys basic commands and is comfortable interacting with strangers in various settings. You can search for dog therapy training programs in your area at the Delta Society Web site (deltasociety.org). Or you can search for "Canine Good Citizen" classes in your area at the American Kennel Club Web site (akc.org).
3. The Delta Society allows rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals into their therapy Pet Partners program.
Find an evaluator to test your companion animal and register you as a team. Once your pet has completed an obedience class or you feel your pet is ready, you will need to get your pet therapy certification. The Delta Society's Pet Partners program offers certification. You can search for evaluators in your area on their website.
Other pet therapy organizations include Therapy Dogs International (tdi-dog.org) and The Foundation for Pet-Provided Therapy (loveonaleash.org). Members of Therapy Dogs International must pass an evaluation at one of the organization's testing sites while members of The Foundation for Pet-Provided Therapy must pass an obedience/control evaluation by any professional dog trainer.
4. Ask your veterinarian, humane society or the local animal hospital if they know of any programs in your city that has a local pet therapy organization that offers pet therapy training and registration. Meet-up (meetup.com) is another place you may be able to find others who are already involved in therapy programs.
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