North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

Therapy Animal Services in Minnesota

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  • Who We Are
    • Therapy Animal Stars

      We are a group of dedicated volunteers who are passionate about therapy animal services and benefits they bring to individuals in our communities.

    • Who We Are

      • Our Story
      • Our Mission
      • Our Services
      • Meet Our Stars
      • Facilities We Visit
      • In the News
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Become a Team
    • Wanted! More Teams

      We are looking for more therapy animal teams to join us. If you are interested in forming wonderful friendships, making treasured memories & finding personal fulfillment then you are in the right place!

    • Become a Team

      • Getting Started
      • Membership
      • FAQ
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Our Animals
    • Leaving Paw Prints

      A therapy animal is a specially trained animal that partners with its human handler to volunteer at a variety of facilities and events, bringing joy, comfort, and companionship to those they meet.

    • Our Animals

      • Meet Our Stars
      • What is a therapy animal?
      • Who Uses Therapy Animal Services?
      • FAQ
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Request a Visit
    • We’d Love To Visit!

      Invite us over to bring happiness, companionship and courage to the people you work with.

    • Request a Visit

      • Request a Visit
      • Facilities We Visit
      • Our Services
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Members
    • Membership Has Benefits

      Being a North Star Therapy Animal member has many benefits. You witness people make amazing transformations, your relationship with your animal grows and you also get to see what’s in this section!

    • Members

      • Member Login
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Contact
    • Hello There!

      Want to learn more about North Star Therapy Animals? Fill out the contact form and we will get back to you.

    • Contact Us

      • Contact Form
      • Request a Visit
      • Become a Member
    • Become a Therapy Animal Team!

      Online Event
      First Thursday of the Month – 7pm

      Request Zoom Link

  • Crisis Response

Request a Visit

Thank you for your interest in havingย  a North Star Therapy Animal team(s) visit your facility. When submitting a request, please keep in mind:

  • North Star is 100% volunteer run with many members who work full time
  • North Star receives more visits than our 275 teams can fill.
  • North Star is working hard to recruit new pet therapy teams so we have the ability to fulfill as many new requests as possible.ย  ย We only mention this in the event that no teams contact you about visiting.ย  If you know someone who might be interested in becoming a Therapy Animal Team, please have them contact us at [email protected]

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION TO our 501c3 ORGANIZATION, PLEASE GO TO THIS LINK!

Next Steps

After submitting the “Request a Visit”ย form below, a North Star volunteer will email you in 2-3 business days with any additional questions or to let you know the request has been sent to our 200 active therapy animal teams in the Metro Area.ย  Teams will then decide which requests are best suited for them and their animal partner. Their decision is often based on a facility’s location, days of week/times requested, facility type, # of people to be visited, animal suitability, ability to take on a new visit requests, etc.

Interested teams will contact you directly to schedule a visit.ย  You and the North Star team are responsible for determining and maintaining all schedules, communications, etc.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and help us assure that those with whom our teams will visit, as well as our North Star teams themselves, are set up for successful visits.

We look forward to hearing from you!

BE SURE TO PUSH THE BLUE SUBMIT BUTTON at the very bottom of this page to ensure that your request is received

Descriptions ofย  Virtual and Touchless Visit Request options can be downloaded here.

Invite Us Over!

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

* - Required Field
Name of Primary Contact for Visits(Required)
Email for Primary Contact for visits(Required)
Ex: Flying Eagle School, First Samaritan Hospital, Golden Wings Care Center
Facility's Address - PLEASE NOTE -North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners Teams Service the Greater Twin Cities Metro Area(Required)
Please make sure you have checked with your building management, facility administration, etc to secure permission.
Animal Species Preferred: (select all that apply)(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Knowing this helps NSTA teams be well prepared for their visit. Eg: we have a resident animal, we will have dogs from another group visiting too, we have birds in our lobby, some of our residents have animals, etc
e.g June 2, 10-noon, please note teams cannot visit more than 2 hours in one day. So additional teams are needed for visits longer than 2 hours.
Main Goal(s) for Visits (select all the apply)(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Number of Clients Participating Per Interaction: (select all that apply)(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
Age of clients receiving visits: (check all that apply)(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
EXAMPLE Brandywine Hospital Eating Disorder Unit is an inpatient unit. We serve male and female patients from the age of 13 on up. We treat patients with anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Visits will take place in a common room. We are flexible on days/times of visits. Our patients are high functioning and again, would greatly benefit from some animal interactions.
For example: We have a resident dog in the building, Validated parking for volunteers. Volunteers need to attend an Orientation Session, have health screening and complete a background check prior to visiting, etc.
Accepted file types: jpg, gif, png, pdf, doc, Max. file size: 300 MB.
How did you hear about North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners? (select all that apply)(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Please review the following information before submitting your request

Home Visit Policy

For in-home visits, we require that the patient/client has an established relationship with a hospital, long-term care or healthcare agency that has an existing in-home volunteer visiting program. For insurance and liability reasons, in-home visits need to be supervised by a representative of that facility or by a healthcare provider. This policy applies to private homes, apartments, assisted living apartments, etc.

Does North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners Charge for visits?

North Star is a non-profit organization, and all of our members are volunteers. Therefore we do not charge for visits. However, donations to NSTA, used for additional member education and community outreach, are always welcome. If you would like to make a donation to help North Star further our great work, please visit https://northstartherapyanimals.org/donate/

Visit Requests Outside the Twin Cities Metro Area

The majority of North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners teams live and visit in the Twin Cities metro area. We will share your request with our NSTA teams, but we encourage you to post your request to the Pet Partners website as there may be Pet Partner teams in your area who are not associated with NSTA. Pet Partners Website https://petpartners.org/learn/pet-partners-at-your-facility/add-a-volunteer-opportunity/

Request for visits with hospice patients or patients in the hospital

Please request a therapy animal visit directly through the Hospital's or Hospice Agency's Volunteer Department as these facilities require specific orientations, background checks, health screening,etc. before volunteers, including North Star teams, can visit patients.

Backgound Checks

All volunteers are registered with Pet Partners and are required to undergo a Background Check every two years. Pet Partners is committed to bringing safe visits conducted by highly qualified teams to all facilities. Many of our teams visit highly vulnerable populations, yet not all facilities have the resources to conduct background checks on teams. By having a background check performed as part of the Pet Partners registration process, facilities will have the assurance that volunteers registered with us have a background that does not preclude them from visiting at the time their acceptance letter is issued. The check is performed by Sterling Volunteers.
Max. file size: 300 MB.

BE SURE TO PUSH THE BLUE SUBMIT BUTTON

Become a Therapy Animal Team!

Online Event - First Thursday of the Month - 7pm

Request Zoom Link

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

1 day ago

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners
We're so grateful for you, Abby & Paula! Your calm manner brings peace to those around you. North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners Pet Partners Therapy Animal Community Pet Partners #therapyanimals #therapydog #goldenretriever #gooddog ... See MoreSee Less

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North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

3 days ago

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners
Our amazing North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners teams brought the holiday spirit to Rosedale Shopping Center this week. Check out the video! ... See MoreSee Less

Today was filled with wagging tails, happy hearts, and unforgettable smiles thanks to our friends at North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners. https://www.rosedalecenter.com/santa/

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North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

3 days ago

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners
North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners teams rocked it at #mallofamerica this week.Great job Rowen, Millie, Jasper, Dash, Murphy, Chester and JuJu ... See MoreSee Less

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North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

3 days ago

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners
North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners teams rocked it at #mallofamerica this week.Great job Rowen, Millie, Jasper, Dash, Murphy, Chester and JuJu ... See MoreSee Less

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North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners

7 days ago

North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners
Thank you, Chai & Margaret! Small packages bring sunshine to others, too! North Star Therapy Animals of Pet Partners Pet PartnersPet Partners Therapy Animal Community #therapyanimals #therapyguinea ... See MoreSee Less

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All North Star Therapy Animals are registered with Pet Partners.

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