Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the Pawprints Dog Visitation Program. Unfortunately we are not accepting applications at this time, but please feel free to review the requirements and application process below. If you are interested in being placed on the Pawprints volunteer waitlist, please fill out the waitlist request form and/or contact the Pawprints coordinator at 617-355-6279. We will update this section as new volunteer opportunities become available.
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Waitlist Request Form
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- Be willing to become a hospital volunteer (includes personal interview, criminal background check, review of immunizations, tuberculosis screening and five hour volunteer orientation)
- Agree to undergo the handler and canine screening process
- Be willing to commit to two visits per month for a minimum of one year
- Agree to adhere to all requirements and guidelines of the Children's Hospital Boston PawPrints Dog Visitation Program. This includes agreeing to bathe and groom the dog within 24 hours of each hospital visit
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- Dog's age: 2 years or older
- Ownership of dog: The dog must be owned by the handler who will be responsible for meeting all PawPrint guidelines and who will participate in the visits with the dog.
- Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or registration with a therapy dog organization.
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- A licensed veterinarian determines the dog is in good physical health and has vaccinated the dog against rabies and DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza)
- Annual fecal and heartworm check; year-round heartworm preventive
- Flea/tick prevention program from February through November
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- Mellow, calm and gentle in a variety of environments
- Able to reliably respond to basic obedience commands (sit, down, come, stay)
- Enjoys spending time with all types of people and being petted
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The dog's owner must review the Pawprints Volunteer Guide, which provides information on the screening process and all of the program guidelines.
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Pawprints Volunteer Guide
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If you have filled out a waitlist request form and a volunteer opportunity becomes available, the Pawprints program coordinators will contact you to request a completed application.
Completed applications (canine health assessement form, canine application, application to become Pawprints volunteer), along with two letters of reference, and a copy of the dog's CGC certificate or therapy dog registration are reviewed by Pawprints staff.
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Eligible canine candidates must pass a behavioral evaluation to determine if the dog has the stable temperament and basic obedience skills necessary for therapy dog work. Please note that dogs who have been certified by other therapy dog organizations are required to undergo the PawPrints behavioral evaluation. There is no cost for the behavioral evaluation.
Dogs who pass the behavioral evaluation must pass a laboratory screening (throat and fecal culture) to verify that the dog is not a carrier of infectious organisms that could be passed to patients. There is no cost for this laboratory screening.
Once the dog passes both the behavioral evaluation and the laboratory screening and the owner has finished hospital orientation, the team can join the Pawprints program.
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To apply to become a volunteer in the Pawprints Dog Visitation Program, every form in the Pawprints application must be completed:
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- Canine Application: You complete this form with information on your dog. Include a copy of the dog's CGC certificate or therapy dog registration.
- Canine Health Assessment Form (within Canine Application): Your dog's primary care veterinarian completes this form, which provide information about your dog's health and vaccination status.
- Pawprints Volunteer Form: You complete this form with information about yourself.
- Two Letters of Reference: You ask two other people to complete this form. Please do not use friends or relatives as references.
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Please note that all of these forms must be sent in the same envelope to the address indicated on the Canine Application. An application that is missing a document cannot be processed.
If you have questions about the Pawprints Dog Visitation Program or the application process, please call the Pawprints Coordinator at 617-355-6279.
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< Return to Pawprints page
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