How To Become a Therapy Animal Team with Your Pet
While most therapy animals are dogs, Pet Partners registers 9 different species as therapy animals:
cats, birds, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, pigs, equines, llamas and alpacas, and dogs.
To become a volunteer therapy animal team, you must first meet the requirements listed here.
Next, you will complete your team registration.
Team registration is the process you go through to demonstrate that you and your animal are suitable and
prepared for therapy animal work. The 5 steps to become a registered, insured team are detailed here and summarized below.
Music City Pet Partners does not "certify" therapy animal teams.
We do not have hands-on involvement in the training of the animals volunteering with us; rather, we host handler workshops and team evaluations in the Middle Tennessee area. Prospective teams can work with any trainer to gain the necessary obedience skills to become a team. There are a number of wonderful dog trainers in the area and PetSmart also offers a therapy dog preparation class, but it is not a prerequisite.
cats, birds, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, pigs, equines, llamas and alpacas, and dogs.
To become a volunteer therapy animal team, you must first meet the requirements listed here.
Next, you will complete your team registration.
Team registration is the process you go through to demonstrate that you and your animal are suitable and
prepared for therapy animal work. The 5 steps to become a registered, insured team are detailed here and summarized below.
Music City Pet Partners does not "certify" therapy animal teams.
We do not have hands-on involvement in the training of the animals volunteering with us; rather, we host handler workshops and team evaluations in the Middle Tennessee area. Prospective teams can work with any trainer to gain the necessary obedience skills to become a team. There are a number of wonderful dog trainers in the area and PetSmart also offers a therapy dog preparation class, but it is not a prerequisite.
Pet Partners Team Registration Process Overview
1. Create a free account for the Pet Partners Volunteer Center.
Log in, go to "My Registrations" and click on "Start a Team Registration."
2. Enroll and complete the Handler Course.
Although Pet Partners strongly recommends taking the in-person Therapy Animal Handler Workshop, you also have the option to take course online, especially when prospective handers live in areas where there isn't a Community Partner like MCPP.
MCPP in-person Handler Workshop opportunities will be posted on our Events page.
At this workshop, prospective handlers (no animals, please) will learn:
a. Skills needed to visit safely
b. Volunteer responsibilities
c. Supporting and being your animal's best advocate
d. How to decide what types of facilities to visit
e. Various visiting techniques
f. Regulations and policies
g. Detailed instructions and requirements for your team evaluation
3. Complete the Team Evaluation!
Once you've completed the Handler Course (which can be taken up to two years prior to your evaluation), you may sign up for your team evaluation on the Volunteer Center calendar.
You and your pet will be assessed for skills and aptitude to determine your readiness to become a registered Pet Partners team.
4. Upload the required documents to your Volunteer Center Account and Complete Your profile.
After successfully passing your team evaluation, log into your Pet Partners account to complete the remaining sections of your registration, which include submitting your team badge photo and info, Animal Screening Form and accepting the terms of your Volunteer Agreement.
5. Submit your Application.
The final step to becoming a registered, insure therapy animal team is to complete the background check, which is conducted by the Advocates at Sterling Volunteers and is included in your registration fee.
Congratulations! You are then a therapy animal team eligible to volunteer in your community!
All Pet Partners teams living in the Middle Tennessee area are welcome to join Music City Pet Partners regardless of whether you took our in-person workshop or evaluation with MCPP.
We do not have any dues. We simply ask that our teams volunteer at Team Evaluations when able to do so.
Membership benefits of MCPP included a discounted registration fee (using our Community Partner Code),
a mentoring program, continuing education opportunities, social events with other local handlers,
access to members-only materials, and more!
Log in, go to "My Registrations" and click on "Start a Team Registration."
2. Enroll and complete the Handler Course.
Although Pet Partners strongly recommends taking the in-person Therapy Animal Handler Workshop, you also have the option to take course online, especially when prospective handers live in areas where there isn't a Community Partner like MCPP.
MCPP in-person Handler Workshop opportunities will be posted on our Events page.
At this workshop, prospective handlers (no animals, please) will learn:
a. Skills needed to visit safely
b. Volunteer responsibilities
c. Supporting and being your animal's best advocate
d. How to decide what types of facilities to visit
e. Various visiting techniques
f. Regulations and policies
g. Detailed instructions and requirements for your team evaluation
3. Complete the Team Evaluation!
Once you've completed the Handler Course (which can be taken up to two years prior to your evaluation), you may sign up for your team evaluation on the Volunteer Center calendar.
You and your pet will be assessed for skills and aptitude to determine your readiness to become a registered Pet Partners team.
4. Upload the required documents to your Volunteer Center Account and Complete Your profile.
After successfully passing your team evaluation, log into your Pet Partners account to complete the remaining sections of your registration, which include submitting your team badge photo and info, Animal Screening Form and accepting the terms of your Volunteer Agreement.
5. Submit your Application.
The final step to becoming a registered, insure therapy animal team is to complete the background check, which is conducted by the Advocates at Sterling Volunteers and is included in your registration fee.
Congratulations! You are then a therapy animal team eligible to volunteer in your community!
All Pet Partners teams living in the Middle Tennessee area are welcome to join Music City Pet Partners regardless of whether you took our in-person workshop or evaluation with MCPP.
We do not have any dues. We simply ask that our teams volunteer at Team Evaluations when able to do so.
Membership benefits of MCPP included a discounted registration fee (using our Community Partner Code),
a mentoring program, continuing education opportunities, social events with other local handlers,
access to members-only materials, and more!