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Sunshine Friends, Inc (SFI) Therapy Pet Programs welcomes domesticated dogs and cats that meet our eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria. SFI believes that each pet should be evaluated based on individual temperament and as such we do not discriminate based on breed.
Volunteer Benefits
Membership in SFI includes an assortment of informational services that assist volunteers with participation in therapeutic pet activities and with the maintenance of their pet's overall health and well-being.
These services include:
- Volunteer Newsletters
- Scheduled Monthly Pet Visits
- Informational Meetings
- Educational Seminars on Various Topics
- Annual Volunteer Appreciation Events
How to Get Started
If you are interested in volunteering with SFI, please complete the Volunteer Application and Pet Application with accompanying Annual Health Screening Form and mail the completed paperwork to Sunshine Friends, Inc.
PLEASE BE SURE TO COMPLETE BOTH VOLUNTEER & PET APPLICATIONS
Volunteer Application
Pet Application & Health Screening Form
If your pet has a friendly temperament in all environments and gets along with other animals, you may have a good candidate for pet therapy work. Level of Commitment: Generally our minimum volunteer commitment is one visit per month. Volunteers can visit more than that depending on their schedule and availability of facilities. Burn-out can be an issue for both people and pets so SFI also has a maximum number of pet visits and visiting times in place in order to prevent this. It is very important to SFI that both handlers and pets enjoy their AAA/AAT experience
Why Participate in Animal Assisted Activities?
A.A.A. is a truly gratifying experience for all who are involved. It is not only the patient or resident who receives therapeutic pet services that benefits but also it is also their families, the facility staff and of course, the volunteer.
The most evident benefit is the incomparable feeling one gets from making another person happy whether for a moment or for an indeterminable amount of time. It is as close to altruism as we can get.
Another important advantage of volunteering in a program of this type is strengthening the bond between handler and pet. The animal-human bond is one of the most gratifying relationships a person can experience if they take the time to nurture it. Learning what your pet needs from you and what your pet can give to you is invaluable to the health and happiness of both you and your animal.
SFI Therapy Pet Certification
After reviewing all applications we will contact the prospective volunteer to set up an initial evaluation. This is Part One of the SFI Therapy Pet Certification. At the initial evaluation, the following will be assessed:
- Temperament
- Basic Obedience (for canines)
- Volunteer's Handling Skills
Upon passing the initial evaluation, all new volunteers will go through an orientation where they will be assigned to a facility for 3 supervised visits in an applied setting. The first visit is for the handler to observe a visit without his/her pet. The following visits will be with the pet for further evaluation.
Once a volunteer completes the SFI Therapy Pet Certification, he or she will receive a certificate and official bandana for the pet to wear.
Evaluation items for dogs and cats are listed below. Please ready through these carefully so you will know what to expect when it is time for your pet to be evaluated.
Please note that we will require the necessary veterinary paperwork prior to evaluating your pet.
Initial Evaluation Items for Dogs
Initial Evaluation Items for Cats