The Pet Care Trust - News Releases

Excerpts from information prepared by Providence/St. Peter Hospital, Olympia, Washington AAA/T Program. Aproject funded by the Pet Care Trust, 1999.

The use of volunteer owner-animal visitor teams to spend time in hospitals, retirement home, elder care facilities and schools, has become an important adjunct to education, care and therapy. The visiting team usually consist of the owner and their cat or dog, but could also include other animals like guinea pigs or birds. More and more medical care providers are recognizing the value of animals that can brighten the day for a person in hospital or in a nursing home. While there is little hard scientific data to prove that patients heal more quickly or that elders or children's spirits are lifted by animal visitation, it is very apparent from the smiles and enjoyment expressed.

According to the 1996 Delta Society Stardards of Practice in Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy, "AAT is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal meeting specific criteria is an integral part of the treatment process. AAT is delivered and/or directed by a health or human service provider working within the scope of his/her profession. AAT is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning. AAT is provided in a variety of settings and may be group or individual in nature The process is documented and evaluated." An example is a trained resident dog working with a physical therapist to help a patient restore motor function control by retrieving a ball thrown by the patient. Visiting owner-animal teams could also participate in similar activities, but under the direct supervision of a physical therapist. Seriously compromised patients seems to be less concerned about their "handicap" or slow recovery when they are working with an animal, and not being scrutinized by the care giving human. While the human therapist may not be critical in any way, the patient may internalize "failure" in the eyes of another human, while the there is no real or perceived perception of failure when dealing with the animals.

Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA) on the other hand, "provide opportunities for motivational, educational, and/or recreational benefits to enhance quality of life. AAA are delivered in a variety of environments by a specially trained professional, paraprofessional, and/or volunteer in association with animals that meet specific criteria." Simply put, it is AAT if a licensed therapist is working with the patient and AAA if a supervising therapist is not setting individual goals for the animal-handler team to work toward with each patient. In the United States, if it is called "therapy", it must include a licensed therapist.

In order to insure that the growing number of "wannabe" AAA/T programs get started on the right foot, the well established Providence/St. Peter Hospital AAA/T program, in conjunction with the Delta Society, was funded by the Pet Care Trust to create a Standard of Practice Manual for owner-animal partners who want to organize groups to visit in a variety of settings. The 110 page manual is available through the Delta Society's Pet PartnersÆ program for a nominal fee.

The Manual provides the basis information needed for a small group to get organized and avoid many of the pitfalls that can occur. The document is a straightforward approach of getting started with step by step procedures on how to build a successful organization that will provide service in a community. As with a group, planning and creating a shared vision is the most critical factor in managing a group. "If you don't have a goal, you won't know when you get there." An inspired individual must do the preliminary work for any group, an this guide provides information on organization, non-profit status, advisory committees, member's roles, liability and a hundred other details, not the least of which is funding. The group must determine whom they are going to serve, how and if it is practical in their community. Finding a visitation site and coordinating with the administrative staff for the necessary planning to insure that the program provides the service intended. Recruiting new members to volunteer with their animals is one thing, but orientation and training for both the animals and owners are critical. Screening of the team, registration with an approved organization such as Pet Partners and the assurance that volunteer members are responsible in following national standards and showing up at appointed times. All of this recruiting, training, planning and scheduling requires coordination, and this takes commitment.

The management of dedicated volunteers requires clear structure and program procedures. Documentation, policies and procedures, records and conflict resolution are all part of the process, and this, in part, is why the Standards of Practice for AAA/T Programs is so necessary, and will provide a valuable tool for the expansion of valuable programs to help children and people of all ages. AAA/T is a valuable concept, but must be developed with a certain structure which inspires confidence and insures a positive reception by participating hospitals, nursing homes and other human facilities. In appropriate or ill tempered animals must be recognized and culled out before they ever are allowed to participate in AAA/T . The same holds true for the human partner of the visiting team. Well meaning persons must be encouraged and supported to provide the best possible programs. A lot is at stake, and human health care providers want to participate in most cases, but they cannot afford to put their facility and patients at risk.