![]() |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Animal Assisted Therapy Volunteer Opportunities |
|||||||||||||||||||||
![]() Hanz at Grandview Why do we take animals to visit? We want to share our animals with other people - especially those who are more vulnerable, lonely, or in pain. Working with the people we visit is rewarding and fun. It is wonderful to see the affection between the patients and the dogs. In the case of some of the children we visit, the Love On 4 Paws program is their first opportunity to touch or play with an animal. As a volunteer for Love On 4 Paws, you will find several opportunities for "different" kinds of visits. Traditional Animal Assisted Therapy VisitsDuring these visits, volunteer / handler teams are assigned to a specific unit at Childrens Hospital. The team will visit children in their rooms to provide a distraction from their illness and loneliness. Physical Therapy VisitsExperienced handler / animals teams with specific skills will have the opportunity to work with Rehabilitation Therapists in several areas of therapeutic interventions. Pain Management VisitsExperienced handler / animals teams may work with the Pain Management staff (Department of Anesthesiology) to provide distraction and comfort for patients with chronic pain, post operative patients, or for patients whose conditions require them to undergo painful procedures (i.e. burns, sickle cell anemia, cancer). You may think you can never do this but it is very easy. The joy and happiness you and your wonderful animal can bring to people who are bedridden, in wheelchairs, or isolated from normal companionship is unbelievable!!! Ok, I'm Sold! How do I get started volunteering?
Coming to class will give you an idea of what being a volunteer animal assisted therapy team entails. We want you to enjoy visiting with your dog and have the skills you need to be successful. You must be willing to treat your program commitment seriously. Although we are volunteers, visits must be treated like a "job" and handled professionally. |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
Love On 4 Paws, Animal Assisted Therapy, Los Angeles County, California, (310) 547-2200 Serving Culver City, Downey, Gardena, Granada Hills, Los Angeles, Lomita, North Hollywood, Pasadena, San Pedro, Torrance, and West Hills. Website maintained by ReaLife WebDesigns. |
|||||||||||||||||||||