Providence Hospice - Animal Assisted Activity Volunteer

Providence Hospice Animal Assisted Activity volunteers are human/dog teams who provide companionship and calming presence for terminally ill hospice patients, usually in a nursing facility. Volunteers certify their own dogs with Pet Partners, Alliance of Therapy Dogs, or Paws for Love to prepare the dog for service. The warm touch and non-judgmental presence of the animal team can be an important non-medical comfort measure for the patient who is lonely, unresponsive, or in pain. Animal Assisted Activity teams typically provide 1 hour of service weekly. Additional time is required to prepare the dog for visitation each week (bathing, etc).