Therapy Animals of San Antonio FAQs
Therapy Animal FAQs
A therapy dog or cat must be at least one-year-old.
Any dog of any breed or mix of breeds can be a therapy dog.
A therapy dog doesn’t have to perform any tricks or know any special commands such as “fetch.” However, therapy dogs must listen to their handlers and know basic obedience.
Therapy dogs need to have a calm and gentle disposition. They must be good around other dogs, calm when strangers pet them all over, not jump on others, walk on a leash without pulling, and not startled by things such as strange noises, smells, and medical equipment.
A therapy dog must be current on all vaccines required by the local laws, have a negative fecal test every 12 months, and be clean and well groomed for each visit.
No. TASA doesn’t restrict member’s choices regarding what they feed to their canine team partners. If a team chooses to register through the national organization, Pet Partners, there are restrictions on raw food diets.
No. Therapy dogs don’t have the legal access rights that service or assistance dogs have. NOTE: If a member misrepresents that their therapy dog is a service or assistance dog, they’ve violated TASA’s Rules and Regulations and they’ve put their membership and the integrity of TASA at risk.
A therapy animal is a pet who is controllable, reliable and predictable. The animal has good manners in public and is comfortable in unfamiliar environments and with new people. Common therapy animals are dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, pot bellied pigs, and horses. A therapy animal is NOT a service animal, an emotional support animal, nor a working animal.
A therapy team is a human volunteer and his/her pet. The human side of the team has participated in a training class and the team has passed an evaluation meeting certain minimum requirements to be a team with a Local or Pet Partners® registration.
Animal-assisted activities (AAA) provide opportunities for motivational, educational, and/or recreational benefits to enhance a person’s quality of life. As an example, an individual takes his or her dog to a long-term care facility to visit the residents. Although the staff might be involved in the visits, no treatment goals have been set for the visit, and aside from signing in and out, no records are kept.
Animal-assisted therapy is goal-directed intervention. An animal is incorporated as an integral part of the clinical treatment process. Staff is always involved and records are kept to track the patient’s progress. As an example, a person who has had a stroke brushes a dog, clips a leash on and off, and buckles a dog’s collar to improve fine motor skills.
A working dog is a dog that has been trained to perform certain tasks such as herding, protection, drug detection, or search and rescue.
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Ready to make a positive difference in your community?
Become a therapy team with Therapy Animals of San Antonio. Our program offers a unique opportunity to bond with your furry friend and provide healing and hapiness to those in need.
Ready to get started? Contact us today to learn more about how you and your animal can become a part of our amazing team. Let’s create a brighter future together!