@qvcaddition wrote:
My dog is now to old to be a Kaiser hospital volunteer anymore. She is a bonafied or was service volunteer dog, before everyone could get something online for five bucks.
It cost me over 200.00 dollars to get an approval for her to be trained to go in a hospital or nursing home to let patients pet her if they wanted.
There was 2 weekend of training and one month at Kaiser.
She did this with me as volunteers for a few years and the Drs. and nurses and patients that had animals and missed them, loved for these dogs to visit.
She still has her Kaiser membership card, just like a member would like myself.
I do not consider her an emotional dog for me, although she is my best buddy. We grow old together. She is 17 and I am 88. We did not abuse the privilage. She was not considered a Service dog, but considered a volunteer to visit homes and hospitals.
Now in some ways through the years, everyone has an emotional animal.
We both went through a lot of training. One thing, no matter what, a dog is not allowed to sit in a grocery cart. A kid with a dirty diaper is, but not a clean animal.
That is so sweet! Good for you and your pooch! Those hospital dog visits mean so much to patients, especially young ones. Well, older ones too!
People don't realize how much time and effort goes into training hospital-visiting dogs, or how much effort goes into preparing them for visits.
Years ago we auditioned one of our super-friendly-love-sponge dogs to be a visiting pooch at a children's hospital. (Alas, he failed. Because he skittered slightly when someone came toward him with an IV stand. He was a rescue and we think he had been beaten. Hence, fear of sticks.)
We were told that, in addition to special training, we would need to take him to a nearby vet school an hour before each hospital visit. To be checked out by a vet, and also to be bathed with antibacterial soap prior to schmoozing with patients.
It is really a huge commitment. But I've seen visiting dogs in hospitals and nursing homes and their presence brightens so many faces and lives. Thank you for your service!