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| COPE Enrichment Companions Offering Pawsitive Enrichment |
 What Are Animal-Assisted Activities?
Animal-Assisted Activities /Therapy (AAA/T), often referred to as Pet Therapy, incorporates animals into the daily activities of residents in a community environment through recreation, education, and companionship. AAA may also be a valuable tool in meeting a variety of needs in a residential setting, including creating a more home-like atmosphere which may encourage communication between the residents, staff, and visitors.
As part of an Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) program the volunteer team interacts with a patient under the supervision of a health or human service provider to promote improvement in social, cognitive, emotional, and physical functioning. |
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| Benefits |
The presence of a pet can bring a variety of benefits to a resident or patient in a facility or communal setting. Many of these benefits may aid in improving their quality of life such as:
- Reduction of isolation by increasing interactions with others
- Provide companionship, a common interest, and a focus for conversation
- Sensory stimulation including touch, sight, and sounds
- Animals provide unconditional love and do not pass judgment, accepting one's limitations or physical appearances
- Provide a sense of purpose or responsibility Increase mobility
- Decrease focus on an illness or stressful situation
- Increase the comfort level in the environment, "normalize" an institutional setting
- Create a calming affect and reduce anxiety
- Offer opportunities to monitor reality orientation while also engaging in life review, thereby validating one's history
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Are you interested?
If you have a dog that you feel would make a wonderful Pet Therapist, read on. Your dog has:
- Completed some form of obedience training
- Had its first birthday
- Earned his/her Canine Good Citizens Award or is able to be tested, good health, temperament, and proof of current vaccinations
- Demonstrated enjoyment when providing companionship with a variety of people
- The ability of becoming certified as a Pet Therapy Dog with Therapy Dogs, Inc. or Delta Society's Pet Partners Program
- An owner who is committed to becoming an active volunteer teammate and provide canine companionship to those in need!
Benefits to you and your teammate
- Creates a job for your dog
- Provides your dog with physical & mental stimulation
- Reinforces & maintains obedience skills
- Provides new goals following obedience training
- Increases the bond between the owner and animal
Download the Pet Volunteer Application Form
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Attention Facilities!
If you work in a setting that would welcome AAA/T as an activity or therapeutic intervention, and you have a staff member who can serve in the following capacity:
Act as a contact person to coordinate with COPE Enrichment staff the matching of teams to your residents or participants
Prior to AAA/T visits screen the recipients to determine interest and to ensure any concerns such as allergies, safety, fears, etc. are addressed
Be available to the teams during visits for support if any problems arise and monitor the results of the contacts
Then let us come and enrich the lives of the residents in your care! |
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For more information
If you would like to volunteer or know of someone who could benefit from this service, please call: 919.481.0410
Email: paws@copeeldercare.com or instructors@startthemright.com . |
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