Therapy animal services consist of animal-assisted activities (AAA) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Both are provided by North Star Therapy Animals. We have an extensive list of facilities that welcome therapy animal teams for both animal-assisted activities and animal-assisted therapy, so there are lots of opportunities to get involved.
Animal-assisted activities can best be described as casual visits between a therapy animal team and individuals. There are no specific treatment goals involved in these visits, so detailed record-keeping is typically not required by the facility. Visiting dates are generally pre-scheduled, but the visits themselves are typically spontaneous and can last as long as the individual desires. The goal of these visits is generally to enhance an individual’s quality of life by providing them with joy and companionship.
Animal-assisted therapy is slightly different in that it incorporates a therapy animal team into formal therapeutic sessions directed by a therapeutic professional. These sessions generally do entail detailed record-keeping by the professional. Animal-assisted therapy involves individualized treatment with stated goals, so the goal of these sessions is aimed at achieving specific therapeutic objectives.
Whether you’re a team looking for a facility, or a facility looking for a team, we can help!
ANIMAL ASSISTED CRISIS RESPONSE
Animal Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) is a form of animal-assisted activities (AAA) that provides comfort to those who have been affected by natural, human-caused, or technological disasters. AACR is effective because the safety, familiarity, novelty, and interest in the animal have been found to be impactful when building rapport with a person affected by crisis.
Pet Partners AACR teams are trained and credentialed to provide emotional comfort and support to people affected by the impacts of crisis events. These teams are invited to deploy in response to events in their communities.
To learn more about the Pet Partners Animal Assisted Crisis Response program, please click on the link.