Becoming a Volunteer

Becoming a Paws With a Purpose volunteer is easier than you might think, and what a great way to spend time with your beloved pet!
Therapy dogs represent all breeds and mixed breeds, and come in all sizes. A friendly personality, calm demeanor, ability to handle unexpected situations, and basic obedience skills are the most important qualities in a therapy dog. Many therapy dog teams find it helpful to complete a basic obedience class before applying for certification.

Your dog must

• be at least a year old
• be healthy, parasite-free and up to date on all shots
• have basic obedience skills (sit, down/stay, come)
• be friendly, gentle, and have good manners. 
  

Paws With a Purposes requires that you and your dog be certified as a team. This registration demonstrates that the team has met a national standard and provides liability insurance coverage for the team.  We recommend certification through an organization called the Delta Society. You can access their website at www.deltasociety.org  There you can order a student manual and begin the process of becoming certified. The cost for the book is about $40. Read more about certification.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that can help you determine whether your pet is a good candidate for certification. 

• Will your pet allow itself to be approached by a friendly stranger?
• Can you keep your pet comfortably under control when moving through a crowd?
• Will your pet accept a full body hug without resisting?
• Is your pet startled if a person nearby begins yelling loudly?
• Does your pet show curiosity rather than fear when faced with a dropped item or distraction?
• How will your pet react if approached by someone using a walker or wheelchair?

Because the home study course is self-led and certification evaluations are done monthly in Asheville, you can move through the process at your own pace. Certification evaluations include observing your dog's response to scenarios such as the questions listed above and will also cover basic obedience testing and overall pet appearance and temperament. You will need to provide proof of your pet's good health and current rabies vaccination.

Once you and your pet are certified, Paws with a Purpose has many volunteer opportunities available. One or more of them is bound to match your interest.

Additional requirements for volunteering at many of our facilities include completion of a volunteer application, background check, volunteer orientation, and volunteer badges for you and your dog.

We are constantly being asked to add programs and new volunteers are key to helping us meet the growing demand.

If you have any questions or think you might like to volunteer- contact us today at pwap@pawswithapurpose.org

The dog has been called the best friend of man. Because of all animals which have been domesticated or tamed by him for his service, the dog possesses in the highest degree the qualities of loyalty, devotion and quick understanding of man's thought and wish. The cat is considered next best as man's friend. The horse, the cow, the sheep, the pig, the elephant and many other animals have been tamed and domesticated and can be said in truth to be very good friends of man. The dog, however, shares the home of his master, his joys and his sorrows, his ups and his downs, is at his fireside and his table, and is his close companion. Of all animals the dog alone can take the place of a trusted and worthy guardian and playmate to the child.
Diana Thorne