Pet therapy programs in Monmouth and Ocean need your animals

If you’ve ever thought that your pet’s lovable nature could help those who are sick, shy or lonely, you may want to look into whether you and your pet would be a match for pet therapy programs.

Between some owners and pets leaving these types of programs during the pandemic, as well as some retirements, organizations such as the Monmouth County SPCA Pet Therapy program or Canine Caregivers based in Ocean County are looking for new members for their pet therapy teams.

“Right now, we have more demand than supply,” said Jeff Blazewicz, special projects manager and information technology coordinator at the Monmouth Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Blazewicz is supported in running the program by a group of volunteers and a few staff members.

“The real core to the success of the program is the volunteers and their compassion to help,” he added.

When asked what she found most rewarding about the program, Monmouth volunteer Kathy Miles said, “Watching both children and adults come out of their shell and start telling stories as they smile and pet the dog.”

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'A healthy diversion'

Pets, which must be certified to enter the program, can make an appreciable difference in the mental and physical health of those who they visit.

“Pet visits can create a healthy diversion for those in crisis or just dealing with the stress of daily life,” Blazewicz said. “Visits to people with medical issues can make a very positive impact in their ability to recover and rehabilitate. Pet interactions are non-threatening partners for kids struggling with emotional or life skills issues.”

While dogs are the most popular animals that get certified to provide pet therapy, the program is open to any domestic animal, Blazewicz said. Despite the name, and the current roster of exclusively dogs, Caregiver Canines is also open to other domesticated animals.

“We have had a few felines and even fairly recently a therapy rat named Penny who was quite popular,” said Blazewicz of the Monmouth SPCA.

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The program has been in place since 1990, and it has been active ever since (except at the height of COVID-19). Among the locations teams visit are nursing and retirement facilities, and schools and libraries throughout Monmouth County.

“When we go to libraries, it is generally the Read to Dogs branch of our program. This is where kids who might struggle with reading skills read aloud to a therapy dog,” Blazewicz said.

Some teams also go to facilities or special events where the public, as part of the SPCA’s Humane Education arm, is invited to learn about proper care and respect for animals.

Additionally, pet therapy teams have also worked in an emergency capacity, Blazewicz said, "most commonly where there is a sudden death of a young child or a schoolteacher in an elementary school and the kids need help dealing with the trauma.”

Cutting down on loneliness

Caregiver Canines, which launched in 2009, is part of Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, which connects area seniors with home visits, transportation services and more.

Canine Caregivers currently has 30 working teams who provide connection and comfort to seniors over age 60 who no longer drive.

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"Our mission is to increase the well-being of seniors and their caregivers by matching them with a therapy dog team for visits in the comfort of their own home,” program manager Danielle Maley said. “The goal is to decrease loneliness and stress by providing connection, affection, comfort and joy to those that can no longer care for a pet of their own."

According to program information, pet therapy visits can provide a wealth of benefits: They can improve seniors’ health and self-esteem and can even sometimes bring back memories for seniors with dementia.

To participate in Caregiver Canines, both owners and dogs must also go through the certification process, which can be completed at a local training school.

“I have the dog and their owner come in for a meet-and-greet to make sure they are right for the program and the seniors we visit,” Maley said.

Visits are scheduled for mutually agreeable times for the working team and the senior client, Maley said. Teams occasionally visit schools or other facilities for presentations.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, animals and their owners must have the right temperament to become certified and perform this important work.

“Therapy animals are owned animals with owners who wish to serve the community and share their special pets’ gifts of love and compassion,” Blazewicz of the Monmouth SPCA said.

Prior to certification, owners go through a session during which volunteers and a staff trainer cover what makes a good therapy pet.

“Essentially, they must be very calm and mellow, they must be able to obey basic commands (if they’re a dog) and not frighten easily in the presence of people, groups of people, kids, noises, activity, etc. Super chill and mindful is how I describe it in a nutshell,” Blazewicz said.

Active, unpredictable pets can bring plenty of joy to their families, but are not ideal to be navigating care facilities with patients who may be frail or timid, and may be attached to monitors and medications via IV or wire.

Owners, meanwhile, must have control of the animal, and must be available weekdays, often during 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. when visits are most likely to happen. The SPCA must approve all visits ahead of time so owners and pets can be covered by SPCA insurance while on site.

Blazewicz explained that when team candidates feel ready, the SPCA schedules a free 20-minute certification session where the therapy teams are evaluated. In these sessions, volunteers (including local scout troop members) simulate environments that a team might visit.

The pet is evaluated on how well it responds to commands amid the distractions of crowds and people using medical devices (e.g., crutches and walkers). The certification is pass/fail, and those who fail are offered additional coaching and invited to re-apply as often as they would like, Blazewicz said.

Teams must meet certain requirements to stay in the program. They must do visits on what Blazewicz calls a “reasonably regular basis.” The pets also must have a current rabies vaccine certificate on file with the Monmouth County SPCA. Owner and pet health, as well as significant pet behavior changes, may also affect the team’s eligibility.

“If we have team capacity to entertain a request (for visits), we then send a volunteer coordinator to the facility to go over the program guidelines, assess safety for our visits and set up a schedule,” Blazewicz said.

If the location is a match, a team will ideally visit the facility for up to an hour once or twice a month.

How to volunteer

If you’re interested in learning more about how to get you and your pet certified for pet therapy in Monmouth County contact the SPCA and attend a free introduction class with your pet. Call 732-542-0040 or go online at www.monmouthcountyspca.org. Find the link for shelter services, then other services, and scroll down to Pet Therapy & Humane Education.

Organizations interested in having a pet therapy team visit can contact the SPCA by email at Pettherapy@Monmouthcountyspca.org or by calling 732-542-0040.

To learn more about Canine Caregivers, call Danielle Maley at 732-505-2273 ext. 202 or email daniellem@caregivervolunteers.org. Canine Caregivers does not make regular visits to facilities but can direct callers with such requests.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Pet therapy programs in Monmouth and Ocean need your animals