What is the Delta Society® Pet Partners® program?

The Pet Partners Program is a program of Delta Society which enables pet owner volunteers to provide services to people in their own communities while spending quality time with their pets.

Is a Delta Society® Pet Partners® team specially trained?

Delta Society trains volunteers and screens volunteers and their pets for participation in visiting animal programs in hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and schools. Training for volunteers is provided through hands-on workshops taught by Delta-licensed instructors, or through our home study course and videotape.  Volunteers and their pets are evaluated for skills and aptitude by Delta-licensed team evaluators.

Could my animal be a Pet Partner?

Yes if your animal is controllable, reliable, and predictable. Your animal should also have good manners in public places, and have the social skills to seek out and visit with strangers. The Pet Partners program is unique in that we look at both ends of the leash, you too must illustrate that you have the skills to work well with your animal and with clients and facilities that you will serve.

What animals are involved as Pet Partners?

Delta Society registers other domesticated animals such as rabbits, goats, horses, miniature pigs, birds etc.

Can puppies and kittens become Pet Partners?

In regards to puppies and kittens, we applaud the good intentions of those groups wanting to bring animals and people together. Delta's decision to set an age limit that visiting dogs and cats must be one year or older is based on the following:

• Puppies and kittens are actually very fragile. Animals under 12 weeks old do not have fully developed immune systems. Prolonged stress can lead to an immune system crash and subsequent illness.

• Puppies and kittens are prone to soiling or may vomit in their carriers. This not only makes the animal unhappy and unsuitable for the day's visiting, but also may condition the animal to become anxious whenever traveling.

• If puppies and kittens are part of a shelter, spending time away from the shelter can reduce the animal's opportunities for being adopted. Also, adoptable animals' behavior and health histories are generally unknown or incomplete.

• Puppies and kittens play "bite and scratch", and are not fully controllable and predictable which puts clients at risk and facilities liable.

Can wild, exotic and wolf-hybrids be Pet Partners?

There are several reasons why Delta Society does not register wild or exotic animals such as snakes, ferrets, lizards etc and wolf-hybrids.

They are not legally acceptable as pets in many states.

Without research documenting their behavior over time, we cannot evaluate their predictability and reaction to stress. 

Without adequate research documenting the transmission of diseases between people and these animals, we cannot evaluate the health risks of contact.

However, Delta Society is constantly expanding the range of species included in the Pet Partners program - when such research results are available.

Is any particular breed of dog better than another?

No, both mixed breeds and purebreds can excel at this work.  What matters most is the individual animal’s personality  -  that s/he likes people  -  and confidence in visiting strange places.

What are the health screening requirements to participate?

An overall exam is required to ensure that your animal is in good health to visit. There is often not a consensus of opinion among those in the veterinarian community about immunizations, and State laws with respect to rabies vaccinations vary. Rather than attempting to prescribe immunizations schedules for dogs and cats (other than compliance with State laws with respect to rabies vaccination), Delta Society will rely on your veterinarian’s medical judgment and knowledge of the animal’s health history and status. We want to be assured that the animal’s immunity levels are sufficient that participation in Pet Partners will not harm it. Likewise, we need to be sure that Pet Partners’ animals will not put seriously ill people at risk. Please also consider that visiting animals may be exposed to zoonotic agents because they visit people in healthcare facilities. Animals that visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities need to be healthy, clean, and well mannered so that they pose little risk to patients. It is equally important to minimize risk to animals that may be exposed to zoonotic agents that could cause harm to an immune compromised, unhealthy, or highly stressed animal.

External parasite control will vary depending on your geographic area of the country.

Internal parasite control will have some variation depending on your geographic area of the country. The Pet Partners Program requires annual fecal tests to check for internal parasites such as hook, whip, tape, and roundworms, etc.

 

Are Pet Partners certified or registered?

Pet Partner teams are registered, not certified. Certification implies that Delta Society has participated in the handler’s and the animal’s training. Whereas registration requires training and screening, Delta does not certify that the team is trained to a certain level. Instead, the team is registered as having met minimum requirements.

Does the Pet Partners Program provide volunteer insurance?

When acting as a volunteer for Delta Society (“Delta”) within the scope of your duties as a Pet Partners volunteer, you and your pet are insured by Delta’s commercial general liability insurance.  That means that if either member of a Team causes a loss at a location where the Team is visiting, and that loss results in a claim for which Delta is liable, Delta’s commercial general liability insurance will defend and pay expenses of the claim.

Furthermore, Delta’s commercial general liability insurance will be primary, i.e. it will provide coverage first.  However, several notable exclusions exist.  They are:

Delta’s commercial general liability insurance does not provide coverage for either member of a Pet Partners Team causing a loss to other Delta volunteers.  Such losses are the personal responsibility of the Pet Partners Handler. 

Losses caused by a Pet Partners Team are insured only to the extent of the limits of Delta’s commercial general liability insurance.  If a Pet Partners Team causes a loss that is in excess of the limits of Delta’s commercial general liability insurance, excess losses are the personal responsibility of the Pet Partners Handler.

Delta’s commercial general liability insurance does not provide coverage for losses that are caused by intentional acts or as a result of a Pet Partners Team acting outside the scope of Delta volunteer activities.  Such losses are the personal responsibility of the Pet Partners Handler.

As of January 1, 2001, Delta’s commercial general liability insurance has a $2,000,000 total limit and a $1,000,000 limit per incident.  That includes a medical expense limit of $5,000 for any one person.  These limits may change.

The preceding is a general overview, and is for information purposes only.  It does not create a contact or other legal obligation of Delta, and may not be relied upon for that purpose.  The details and precise language of the insurance policy must be examined to understand the extent of and limits upon Delta’s commercial general liability insurance.  Many of those details, some of which may be important or relevant – or which may give rise to exceptions to the general statements above – are not referenced in this overview.

If you have any questions regarding Delta’s commercial general liability insurance, please contact Delta Society Pet Partners, 425-679-5500.

Is there professional liability coverage for Pet Partners?

As a Pet Partner, you will be covered on the Pet Partners insurance policy when you are doing volunteer work as a Pet Partner. In cases where professionals are using animals in the context of their jobs, Pet Partners insurance for volunteers does not provide coverage. It is important that you understand your coverage in case of an incident.

What is “Pet Therapy?”

The term “pet therapy” should be avoided because it is inaccurate and misleading. This term was widely used several decades ago to refer to animal behavior training programs.  Today we use the terms “animal-assisted activities” or “animal-assisted therapy”.  These are the terms that human service providers and volunteers use when referring to the involvement of animals in human treatment programs. We do animal-assisted therapy when we work directly with a licensed healthcare or human service provider to help a patient meet specific goals.  We do animal-assisted activities when we meet and greet people to brighten their day, or do a demonstration in front of a group of people. 

What is the difference between service and therapy animals?

Service animal is defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (federal law, 1990) as any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability.  This can include guide, mobility, sound alert, and medical alert/response work.  Their work is handler-focused and benefits their handlers who have disabilities.  Federal law generally permits qualified people who have disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in all places of public accommodation.  Service animals are not considered “pets.” For more information about service animals, check out the National Service Dog Center® at http://www.deltasociety.org

Therapy animals and their handlers are trained to provide specific human populations with appropriate contact with animals.  They are usually the personal pets of the handlers and accompany their handlers to the sites they visit, but therapy animals may also reside at a facility.  Animals must meet specific criteria for health, grooming and behavior.  While managed by their handlers, their work is not handler-focused and instead provides benefits to others.

 

Therapy animals are usually not service animals.  Federal law, which protects the rights of qualified individuals with disabilities, has no provision for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places of public accommodation such as restaurants, grocery stores, or other places that have a “no pets” policies.

What is Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy?

Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT)* is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical healthcare treatment process.  AAT is delivered or directed by a professional health or human service provider who demonstrates skill and expertise regarding the clinical applications of human-animal interactions.

Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA)* provide opportunities for motivational, educational and/or recreational benefits to enhance a person’s quality of life.  AAA are delivered by a professional, para-professional or volunteer who demonstrates knowledge about animals and the human populations with which they interact.

*Terms, definitions, and descriptions for personnel involved in visiting and residential animal programs are quoted from “Standards of Practice for Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy” (Delta Society^®, 1996).  This book is distributed internationally and is in use in many healthcare facilities.

What types of healthcare facilities have visiting animals?

Nationally you will find virtually every kind of healthcare facility - acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, nursing homes, group homes, schools, day care, etc.

Can people in hospitals catch diseases from animals?

Some people think the animals that visit are cleaner than people who visit!  Before animals can be registered as Pet Partners, they must have a thorough veterinary checkup.  In addition, it is the handler’s responsibility prior to each visit to look for any signs of ill health or parasites, bathe and groom their animal, file toenails smooth, etc.  Facilities welcome Pet Partner visiting animals with open arms - as they are healthy, clean model citizens!

How do I get started to become a Pet Partner team?

Visit this website page, How to become a Pet Partner or email the Pet Partners Program Department.