Denver Pet Partners does not train animals. We educate the human end of the leash (the Handler) as an animal-assisted intervention (AAI) volunteer for facilities and events in the Denver area.
Included in the Pet Partners training are subjects such as risk management, infection control, engaging with different populations, recognizing stress signs in animals, and advocating for your therapy animal. To become a volunteer therapy animal/handler team, you must first take either an instructor-led Handler Training Class, which is for the handler only (there are no animals in the class) or an Therapy Animal Handler Online Course, which is offered by Pet Partners on their web site. After successful completion of either class, trainees are required to pass an online assessment. You and your animal can then be evaluated in a Team Evaluation, a 22-part skills and aptitude test. After passing the team evaluation, you are ready to register as a therapy animal/handler team with Pet Partners. You must re-evaluate every two years. **Note – DPP will not offer the instructor-led Handler Training Course in 2020.
You can sign up for the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Handler Online Course and Team Evaluation below. You may also register for the new half-day workshop training – Handling Skills for Safe Visits: Preparation for your Team Evaluation and Beyond which is designed to supplement knowledge gained in the online course. Classes and evaluations fill up quickly, so you are encouraged to sign up early. To sign up for the Online Handler Training class, go to https://petpartners.org/learn/online-education/.
Get Started!
- Create a login to the Pet Partners site – www.petpartners.org
- Log in and click Courses and Events. This button will bring you to the Training Center.
- Click Sign Up in the menu bar near the top of the page.
- Choose your course on the left, add it to your cart, and check out to complete the transaction.
Pet Partners® “Volunteering with Your Pet” Course (free)
Join us via Zoom on Saturday, August 29th from 10:00AM to 12:00PM Mountain Time for the free “Volunteering With Your Pet” course, an informational session that will introduce you to the Pet Partners therapy animal program. You’ll learn about the work therapy animals and handlers do, the requirements to be a registered handler/animal team, and the process of becoming registered. This class is designed for those who are interested in becoming therapy animal handlers, but all are welcome to attend and you do not need to be local to Denver. The class will be taught by Laura Ackerman, Sandy Langley and Stacy Mercord. The course is FREE but registration is required by going to www.petpartners.org. For questions or registration instructions please email us at at registrations@denverpetpartners.org.
Pet Partners® Handler Training Course
Denver Pet Partners will be offering the half-day Pet Partners workshop – Handling Skills for Safe Visits: Preparation for your Team Evaluation and Beyond on the following dates in 2020. The prerequisite for this workshop is the Therapy Animal Handler Online Course or the Handler Training Workshop. You do not need to be a DPP member to sign up for this half-day workshop. We welcome anyone who has completed the Pet Partners Handler Training.
Saturday, September 12, 2020, 1 pm – 3 pm.
This workshop will be offered online through Zoom by instructors Linda Forsyth and Ann Rosenwasser. To register, go to the Pet Partners Volunteer Center. This is being offered free of charge! If you are already registered for this workshop, you will receive further communication from us.
Saturday, October 24, 2020, 1 pm – 3 pm.
This workshop will be offered online through Zoom by instructors Linda Forsyth and Ann Rosenwasser. To register, go to the Pet Partners Volunteer Center. This is being offered free of charge! If you are already registered for this workshop, you will receive further communication from us.
Pet Partners® Team Evaluations
Denver Pet Partners will be offering Pet Partners Team Evaluations on the following dates:
- Saturday, September 26, 2020 @ Platte Valley Medical Center
- Saturday & Sunday, November 7-8, 2020 @ Rocky Vista University
Evaluation fee: $25
Click here to register for a Pet Partners Evaluation.