Hospice Pet Visitor Volunteer

Emmanuel Hospice is a non-profit hospice organization located in Grand Rapids, MI. Our goal is to provide exemplary spiritual and physical care creating a peaceful experience for the dying and their loved ones. We serve folks within a 50-mile radius of our downtown office wherever they call "home". This could be a nursing facility, assisted living space, or home setting.

We are looking for individuals with friendly dogs to join our Pet Visitor volunteer team. Pet Visitor volunteers bring so much joy to individuals at end of life. They offer companionship, reduce stress and anxiety, and allow people to reminisce about their beloved pets. Visits with patients on our service happen one-on-one with you and your dog as requested by the patient and their care team. They are usually about 1 hour or less and days/times are flexible (days, evenings, weekends).

Volunteer Qualifications:

• 18+ years
• Valid driver's license
• Auto Insurance
• Background Check and Fingerprinting
• TB Testing
• Annual Flu and original Covid vaccine or medical or religious exemption
• Flexible online and in-person training - we work with your schedule! (about 8 hours total)

Dog Qualifications:

• Pet must be part of your family for at least 6 months prior to onboarding, and at least 1 year old
• Pet must be well-mannered, friendly, and ok in various settings (nursing homes, various living facilities, and homes)
• Provide proof of up-to-date vaccines and 1 negative fecal analysis for the year
• Complete a flexible, self-paced training with The Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ADT) - typically takes about 3 weeks - we reimburse the total cost which is $60

Please feel free to reach out to us at 616-719-0919 or email ehvolunteer@emmanuelhospice.org with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!