I just completed my first Furry Friends visit at Seton Coastside with my dog.  The RN’s there were almost in tears because the presence of a small dog made one man completely light up in joy, and they never, ever see him respond to anything.  Becoming a Furry Friend is easy and we have a wonderful team on the Coastside.  I’ve committed two hours a month to go to Seton (one Saturday morning, and one Wednesday evening a month).  The hour I spent at Seton was delightful and my dog enjoyed an hour’s worth of pats and ear rubbies by grateful, gracious patients.

To become a Furry Friend, you must complete the 90 min. orientation and pay for a tee shirt.  At the end of the orientation, they spend about five minutes with your dog, making sure they aren’t sensitive to the presence of wheelchairs, etc.  You fill out an application and your Vet has to sign on off about your dog’s temperament.

To volunteer at Seton, you must complete their volunteer orientation and get a TB test.  That’s it.

If you are interested, contact our Team Captain, Lorraine Howes at 650-712-8857 or her email is .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

My dog and I are registered as a Pet-Assisted Therapy team through the national Delta Society’s Pet Partners Program. We’ve worked in San Mateo County’s Youth Services Center (juvenile hall), among other sites. Since 1990, Delta Society’s Pet Partners Program has trained volunteers and then screened volunteers and their pets for visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools and other facilities. It is the only national registry that requires volunteer training and screening of animal-handler teams. In addition to training and screening, the Delta Society provides $1 million in primary liability insurance for each of its registered volunteer teams.
    Every two years, volunteers and pets—there was a cat team and a horse team at our recent re-certification!—go through two screenings with several judges. One is a comprehensive obedience assessment. The second is an aptitude assessment that includes being held too tight, being in the presence of yelling and things being dropped, having wheelchairs and walkers come at the team, etc. It’s a very thorough process. Of course, the animal’s vet must also sign the bi-annual application and verify the animal’s temperament and health.
    We trained with Katheryn Weaver of Klaws, Paws & Hooves in Montara, and have passed our screenings with flying colors each time. Unfortunately, we had to go to Redding to renew our certification last time.  However, if there is enough interest, the Delta Society would like to be able to screen and register teams here in the Bay Area and provide support for anyone who is interested. Let Katheryn Weaver know at: 728-8070 and http://www.klawspawsandhooves.com. The Delta Society website is http://www.deltasociety.org