Animal Assisted Activity
Getting Started
AAA provides opportunities for motivational, educational, recreational, and/or therapeutic benefits to enhance quality of life. AAA are delivered in a variety of environments by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and/or volunteers, in association with animals that meet specific criteria. (from Standards of Practice for Animal-Assisted Activities and Therapy)
It is ideal to participate in a formal training program where, at the conclusion, you and your Greyhound would be a registered therapy team. Organizations who conduct this type of training include Alliance of Therapy Dogs (formerly Therapy Dogs, Inc.), Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society), and Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA). These organizations also provide some type of liability insurance to it's members.
Once you have completed the training and are a registered therapy team with one of the above organizations, you are then ready to participate in AAA with your Greyhound.
To read more about how animal assisted therapy is helping our seniors, visit National Council for Aging Care's guide on Pets for Seniors.
In The Nursing Home, Assisted Living Facility or Hospital
Currently we have teams visiting the locations below:
Douglasville Nursing and Rehab
4028 Highway 5
Douglasville, GA 30134
(Host: Patti and Tito)
Westbury Medical Care and Rehab
922 McDonough Road
Jackson, GA 30233
(Host: Deb and Sissy)
The Oaks at Scenic View
205 Peach Orchard Road
Baldwin, GA 30511
(Host: Peter and Spirit)
Autumn Cove
4425 Greenbrier Dear Road
Anniston, AL 36207
(Host: Regina and Layla)
If you are interested in participating at any of these locations, please contact that respective host. If you would prefer to visit a nursing home, assisted living facilty, or hospital in your community, please contact Patti for assistance.
READing Paws
Another AAA is reading with children in a library setting helping them to improve their reading skills. This activity is provided by a READing Paws Team which is comprised of a registered therapy animal and owner/handler.You'll find these teams in your local library, tucked in a corner, reading with a child. The animals love to listen and look at the pictures. They encourage the children to practice their reading skills and enjoy books.
READing Paws training is conducted several times per year in various locations within the metro Atlanta area as well as the Southeast. Please visit the READing Paws website to determine the best location for your training. A prerequisite to becoming a READing Paws registered team is also being a registered therapy team with of the three name organizations from above (TDInc, Pet Partners or ITA).
Lucy was one of our Greyhounds who had successfully completed both TDInc. training and registration and was registered with READing Paws as a READing Paws team. She was great at doing what she did and is sorely missed!
We have several teams currently performing both AAA (pet therapy) and READing Paws. The Greyhounds excel with these activities.
If you have questions on how to get involved with AAA with Second Chance Greyhounds, please contact Patti Peterson. She can guide you every step of the way.
Just be patient with the process because it does take time to complete evaluations and testing to become a therapy team as well as the necessary training to become a READing Paws team. In the end, it will be time well spent where the results will continually reward you and your Greyhound not to mention the benefits to those you help along the way.
