How do I Become a Pet Partner?
To become a Delta Society Pet Partner, you need to follow these 4 steps. Learn more about what it takes to be a good Pet Partner team.
Step 1 - Attend a Pet Partner Handler Training Course
Pet Partner Team Training courses are held regularly in the Denver area and are taught by a licensed Delta Society Instructor with many years of experience educating and successfully working in the field. Volunteering with your pet is all about interacting with others. We believe the best way to learn how to do this is through an interactive classroom environment.
While you have the option of completing the Pet Partners course on-line, this course option is primarily intended to accommodate people living in areas where there are no Pet Partners Team Training Courses offered. It is strongly recommended that you attend the Instructor-led course.
The handler-training course gives you the distinct advantage of learning from and asking questions of an experienced Delta-licensed Instructor, plus you will benefit from interaction with classmates, discussion groups, videos, role playing and guest speakers. If you consider the number of years you intend to serve as a Pet Partner, the investment of time and cost spent taking a course is well worth building the solid foundation you’ll need to be an effective Pet Partner for years to come.
The goal of our courses is to fully prepare you and your pet to be the best possible Pet Partner team you can be. Cost for this course is $200.00 - this includes the 16-hour handler training course, the Pet Partners evaluation, and all course materials. This fee also includes our Buddy Program (which pairs new teams up with an experienced DPP member to help guide you through the process), and after you pass the evaluation, shadowing with an experienced team before you conduct visits on your own.
For more information on upcoming Denver Pet Partners Handler Training Courses click here.
If you do not live in the Denver area, you can find a listing of scheduled training courses on the Delta Society website.
While you have the option of completing the Pet Partners course on-line, this course option is primarily intended to accommodate people living in areas where there are no Pet Partners Team Training Courses offered. It is strongly recommended that you attend the Instructor-led course.
The handler-training course gives you the distinct advantage of learning from and asking questions of an experienced Delta-licensed Instructor, plus you will benefit from interaction with classmates, discussion groups, videos, role playing and guest speakers. If you consider the number of years you intend to serve as a Pet Partner, the investment of time and cost spent taking a course is well worth building the solid foundation you’ll need to be an effective Pet Partner for years to come.
The goal of our courses is to fully prepare you and your pet to be the best possible Pet Partner team you can be. Cost for this course is $200.00 - this includes the 16-hour handler training course, the Pet Partners evaluation, and all course materials. This fee also includes our Buddy Program (which pairs new teams up with an experienced DPP member to help guide you through the process), and after you pass the evaluation, shadowing with an experienced team before you conduct visits on your own.
For more information on upcoming Denver Pet Partners Handler Training Courses click here.
If you do not live in the Denver area, you can find a listing of scheduled training courses on the Delta Society website.
Step 2 - Complete Animal Health Screening
All animals involved in the AAA and AAT programs must be healthy. All vaccinations should be up to date as required by your Veterinarian, and results of a fecal exam must be included in the health screening. Your Veterinarian must complete the Health Screening form, which is a part of the registration packet. You will receive the Health Screening form at the Pet Partners Team Training course as part of your manual. This form must be submitted within 6 months of the Veterinarian's exam. A fecal test that has been done within the past 6 months must also be included.
Step 3 - Evaluate with your Partner
Animal-handler teams must pass the Pet Partners Skill Test (PPST) and the Pet Partners Aptitude Test (PPAT) administered by a licensed Team Evaluator. Most licensed Delta Society Team Evaluators are listed by state on Delta Society's website. If there is no Evaluator in your state, please contact Delta Society and they will help you find an Evaluator. Delta Society highly recommends that handler-animal teams attend an evaluation within 90 days of completing the Pet Partners Team Training Course.
The evaluation is where you and your pet are assessed for skills and aptitude to determine your readiness to become a Delta-registered Pet Partners team. The evaluation also provides valuable input for determining which visit environment (e.g., predictable or complex) that a team is prepared to successfully and comfortably volunteer in. Delta Society has established a set of objective criteria for assessing whether you and your pet are prepared to effectively serve as Pet Partners. The criteria involve thorough assessment for both skills and aptitude. Denver Pet Partners evaluations are scheduled within 2 weeks following a training workshop.
Read more about the Evaluation process.
For information on upcoming Evaluations, click here.
The evaluation is where you and your pet are assessed for skills and aptitude to determine your readiness to become a Delta-registered Pet Partners team. The evaluation also provides valuable input for determining which visit environment (e.g., predictable or complex) that a team is prepared to successfully and comfortably volunteer in. Delta Society has established a set of objective criteria for assessing whether you and your pet are prepared to effectively serve as Pet Partners. The criteria involve thorough assessment for both skills and aptitude. Denver Pet Partners evaluations are scheduled within 2 weeks following a training workshop.
Read more about the Evaluation process.
For information on upcoming Evaluations, click here.
Step 4 - Submit Registration Packet to Delta Society
Once you have scored as “Ready” on the evaluation, you must submit the following paperwork to Delta Society in order to become registered as a Pet Partner (all the paperwork can be found in the back of your training manual.)
Photo ID Form, Application Form, Volunteer Policies and Procedures/Indemnity Agreement Form, Volunteer Review, Handler’s Questionnaire, Animal Health Screening Forms, Volunteer Contact Form, and the Team Screening (evaluation results).
The completed registration packet, including the completed PPST and PPAT evaluation forms, and the registration fee (click for current registration fees), must be mailed in to Delta within 90 days of the team's evaluation. The registration fee covers the cost of your ID badge and a collar tag for your animal. Your permanent badge and tag for your animal will arrive three to four weeks after receiving your acceptance paperwork from Delta.Once you have received your badge and certificate of registration from Delta Society, you are officially a Pet Partner team and are permitted to conduct visits as such (congratulations!). In order to remain active as a registered Pet Partner with all the benefits, e.g. insurance coverage, you must be re-evaluated every two years in order to renew as a Pet Partners team.
Photo ID Form, Application Form, Volunteer Policies and Procedures/Indemnity Agreement Form, Volunteer Review, Handler’s Questionnaire, Animal Health Screening Forms, Volunteer Contact Form, and the Team Screening (evaluation results).
The completed registration packet, including the completed PPST and PPAT evaluation forms, and the registration fee (click for current registration fees), must be mailed in to Delta within 90 days of the team's evaluation. The registration fee covers the cost of your ID badge and a collar tag for your animal. Your permanent badge and tag for your animal will arrive three to four weeks after receiving your acceptance paperwork from Delta.Once you have received your badge and certificate of registration from Delta Society, you are officially a Pet Partner team and are permitted to conduct visits as such (congratulations!). In order to remain active as a registered Pet Partner with all the benefits, e.g. insurance coverage, you must be re-evaluated every two years in order to renew as a Pet Partners team.
What Former Students Say About DPP Training
"The Denver Pet Partner program is thorough and comprehensive in scope and subject matter. Training is conducted in a professional manner with an emphasis on adherence to program protocol and job site policies and procedures. Training materials are extensive and incorporate role playing, videos, live demonstrations and text."
"All of it was very informative and crucial to helping my dog in her work and in performing the best we can. Most helpful was the role playing......"
"It was absolutely the best way to begin doing this sort of volunteering."
"This was an excellent experience!"
"Role play was very valuable. The "Working With Children" presentation was really well done and informative. Evaluation simulation was great too."
"I feel that I gained a lot of valuable knowledge for therapy dog work. I also feel that through the workshop I was able to take a big step towards making a dream happen."
"The practice, hands-on exercises and demonstrations were most helpful to me in this course."
"It was very helpful to learn the interesting aspects of how to deal with different visit situations."
"I learned the seriousness of what you/we do and the commitment and reward that it is."
"Overall course assessment is "outstanding"! And I am usually a "hard" marker!"
"I gained a very thorough understanding and appreciation of the purpose and complexity of this type of volunteering."
"Well done! Efficient and well organized."
"Thanks for an awesome workshop last weekend! Very well run, organized and motivating!!"
"All of it was very informative and crucial to helping my dog in her work and in performing the best we can. Most helpful was the role playing......"
"It was absolutely the best way to begin doing this sort of volunteering."
"This was an excellent experience!"
"Role play was very valuable. The "Working With Children" presentation was really well done and informative. Evaluation simulation was great too."
"I feel that I gained a lot of valuable knowledge for therapy dog work. I also feel that through the workshop I was able to take a big step towards making a dream happen."
"The practice, hands-on exercises and demonstrations were most helpful to me in this course."
"It was very helpful to learn the interesting aspects of how to deal with different visit situations."
"I learned the seriousness of what you/we do and the commitment and reward that it is."
"Overall course assessment is "outstanding"! And I am usually a "hard" marker!"
"I gained a very thorough understanding and appreciation of the purpose and complexity of this type of volunteering."
"Well done! Efficient and well organized."
"Thanks for an awesome workshop last weekend! Very well run, organized and motivating!!"
