Join Pets As Therapy

Find out what happens at Pets as Therapy and how you too can join them and help make a difference in your community:

Where can a Volunteer take their PET?
PAT volunteers take their pets to visit people in hospitals, hospices, retirement homes, frail care facilities, special needs schools, and a variety of other venues. These visits bring company, support, comfort, pleasure, stress relief and stimulation to those living either permanently or temporarily in such organizations.

Both volunteers and their pets are assessed to ensure their suitability as it is important that they enjoy the visits as much as those who are being visited.

(click on images for a larger view)

Is there any commitment required from the volunteers?
Volunteers need to commit to visiting at pre-arranged times with the organisation concerned and have a contact person in that organisation whom they will notify timeously if they are unable to do so. It is important to be on time as people look forward to these visits.


How should a Volunteer behave during a visit?
Volunteers need to be able to assess the people they are working with and to behave appropriately, for example to see when a person is tired and move on. Not everyone will welcome a visit from a pet – they may be fearful or allergic - and these people’s wishes must be respected. Hospital patients may be hooked up to I.V. tubes monitors, etc. so it is important to approach from the unaffected side. Volunteers need to be respectful, sensitive to people’s wishes, compassionate, and at all times confidential.

(click on images for a larger view)

How should the owner and the doggie look before or during a visit to an institution?
Pets must be healthy and bathed before each visit. They must at all times be under control, i.e. dogs should be on a lead. Volunteers should wear their PAT tee-shirt/sweatshirt and dogs their bandannas. Generally, visits to organisations should last about an hour and pets must be monitored for stress, tiredness etc.


What happens during the assessment period of becoming a PAT volunteer?
A potential volunteer will be required to complete an application and to take their pet for an assessment. An up to date vaccination certificate is required for the pet. After the assessment the volunteer will accompany an experienced volunteer and his/her pet on a couple of visits. The potential volunteer initially does not take their own pet along until they have satisfied their mentor that they are comfortable with visiting and ready to take their own pet. Once they have completed 2/3 mentorship visits, PAT will place them with the organisation they have chosen to visit.


What does a typical visit look like for a PAT volunteer and his / her doggie?


Glenis du Toit and her Scottish Terrier, Robbie often visits the Helen Keller Society for the Elderly in Pinelands, Cape Town.

(click on images for a larger view)

First of all, Robbie is given a treat for being a good dog and gets ready to visit all his friends at Helen Keller.



This is Robbie and Joan in her room. Robbie likes to hang out in her windowsill when pops by her room.


Patricia cannot talk, but her eyes always light up when Robbie pops up at her chair.




This is the lounge where all the frail-care elderly people spend most of their time during the day. The TV is on and there are nurses around all the time.




Robbie and Glenis ran into Isobel in the tea room...



Ursula was just as excited to see little Robbie in the tea room.



One can see why he likes coming back to visit these ladies.



Ursula even gave Robbie a lift onto her lap when he popped by her table.






Cheryl does not mind if Robbie jumps on her bed for a quick cuddle and a pose for the picture.




Rae's face lit up too when she saw Robbie.




Above: Robbie always jumps up on Brenda's left side. Brenda is Glenis's mom. (Glenis (the lady in the black shirt sitting on the chair next to Brenda - is Robbie's mom.) He knows that is the side that was affected after a stroke, which she had almost 2 years ago.




This lady, known to everyone as 'Ma' is just as delighted when Robbie stopped by her chair.



Robbie is very popular here at Helen Keller and loves visiting these people every once in a while. Thanks to Glenis du Toit from Pets As Therapy for sharing her visit with us.


For more information on PAT, you can contact the following people:

Charmaine French Head Office


Marieanna Le Roux Stellenbosch/Helderburg Region


Dr Karen Steenkamp Polokwane Region


Pets as Therapy registered postal address:
39 Innesfree Way, Constantia, Western Cape, 7806