Pet Therapy

Children and adults in health care and special education facilities visited by our pet therapy pairs enjoy a positive impact on their quality of life. For some, pet therapy visits are their only contact with the outside world. The pairs often become part of the family and eagerly look forward to making their next visit. In turn, the patients and residents delight in the cuddles, love and friendship these visits bring. The opportunity to receive the unconditional love and acceptance of the animals provides medical and emotional benefits such as lower blood pressure, stress relief, decreased feelings of loneliness and depression, and increased responsiveness. Pet therapy teams also visit schools and libraries to help students with learning and reading difficulties in our Reading to Dogs Program.

After passing your Pre-Screening Meeting (a background check is also required), you will proceed to take Bideawee’s Pet Therapy Training Class, which consists of five 1-hour classes once a week. During class, we work with teams to expose them to any situation they would face in a real-life therapy visit, and train them to handle those situations appropriately. At the end of the course is an evaluation, and if you and your animal pass, you will register with Pet Partners, a nationally recognized animal assisted therapy organization, which includes receiving up to 2 million dollars in liability insurance. Upon acceptance, Bideawee will work with you to find the best suitable placement for you to volunteer.