Do you live in the Naperville, IL area and own a well-behaved, trained dog? Are you someone that likes to "give-back" to their community and help others?
If so, you and your dog could be a great match and chosen to be volunteers for the "Edward Hospital Animal-Assisted Therapy Program".
Right now, Edward Hospital is seeking new applicant owners and their dogs to participate in their therapy program that has been called "Best Practice" by the Joint Commission, an independent, not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 15,000 healthcare companies and programs in the United States.
Information and online-applications to participate in the Edward Hospital Animal-Assisted Therapy Program can be found at the website: www.edward.org/animalassistedtherapy.
A pre-screening process is in place for this program. All those that complete online-application will be contacted to take part in the pre-screening. Applications MUST be submitted a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the temperament testing date.
Those candidate master and dog teams that meet qualification requirements will be tested for temperament on Saturday, April 9th at Edward Hospital, 801 South Washington Street, in Naperville. Walk-Ins will not be taken or allowed.
Candidate master and dog teams must pay a $30 fee to take part in the temperament fee testing. A mandatory 3-day training will be required for those selected for the therapy program. There is a fee for the training sessions of $125.00.
Training will be held at Edward Hospital (at the above-noted location) on Friday, May 13th, 5 pm - 9 pm. Saturday (May 14th) and Sunday's (May 15th) training sessions are also to be held at Edward Hospital between the times of 8 am - 5 pm, both days.
The following requirements must be met in order to be considered for this therapy program:
- Dog must be free of skin problems
- Dog must not be overly vocal
- Dog must Sit/Down/Stay/Recall on command
- Dog must perform above commands without the aid of treats
- Dog must like people
- Dog must be current on ALL vaccinations
- Dog must be at least ONE YEAR of age
- Dog must walk loosely on a leash without pulling
- Dog must get along with other dogs
It is also recommended that dog applicants and masters have completed a obedience class that included other dogs within the past six (6) months.
Go to: www.dogbuilders.com, select "Therapy Dog Programs" and then play the video, "Therapy Dog Skills for Hospitals" to view, learn, and practice what will be expected during the Edward Animal-Assisted Therapy Program skills testing.
To seek additional information or have questions answered regarding the Edward Animal-Assisted Therapy Program, please call 630.814.7655. Ask for Wendy Yellin.
Best of luck to you ...
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