Hosted by Dogs On Call, Inc.
Taking a course is one of the four steps to become a registered Pet Partner.
A therapy team consists of the handler and their pet. The pet can be a dog, cat, horse, rabbit, guinea pig, llama or alpaca, pig, bird, or rat. Together the handler and animal visit various facilities as a team. A few of the benefits of becoming a Pet Partner are; liability insurance, licensed instructors and evaluators as resources, continuing education, and much more.
The initial step in the process is training. The Pet Partners training course concentrates on the human end of the leash. Handlers will learn:
- the skills needed to visit safely
- volunteer responsibilities
- supporting and being your animal’s advocate
- how to decide what type of facilities to visit
- various visiting techniques
- regulations and policies
- detailed instructions and requirements for the team evaluation
The handler’s course is for the human part of the team only. Neither Pet Partners nor Dogs On Call trains animals.
The handler’s course can be taken as an eight-hour interactive in-person local workshop, or a self-guided online course. The in-person workshop is taught by licensed Pet Partners instructors, and is recommended because of the ability to interact, ask questions, receive a copy of the student manual, and see an actual step-by-step, evaluation. If there are no workshops in your area, the online course, which can be ordered directly from the Pet Partners website, can be an option. Either the in-person workshop or the online course must be taken as the first step in becoming a registered team. Dogs On Call hosts several training sessions per year at the American Legion Post in Waunakee.
Upcoming Class Dates
- 10/19/2024:
Class Location
- American Legion Post 360, Waunakee, WI
Class Fee Schedule
- $75.00 for one person; the fee includes a Pet Partners Handler Student Guide and the Pet Partners Team Evaluation.
- $105.00 for two people in the same household; the fee includes one Pet Partners Handler Student Guide and the Pet Partners Team Evaluation for two people.
Contact
Sign up for courses directly on Pet Partners website (petpartners.org). Contact Artie; [email protected] with questions.
HANDLER CLASSES AND EVALUATIONS
Pet Partners is the international therapy animal organization, Dogs On Call is the local chapter of Pet Partners in the Wisconsin area. Dogs On Call has several licensed instructors and evaluators to train and evaluate on behalf of Pet Partners. (Read more: Our relationship with Pet Partners)
Four Steps to becoming a Pet Partner:
- training
- evaluation
- vet screening
- register with Pet Partners.
After becoming a registered Pet Partner, if you live in our area, you are invited to join Dogs On Call. We are the local Pet Partners group based in Southern Wisconsin.