Pets with Purpose is an animal-assisted therapy program in which calm, friendly, loving and well-behaved dogs visit patients, family and visitors who enjoy animals to aid in the healing process. The program is comprised of teams of volunteers and their pets. Dogs participating in the Pets with Purpose program have undergone frequent and careful veterinary screenings and have been specially trained as “therapists.”
The Pets with Purpose Program was established in 1994 and is part of the comprehensive Rehabilitation Services Department at Providence Saint Joseph and Providence Holy Cross Medical Centers. Teams of specially trained volunteers and their dogs are available for visitations to patients in specified areas within the Medical Centers.
Program Goal
The goal of the Pets with Purpose program is to improve the quality of life of patients during hospitalization and before discharge into the community. To achieve this goal, the Pets with Purpose program provides opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic interactions among volunteers, pets and patients in an effort to enhance the healing and rehabilitation process.
Benefits of Animal-Assisted Activity Programs
- Physical benefits: Exercise, pleasurable input, sensory stimulation, decreased blood pressure, comfort of touch, distraction from pain and distress.
- Emotional benefits: Unconditional love and attention from the pet, spontaneous expression of emotion from the patient, reduced loneliness, decreased anxiety, increased relaxation.
- Social benefits: Recreation, diversion and relief from boredom, monotony or isolation as well as the opportunity to communicate with the pet regardless of speech or hearing problems.
- Cognitive benefits: Exercise of long and short-term memory with recollection and comparison of past experiences with program pets and/or their own household pets.
How to Arrange a Visit
Patients are pre-screened by the therapeutic recreation staff, who then retrieves a doctor’s order for the patient and arranges for a visit. The visits can take place individually or in a group setting.
Participation
Requirements for People
1. Submit a completed application to the Therapeutic Recreation Department.
2. With your dog, meet with the Pets with Purpose coordinator and volunteer Veterinarian for an interview on an assigned date.
3. Upon acceptance to the program, the following is required:
-
Meet with the Volunteer Department supervisor, by appointment.
-
Attend New Staff Orientation seminar.
-
Demonstrate proficiency working as a team with your dog and in interacting with patients, visitors and staff.
-
Commit to a minimum visitation schedule of four hours each month.
-
Requirements for Dogs
1. Breeds not acceptable in the program: Doberman, Chow Chow, Pitbull and Rottweiler. Mixed breeds of the above are screened upon the discretion of the program coordinators.
2. Dogs must pass the medical behavioral screening conducted by the Pets with Purpose Animal behavior Specialist.
3. Dogs must be two-years-of-age or older.
4. Dogs must demonstrate proficiency in basic obedience.
5. Dog must be current in all required vaccinations.
6. Dogs must be cleared by Sherman Oaks Veterinary Group for health screening, stool sample, cultures, and tests, on assigned date and time.
7. Dogs must wear volunteer uniform (scarf and ID badge).
8. Dogs must be bathed and groomed within 24 hours of each visit.
Back to top
For more information about the Pets with Purpose program at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, please call (818) 898-4524. For more information about the Pets with Purpose program at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, please call (818) 847-4643.
|
