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Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to promote emotional well-being and contact with gentle animals provides comfort and helps people to be happier.  

Hospitals joining the programme are contacted or visited by the local Team Leader. This is an opportunity to explain the programme and answer any questions that you or your staff may have before visits commence. Volunteers visit their matched establishment on a weekly or fortnightly basis.  

The visits are approx. one hour in length. 

The hospital will be asked to complete both an information form, and programme agreement with Community Pets.  

 

How do we check the suitability of our volunteers?  

All volunteers joining the programme have passed a Ministry of Justice vetting. Their pet has passed a pet assessment test and the volunteer, and they have been able to demonstrate that as a “team”, they can work together in all environments and the pet is always under control.  

Volunteers meet with you before their first day with their pets. This is an opportunity to sight the areas they will visit with their pets, meet staff and to confirm what procedures you would like to them to follow when visiting.  

Our visits are on the same day and time each week and can be changed if both parties agree. 

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We always endeavour to work to a professional and high standard. Our volunteers are required to wear uniforms, the pets wear a bandana and are required to always be under control of the owner.   

If our volunteer is visiting a  Mental Health Unit, we require a staff member to always be with them.                                                                                                                    

The volunteers are expected to contact you if they cannot make their scheduled time, and report to you any problems including housekeeping incidents should they occur. We also require you to advise our volunteer is that are not required for a certain visit e.g. illness in facility.