Welcome and thank you for your interest in volunteering with your dog in our therapy program.
The TPAL program was established to provide comfort, company and assistance for those in
healthcare and education facilities. This program is also involved in various educational
programs within schools and throughout the community.
Seeing your dog change lives while working beside you and under the direction of a professional
healthcare worker or counselor, could be one of the most rewarding experiences in your life. It
will be something that you and your dog will eagerly anticipate.
You will find yourself searching for new ways to teach your dog tasks and behaviors that will
enhance the goals set by the healthcare professionals.
We believe that life is more precious when trust, unconditional love and respect exist as the
primary bond between animals and people.
After reading through the information below, we invite you to complete an application and
return it to us for immediate evaluation.
For more information about our TPAL Program,
send an email to our TPAL Coordinator;
donna@palhumanesociety.org or call 760-240-6848 X237
Here’s what you and your dog need to do to become a Therapy Team:
- Complete the attached application.
- A TPAL representative will call you to set up an appointment for you and your dog to come to
PAL Humane Society for an evaluation.
- Based on the evaluation you will need to complete all or some of the TPAL Therapy Dog Prep
School. (Prep school information is on page 4)
- Must be available to attend a volunteer outing at least once per month.
- Minimum age of handler is 18 years old.
- Some facilities where we will be volunteering require handler health exams (i.e. TB Test) and
background checks (i.e. fingerprinting).
- The person who will visit with the dog must be the owner of the dog.
The goals of our TPAL Program are:
- To bring the unconditional love of animals to people in need.
- To provide clients with an enjoyable, normalizing experience to help them cope with their
current situations.
- To use the interactions with the dogs as a diversion from self, disease, and/or pain.
- To provide a safe stimulus that encourages clients to practice physical tasks.
Examples of what you dog must be able to do to become a Therapy Dog:
- Sit down, stay, and come on command
- Accept a greeting from & be petted by a friendly stranger
- Walk close on a loose leash
- Walk calmly through a crowd of people
- Be neutral or mildly positive to another dog
- Recover well from startling distractions
- Not panic during group hugs or restrained hugs
- Put up with occasional yelling, getting bumped and lots of touching.
- Be able to handle wheelchairs, walkers, and crutches
- Leave food alone on command
Maintaining Certification:
Handler Requirements:
- Agree to a 6-month commitment with the TPAL Program.
- Sign in upon arrival at the site the team is visiting.
- Agree to use the TPAL bandana ONLY during organized TPAL visits.
- Complete site specific clearances as required by individual sites. These vary for each site, but
could include background check, fingerprinting, drug testing or TB testing.
Dog Requirements:
- Pass a physical examination upon entry into the program and annually thereafter.
- Be free from parasites (internally and externally).
- Not have any open sores.
- Be bathed within a minimum of 3 days prior to a visit or at the discretion of the Team Leader.
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