Therapy Dogs and Visiting Pets
DogPlay: Web Site Links to Visiting Pet, AAT and AAA Volunteer GroupsThese are groups that offer some variety of program taking dogs and other pets into hospitals, convalescent homes, residential care facilities, and more. Some do their own visit testing, others require registration by one of the national organizations.For a list of national organizations that do testing and registrations see the "Find a Group to Join" page. If the group is strictly local and does its own testing then ordinarily visits are authorized only under the umbrella of that group. That means that the facility must have some kind of agreement with the group to accept its volunteers. If you have a facility that you want to visit find out the policy of the local organization, or seek testing and registration from one of the national organizations .
Most of these organizations are strictly volunteer and most have very limited budgets. Please keep this in mind when contacting them asking for information. If what you need is general information then check either the resources page, or the books and videos page. Be sure to read How to get your website or group listed here before writing with a request.
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Based in Birmingham, Alabama this organization's services and programs focus on children and youth. Hand-in-Paw certifies pets under the guidelines established by Delta Society. Volunteers can be certified in either animal assisted activities or the more formal animal assisted therapy.
Therapy Partners, Inc.T operates in the Huntsville, Alabama, area Active therapy teams composed of a handler and a certified therapy dog or therapy cat, visit are variety of facilities and schools. Therapy Partner teams are registered with Delta Society Pet Partners.
Based in Mesa, Arizona, this group has over 85 Certified Pet Therapy Teams that regularly visit valley shelters and preschools that help children from crisis situations.
This Phoenix, Arizona shelter's services include a Pet Partners program teaching animals to help people (includes high-risk teens, community service & service dog training programs) also see ABC Paws for Reading Program
Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, this group of 120 volunteer-pet teams visits health care centers in Scottsdale -- nursing homes, adult day care centers, rehabilitation hospitals, a cancer center, classes for developmentally challenged children, and the homebound. It also provides pet safety talks to children in Scottsdale's elementary schools.
This Scottsdale, Arizona based organization offers Social/Pet Therapy Animal Programs visiting elderly, sick, and disabled people in hospitals, nursing homes and other care facilities.
Flagstaff Medical Center offers an inpatient animal assisted-activity program.
Serving the Prescott, Prescott Valley and Chino Valley areas in Arizona.
Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas this organization provides animal assisted activities and the more formal animal assisted therapy services. Participants are trained and evaluated under the guidelines established by Delta Society. This web site has resources that describe the screening process, communicable disease concerns and answers frequently asked questions. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Based in Albany, California, this organization covers much of the East San Francisco Bay Area. Pets of all kinds can be temperament and health tested for visits to a variety of residential care facilities and hospitals. As is common in local organizations teams visit as a group and are not certified to go out on their own.
Located in Fresno, California the Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including a Pet facilitated therapy.
This Huntington Beach, California organization offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including pet assisted therapy.
The teams visit hospitals, assisted living facilities and children's schools in Southern California.
This Pasedena, California, Pet Assisted Therapy (PAT) program provides teams of specially trained volunteers and their dogs to visit patients in many units of Huntington Hospital. Evaluations and training for this valuable program take place each spring.
The Ohlone Humane Society in Fremont, California, offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including their pet visitation program, "Hug a Pet".
Based in Redding this group has developed and conducted numerous workshops for Pet Partner certification, and implements a continuous mentoring program for beginning Pet Partner teams in Northern California. Covers facilities in Tehama, Shasta, and Humboldt Counties in California.
This San Diego, California, program shares animals with people of all ages in facilities such as convalescent homes, hospitals, mental health centers, abused children's homes and juvenile detention centers. Volunteers bring warmth and love to people who aren't able to experience the joys of pet ownership.
Based in Lancaster, California Pet Pals is just one activity of the High Desert Obedience Club.
This group is located in San Jose, California. Unfortunately this site uses frames which makes it difficult to some users to navigate and makes it impossible to point a link to a specific page. So the link provided escapes the frame and goes to the general information page with a link to their contact information. The main site can be reached at http://www.petpalsaat.org/. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Providing a variety of visiting opportunities in the Los Angeles, California area this group does its own certification.
This program from the Marin Humane Society (California) has expanded beyond animal assisted therapy and also helps seniors and people with AIDS who still live at home with their animal companions.
Based in Napa, California, Dogs and handlers are screened, evaluated, and trained. After successfully fulfilling the Paws for Healing requirements, they become a certified canine assisted therapy team and are then assigned to an established program in one of the participating Napa Valley-area health care facilities. A regular newsletter covers topics of general interest to volunteers, continuing education and emerging issues.
When last visited this web site did not provide full access. This Delta Affiliate operates in the Los Angeles, California area.
Based in the Rancho Palos Verdes, California area this group has provided animal-assisted therapy programs for the Los Angeles Unified School District Department of Special Education, Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Shriners Children's Hospital.
TherapyPets facilitates animal-assisted therapy operates in the greater San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area. TherapyPets has set guidelines for evaluation, registration, and visiting etiquette for dogs. TherapyPet Volunteer Teams may visit facilities on their own schedule or with other TherapyPet volunteer teams. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
This Palm Springs, California organization covers most to the Coachella Valley. Volunteers visit convalescent homes, senior centers, day care centers, Alzheimer's facilities and anywhere a senior might benefit from a loving visit with a dog or cat. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Pet Partners of Orange County, California, is an informal group of Pet Partners who do visits to various facilities in Orange County, and who help out with Pet Partner Workshops & Evaluations.
Based in Piedmont, California, this organization covers much of the East San Francisco Bay Area. Pets of all kinds can be temperament and health tested for visits to a variety of residential care facilities and hospitals.
This organization is based in Rohnert Park, California. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
This Sacramento, California organization provides Animal Assisted Therapy to a variety of local facilities. As is common in local organizations teams visit as a group and are not certified to go out on their own.
Based in San Diego, California the program is designed to share animals with people of all ages in facilities such as convalescent homes, hospitals, mental health centers, abused children's homes and juvenile detention centers
The SF SPCA volunteers take SF SPCA Program animals or their own pets on the visits: dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits - even cats. These AAT visits of this San Francisco, California, organization provide services to clients in hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric clinics and special schools.
Operating in San Jose California, this group covers Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, Volunteers take their temperament tested pets on visits to people who live in various kinds of institutions, e.g. nursing homes, facilities for disabled or seriously ill children, hospital rehabilitation wards, the Children's Shelter, psychiatric facilities, etc.
The Pet Assisted Therapy Program visits facilities such as hospitals and long-term care homes in San Mateo County, California.
Pet Pals is active in Animal Assisted Activties and plans to become active in Animal Assisted Therapy in the San Jose, California area.
Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization (H.A.L.O) runs a non-profit rescue program in East Contra Costa County. The therapy teams work with children at local libraries (AAA) and visit residents at hospitals, rehab centers and board and care facilites (AAT).
When last visited this web site did not provide full access. Sometimes the degree to which a web page creator can set up hurdles to blind and other people using assistive technology just amazes me. This site is a prime example. Based in Los Angeles, California, the site states it is devoted to helping the children of Los Angeles who have been affected (they said effected) by grief, loss and trauma.
This Peyton, Colorado group partners new volunteers with an experienced mentor for their first visits so they may observe, ask questions, and generally become comfortable with the routine.
The Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado offers a a dog-assisted therapy and visitation program.
This program in Denver, Colorado is a Delta Society affiliate visiting facilities in the metro Denver and Boulder/Longmont area.
HABIC teams serve elementary and middle schools, long-term care centers, and hospital and hospice facilities in the Meto Denver area. Evaluation and testing of teams is based on HABIC guidelines.
This Delta Society affiliate provides social visits in the Fort Collins area.
This Summit County, Colorado group works with local kids aged 8 - 18 enrolled through 4H to provide visits with or without registered therapy dogs to St Vincents Hospital in Leadville, CO. They also visit Timberline Adult Day Service in Frisco, CO.
Most members are Delta Pet Partners, active with hospital, hospice and nursing home visits and children's reading programs. This Lafayette, Colorado group provides Delta workshops, evaluations and mentoring.
Provides individuals at nursing homes, adult day care centers, hospitals for the mentally ill and others with the opportunity to interact with pets under the guidance of a trained volunteer.
Tails of Joy is based in the Union Connecticut area. Actively visiting animals can be registered with either Therapy Dogs International (TDI), or Delta Society Pet Partners.
This Wallingford, Connecticut organization provides both clinical Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Humane Education to children and adolescents.
PAL's Certified Volunteers and their pets make over 16,000 contacts annually with residents and patients in nursing care facilities, hospices, hospitals, schools, and institutions across the DC Metro area.
PAWS for People is a non-profit, volunteer organization serving New Castle County, Delaware; Elkton, Maryland; and West Grove, Pennsylvania.
The SPCA of Central Florida provides a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including taking social therapy animals to residents of nursing homes, adult day care centers and hospitals. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
ComForT is an animal visitation and activity program in the Tallahassee, Florida area. The volunteers visit long-term care facilities, day treatment programs, assisted living residences, and rehabilitation centers to promote motivational, recreational, and therapeutic benefits.
Share-A-Pet provides pet assisted therapy to nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, childrens' centers and other care facilities. This organization is currently primarily in Florida, New England and California (San Francisco). The organizational goal is "to see qualified Share-A-Pet teams spreading love within care facilities in every State."
Trains therapy dogs for volunteer work and for working in a mental health setting.
Also trains psychiatric service dogs and works with the clients who need them.
Serving the greater Southwest Florida region nursing homes and assisted living facilities with volunteers and their pets. In addition to the nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospice house, cancer center our group visit the children in public schools, Christian Academys, and Public Library for the national Read-to-the-Dog program. The group offers a free six week (Tuesday evenings & Three Saturday facility visits) training course that will prepare the handler & dog to enter a facility with total confidence and with the understanding of how to make that special visit.
When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Located in Brevard County, Florida area this group currently visits assisted-living facilities, nursing homes and a hospital. Dogs are certified under guidelines established by Therapy Dogs, Inc.
Operating in the Brevard County, Florida area volunteers visit the elderly in nursing homes, patients in hospitals, and disabled children. Dogs are certified under guidelines established by Therapy Dogs, Inc. was http://www.spacecoasttherapydogs.com This link did not work on last access attempt.
Interlachen, Florida
The Humane Society of Greater Miami, Florida, offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including a visiting pet therapy program.
This program is based in the Pasco County, Florida area. Members entertain as a group at local nursing homes and assisted living facilities
Based in the Boca Raton, Florida area. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Paws for Smiles, is a group of volunteers dedicated to bringing smiles to nursing homes, hospices, hospitals and schools in South Florida through therapy dogs registered with Therapy Dogs, Inc.
Volunteers visit hospitals, cancer centers, adult day care, Assisted Living facilities and Alzheimer facilities in Jupiter, Tequesta, Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart and West Palm Beach, Florida.
This group is based in the Seminole County, Florida Orlando Metro Area. They visit: Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Adult Day Care, Ronald McDonald House, Give Kids The World Village, Orlando VA Medical Center Nursing Home, Orange County Library System 'Paws to Read' program.
Six week facility visit training course is offered by Sumter PAWS Therapy Dogs presented by the City of Bushnell, Florida (33513) Public Library. Most of our dogs are "Rescued Dogs" who end up registered with Therapy Dogs Inc. Wyoming.
This group based in the Atlanta, Georgia area serves various nursing homes, hospices, children's hospitals, rehab clinics, special events, youth development centers, psychiatric
hospitals and children's shelters.
Volunteers for this group serving the Metropolitan Atlanta area provide Animal Assisted Therapy and Animal Assisted Activities in a variety of facilities including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and schools. Teams make regular visits in Dallas, Douglasville, and Rome, Ga. There are also teams outside the Cobb, Paulding, and Douglas County area that have been certified through Dreamworkers, Inc. and make visits at facilities in their communities.
Public library offering reading with dogs once a week. Volunteer therapy dogs & handlers come in and children read books, selected by the librarian,to the dogs. All readers, regardless of level are encouraged.
This Chicago, Illinois organization offers a wide variety of pet therapy and animal assisted activities programs. Volunteers can work with troubled teens, people facing new physical challenges, or filling a variety of other needs.
An animal shelter based in Crystal Lake, Illinois also has a pet visitation program. While cats are often used in therapy programs I can't remember a site that uses both cats and dogs, but pictures mostly cats. This is good, as it reminds people that cats can do it too.
This program serves Edward Hospital & Health Services in Naperville, IL. Teams undergo 12 hrs of specific training and then certification from Therapy Dogs, Inc. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
SIT STAY READ! is a volunteer reading assistance dog program for children in the Chicago area. Their mission is to improve literacy skills and foster a love of animals by partnering reading assistance dogs with children. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
This program is based in the Jeffersonville, Indiana area. The program visits local hospitals, nursing homes, schools, rehabilitation facilities, individual homes and other community sites. The Faith in Action People and Pets Program provides the training and screening needed to become active in pet visitation in your community.
Individuals and "teams" go on scheduled visits to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, area hospitals, schools, various types of health care facilities and convalescent centers. ...
Volunteers for this Louisville, Kentucky based organization share their animals with others through pet visitation and therapy. This Delta Society Affiliate Group has 5 Delta Society Team Evaluators that can test your dog, cat, or guinea pig for Delta Registration. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
This New Orleans, Louisiana, based organization offers animal assisted activities and animal assisted therapy in the greater New Orleans area.
National Capital Therapy Dogs, Inc. (NCTD) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, volunteer-based organization that provides Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) and Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) services in the Maryland/DC area. While most of our animal teammates are dogs, we also work with cats and other domesticated animals.
This Prince George's County, Maryland organization provides pet visitation for residents & senior citizens of nursing care facilities; assisted living facilities, adult day care centers, and schools for handicapped children
This Charles County, Maryland organization visits residents of nursing homes with an emphasis is on serving patients who have been unresponsive to on going activities.
This Delmarva, Maryland organization visits nursing homes, assisted living homes, homes for the handicapped and other facilities.
Fidos For Freedom is a nonprofit all-volunteer assistance dog training organization. Their therapy dog volunteers and their own dogs attend special classes where they are trained to participate in pet therapy programs as hospitals and nursing homes in the Laurel, MD area.
Karma Dogs is a non-profit org that rehabilitates special rescue dogs and turns them into therapy dogs. We focus on our literacy program and working with the developmentally disabled, with a special interest in working with autistic children.
Caring Canines is a Boston, Massachusetts area pet visitation program. The program provides group visits to nursing homes, hospitals, adult day care programs and assisted living facilities.
Covering parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.
The PetPals Program recruits, screens, trains and places volunteers with dogs or cats to visit in nursing homes and assisted care facilities in the Boston /Brookline area. We require a 6 month commitment to visit for approximately one hour weekly or every other week.
This organization based in Farmington Hills, Michigan in association with Therapy Dogs Incorporated (T.D.Inc.) tests handlers and their dogs at Botsford General Hospital, in Farmington Hills and other locations in Michigan.
This organization is a group of AAA/AAT volunteers in the western county region of the State of Michigan, USA.
Therapy Dogs of Ionia is a small group of volunteers that are dedicated to helping other people learn how to volunteer with their dogs. They specialize in school programs that involve reading and mentoring, but also visit local nursing homes. Volunteers are registered with Therapy Dogs Inc. and the group offers the test required by TDInc.
This organization primarily focuses on service dogs but it also offers classes in animal assisted activities. Programs cover parts of Minnesota and northeast Wisconsin.
This organization trains and provides volunteer visiting dog/owner teams to the Twin Cities community of Minnesota.
This organization operates in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area of Minnesota conducting pet assisted therapy visits to hospitals, nursing homes and senior residences. Dog and handler teams must be registered with one of the national therapy dog organizations.
Serving the Minneapolis suburbs Pal on Paws is a chapter of Therapy Dogs International. They train and maintain a group of handler/dog volunteer teams to make visits to local hospitals, nursing homes, hospices and other facilities for the purpose of cheering patients and staff.
This St. Louis, Missouri group is a chapter of Love on a Leash, The Foundation for Pet Provided Therapy. The program provides training and certification.
Pet Therapy of the Ozarks, Inc. based in Springfield, Missouri provides emotional therapy visits to nursing homes, hospitals, schools, prisons and other facilities.
When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Domesti-PUPS is a volunteer nonprofit organization providing canine pet therapy visitations in Nebraska (and in Iowa, Colorado, Alabama, Kansas, Indiana and Ohio). Visitations are provided for a variety of populations including the elderly, K-12 students, children and adults with emotional, developmental or physical disabilities. After completing a 9-month comprehensive training certification process, volunteers may choose to provide traditional pet therapy visitations (Petting-PUPS), or forge ahead in more specific areas such as classroom pet therapy (Edu-PUPS), reading assistance for children (Reading-PUPS) or faith-based pet therapy (Praising-PUPS).
K-9 Therapy Group of Las Vegas, Nevada, is dedicated to bringing comfort to patients, their families and the hospital/facility personnel that care for the patients.
Northeast Rehab Hospital in Salem, New Hampshire, has developed and maintained a very active Animal Facilitated Therapy Program. Animals are used within the context of traditional treatment sessions with physical, occupational and speech therapists. Additionally, the animals also make social visits to patients, delivering mail, going on rounds and participating in many community educational presentations.
The New Hampshire SPCA, operating out of Stratham, New Hampshire offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including a pet visitation program
Therapy-greyhounds (retired racers) who have found new life in a second career as pet-assisted therapy volunteers. Their partner/handler is Karen Johnson, a professional therapuetic musician.
This Madison, New Jersey organization offers a wide variety of animal related services including pet visits to a variety of health care facilities.
Operating out of the Animal Adoption Center, Lindewald, New Jersey.
The South Jersey Pet Therapy Group is a volunteer group of qualified handlers & their dogs organized to provide comfort & companionship to those in nursing homes, hospitals & correctional institutions.
This Albuquerque, New Mexico, group visits visit patients in nursing homes, hospitals, and other facilities.
This Los Alamos, New Mexico, group provides canine visitation therapy for patients at intermediate care facilities.
This Medanales, New Mexico, group offers Llama-assisted therapy involving fun interaction among families, couples, individuals, and children and the llamas at Llama Deara.
This program in New York State's Bedford Hills Correctional Facility assigns puppies to the inmates at this maximum-security prison for women to be raised as guide dogs. Volunteer 'puppy sitters' take the dogs into their homes once or twice a month to expose them to things they won't experience in prison.
This animal assisted therapy organization in the New York Tri-State area evaluates dogs based on their performance throughout the six session training course. The organization serves a variety of populations such as geriatric, adult medical and psychiatric, pediatrics, physical rehabilitation and terminal patients in hospice.
Based in Mahopac, New York, this program primarily serves the Westchester and Putnam counties, and the New York metro area. Teams are required to be certified through any nationally recognized organization and then through the organizations own training program.
H.A.R.T. (Human-Animal Relational Therapies), brings in therapy dogs with their handlers and the children read to the dogs. The dogs love the interaction with the children, they make no judgments as to how well the children are reading and the kids love to be with the dogs so it is a winning situation for all. In addition, if a child is stressed as they struggle to read, the mere presence of a dog reduces their stress level so they have a better chance to succeed and learn to enjoy reading
Located in New Rochelle, New York the New Rochelle Humane Society offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including a Pets as Therapy program.
In Rockland (New York) and Bergen (New Jersey) Counties, volunteers from the Hudson Valley Humane Society's Visiting Pet Program provide pet visits to nursing home residents, hospital patients, retirement home residents and adult day care participants. The group is a Delta Society affiliate member and an affiliate of Reading Education Assistance Dogs.
Focused in southeast North Carolina, certified teams of Carolina Canines Service Dogs and their partners and Delta Society-certified Carolina Pet Partners volunteer their time at the school libraries to assist students in improving their reading skills
Focused in southeast North Carolina, Carolina Canines for Service, Inc. offers animal assisted therapy training programs through the Delta Society's Pet Partners® Program. This program trains and screens volunteers and their pets for visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and other facilities. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
K9 Buddies is a all volunteer, non profit organization that provides certified AAT and AAA teams. They visit the Federal Correctional Institute in Butner, NC and various hospitals, schools, retirement communities, and assisted living facilities. They also provide public education on child/dog safety issues, responsible dog ownership, training, and common behavior issues.
This Akron, Ohio Doggie Brigade serves the Akron Children's Hospital.
The Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Dog Visitation program recruits, screens, and trains teams of volunteer dogs and their handlers to visit patients.
Columbus Ohio Chapter of Therapy Dogs International.
PetPALS is an intergenerational program linking young people and their pets with senior adults. Trained Master4-H PetPALS volunteers teach youth the skills needed to interact with residents in healthcare facilities. Applying the power of human-animal bond, youths learn to train and prepare their pets so the youth-pet teams can participate in animal assisted activities. After certified the PetPALS group make visits to nursing homes, assisted living facilities etc. Let us know if ... you are interested in joining our group or would like some of our certified teams visit with you or your facility.
An Ohio group with a visiting program and Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) .
This group certifies its own volunteers to visit nursing homes, assisted living facilities, Veteran's Center, hospitals and hospices.
PawPals, Inc. is the Therapy dog subsidiary of Tulsa Dog Training Club. The members of Paw-Pals, Inc. arid their dogs visit nursing homes and facilities for the mentally or physically handicapped, to share friendship and canine companionship.
This Oklahoma group uses animals and handler teams to visit various facilities to present programs directed at humane education and violence prevention.
P.A.A.W.S. (People and Animals Who Serve), operates in the Eugene, Oregon area and is an affiliate of Delta Society.
This is a specialized group based out of Eugene Oregon, but with teams in a variety of places in the United States. They assist mental health counselors in the emotional rescue, recovery and on going support of individuals who have been affected by crisis and/or disaster. Certified HOPE AACR Teams volunteer with their local disaster response teams and are ready to respond on a local and/or national level
This organization provides animal assisted activities and animal assisted therapy in the Clemson, South Carolina area.
This group visits nursing homes, behavorial hospitals, Shriners Hospital ect. in upstate South Carolina.
The program serves the Memphis, Tennessee area with programs in Animal Assisted Therapy. They have independent chapters in Paducah, Kentucky; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Leesburg, Florida
"Mid South Therapy Dogs" based in Tennessee is a Delta Society Affiliate. The group provides animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy at hospitals, schools, libraries, care centers and youth facilities throughout the Mid South.
Animal assisted activities in the Cleveland, Tennessee area, dogs travel to schools, after school programs and churches to assist the teacher/counselor in teaching lessons. Topics include: Character Education, Bullying, Anger and Stress Management, Life Skills, Divorce, Grief,
This organization is based in Copperas Cove, Texas providing pet therapy to the Central Texas area.
A professional level article by Dr. Cynthia Chandler (with academic references) outlining the history and value of Animal Assisted Therapy.
The SPCA of Texas for Dallas and Collin County, Texas, offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities, Included is the Compassion Connection program of pet visitations, animal assisted activities and animal assisted therapy. Pets such as birds and rabbits as well as cats and dogs are used in this program
Caring Critters is a Houston-area organization of people and their animals participating in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) activities.
Volunteers for this League City, Texas group visit nursing homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and mental health facilities.
This Lewisville, Texas group visits several nursing homes in Lewisville, Flower Mound, Denton and Carrollton.
This Texas group offers a variety of rehabilitation related activities.
This Salt Lake City, Utah organization specializes in training and supervising skilled handler/animal teams who work closely with the professional staff of care-giving facilities sponsoring animal-assisted therapy (AAT) and animal-assisted activity (AAA) programs.
This Utah based organization visits retirement homes. It also provides the R.E.A.D. program to to improve the literacy skills of children through the assistance of registered Pet Partner® therapy teams as literacy mentors. This group requires pet participants be certified through the Delta Society.
Based in the Bedford, Virigina area this group offers canine assisted therapy to residents of rest homes and other facilities.
A group of people and pet team volunteers desiring to share God's love with people in health care facilities, children in MBC Access Ministry, and children with reading difficulties at MBC, schools, and libraries.
Operating out of Washington State University school of Veterinary Medicine the Companion Animal Partnership program provides animal-assisted therapy/activities to area health care facilities, hospitals and mental health centers. This program is a Delta Society affiliate.
This Gig Harbor, Washington program occurs primarily inside the walls of the Washington State Corrections Center for Women where inmates reach out to help others by training special dogs to assist a disabled person. Volunteers currently assist by taking the dogs out into the community for important socialization training prior to placement.
Based in the Kirkland, Washington area, Sirius Healing offers a variety of therapy animal programs.
This group operates in the Kirkland, Washington area. Healing Paws provides professional animal-assisted therapy on a contractual basis with local health-care institutions. Teams are certified under the guidelines of the Delta Society. When last visited this web site did not provide full access.
Located in Olympia,Washington the Thurston County Animal Shelter offers a variety of volunteer opportunities including a visiting pet therapy program.
Reading With Rover is a community-based literacy program volunteering in the schools, bookstores and libraries of Puget Sound area of Washington State.
Pawsitive Outreach is a Delta Society Affiliate Group. We provide facility evaluations and education about the Pet Partner program. We provide community awareness and education about animal-assisted activities and therapies at fairs, seminars and pet related events. We provide Delta Society Team Evaluations quarterly, mentor new teams and refer Pet Partner teams to appropriate facilities for programming.
PAL provides animal assisted therapy for residents and patients in nursing care facilities, hospices, hospitals, schools, and institutions across the DC Metro area. PAL will certify dogs, birds and various 'pocket pets', such as guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters. The group does its own screening.
This Grafton, Wisconsin organization is an animal shelter offering a variety of volunteer opportunities, including the Critter Connection pet therapy program
Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this organization offers a variety of volunteer opportunities include a visiting pet therapy program.
This New Berlin, Wisconsin organization serves southeastern Wisconsin offering Volunteer Pet Facilitated Therapy. Passing the initial CGC/TDI evaluations makes the pet eligible for additional classes to prepare the pet for the actual visiting experience.
This Wisconsin organization is a chapter of Therapy Dogs International.
Operating in the Blackstone, Virginia area this organization is a Delta Society Pet Partners affiliate.
Based in the Rappahannock County, Virginia, area. The group visits area nursing homes and senior centers and participates in the Books & Barks R.E.A.D. Partners program at local schools.
We have approximately 60 volunteer members with about 70 dogs visiting in our community, contributing 5000 volunteer hours each year. We visit all the nursing and retirement homes in Peterborough, Minden and Haliburton, VON day care centres, Community Living centres, local group homes and both locations of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. We also give presentations for service groups and youth groups. Wherever we are needed, we will be there.
Pets and Friends is working to ensure that people in facility care don't have to live without the comfort of companionship. Our long-running and highly successful pet visitation program touches thousands of lives each year?but there are still many elderly, sick and disabled residents who need our help.
BISHPets is a service supported by Brain Injury Services of Hamilton (BISH). The program provides animal assisted activity and animal assisted therapy (AAA/AAT) to BISH participants and also to many agencies in the Hamilton community. The teams also partner with local libraries on their literacy assistance program for children called Paws for Reading.
This Alberta organization provides education and support to companion animal teams involved in pet therapy programs. As is common in local organizations teams visit under the umbrella of the organization and are not certified to go out on their own.
Based in Calgary this organization has over 400 volunteers making visits to a variety of facilities. Screening is available every couple months or so.
This group in Newfoundland is a chapter of Therapy Dogs Incorporated . They visit a wide variety of facilities, but only dogs are certified for visits.
Based in Ottawa, Canada, this program provides Innovative materials for users of animal-assisted therapy working to improve the communication skills of men and women with aphasia.
St. John Ambulance is an organization with chapters across Canada. The group is dedicated to community service in many forms including a therapy dog program. This page quickly outlines the history of its program, and requirements. The page provides a contact form for interested volunteers to obtain more information.
This site covers the St. John Ambulance therapy dog program covering the Hamilton-Wentworth community. Evaluation sessions are held about four times a year to test dogs on obedience and temperament. The St. John Therapy Dog test is conducted by a qualified evaluator and by the Therapy Dog Superintendent.
The Pacific Animal Therapy Society operates an active animal therapy program on southern Vancouver Island and satellite services in Parksville-Qualicum. Volunteers take their pets to visit at retirement homes, hospitals and other facilities
Based in Australia this group provides trained, accredited volunteer and pet teams to visit the people in nursing homes, retirement villages, aged care or health care facilities,
This Australia based program facilitates the provision of therapeutic, loving and caring visits to hospitals, hospices, nursing and care homes, and schools, by volunteers with their friendly, temperamentally suitable, obedience trained and qualified dogs.
This Australia based group trains assistance dogs for the disabled, as well as specially chosen and trained dogs for facilities and therapy homes, and hearing aide dogs for the hearing impaired. AATA is a member of Assistance Dogs International and all of our dogs are accredited under the ADI standards
Comfort Cats is the feline counterpart to Canine Concern. Both involve visiting people in various residential health care facilities. (Based in the UK)
Animal Angels Foundation provides animal-assisted therapy and animal-assisted activities to various organizations in and around Mumbai city,India.We work with a variety of populations ranging from developmentaly challenged individuals to people with emotional,physical or psychiatric illnesses. Our team of volunteers along with their pets regularly visit orphanages and old age homes.
Visiting Pet and Therapy Pet Resources from 4 M Dog Books.
More Therapy Dog Resources from Dogwise Books
The following links may also be of interest:
(1) Promote visiting pets with a variety of visiting pet/therapy pet apparel, tote bags, bumper stickers and more from DogPlay Shops. Identify your team as a visiting pet or therapy pet team with custom shirts or pin buttons.
(2) Books and Videos - Selected books and videos for everyone from the person interested in how to train their dog for visiting to the professional counselor incorporating animals in a guided treatment program.
(3) Resources Links - Web sites providing information on how to train for visits, how to start your own group, or academic studies.
(4) Coursework and Education Links - Organizations providing formal training, academic credit, seminars and similar advanced training for the human half of the team.
(5) Stories and Article Links - Stories about pets on visits and press articles about human-animal bond programs including pet visiting program, animal assisted therapy, animal assisted activities, dogs in rehabilitation programs.
(6) Volunteer Organizations Links - Web sites maintained by organizations that are active in pet visitation programs.
(7) Networking Links .- Discussion groups, email lists, bulletin boards and similar resources for contacting individuals involved in therapy dog and similar programs.
(8) Related information:
Service Dog Links . Service dog information and resources. Therapy dogs are not service dogs. A service animal is assigned to provide assistance or support to a specific individual.
Special Program Links Information on organizations training dogs for rehabilitation therapy for prisoners, teens in trouble and related kinds of programs.
| DogPlay's Visiting Pet Stuff |
Check the other articles on therapy dogs, visiting pets and
related topics.
Also see Books and Publications - How to train your dog, how to start a program, and more.
Help finding information of visiting pets and therapy dogs
Lost? PageList lists all the DogPlay pages.
Check the Help page. 
Visit the DogPlay Mall.
Fun designs on T-Shirts,
sweatshirts, mugs, buttons, stickers and more. Special sections for therapy dogs, rescue
dogs, herding and dog agility.
Copyright © 1998-2005,
Diane Blackman
Created: February 12, 1999
Updated November 12, 2007