Edward Hospital is recruiting more dogs for its Animal-Assisted Therapy program. To be considered, please visit www.eehealth.org/ways-to-give/volunteer/animal-assisted-therapy and complete the online application. Applicants will be contacted for pre-screening.
Those who meet qualification requirements will be scheduled for temperament testing on Wednesday or Thursday March 1-2 within a two-hour time slot between 4-9PM at the Edward Sleep Center, 27555 Diehl Rd. in Warrenville.
Dogs and their handlers selected for the program must attend mandatory training at Edward Hospital, 801 S. Washington St. in Naperville on Thursday, April 6 from 5:30PM-8:30PM and Saturday-Sunday, April 22-23 from 8AM-5PM both days.
For more information, call Cynthia Brooks at (630) 527-7335, or email cbrooks@edward.org.
Considerations for the program
Dogs must meet the following requirements:
- Sit/down/stay/recall/leave-it on command
- Walk loosely on a leash without pulling
- Get along well with other dogs
- Perform required commands without treats
- Like people
- Not be overly vocal
- Be at least one year of age at time of testing
- Lived with you for at least six months at time of testing
- Current on all vaccinations
- Free of skin problems
- Prong collars, gentle leaders, harnesses and retractable leashes are not accepted
- Handlers must be 18 years of age or older
Handlers and their dogs are encouraged to have completed a group obedience training class within the past year.
Edward’s Animal-Assisted Therapy program began in 2002 with 15 teams. Today, there are nearly 90 teams with 47 breeds represented. Teams have made 190,000 patient visits since the beginning of the program.
Submitted by Keith Hartenberger, Public Information Officer, for Edward-Elmhurst Health.
