Animal Assisted Therapy

Therapets

What is Therapets?

Therapets is an animal assisted therapy program created by Animal Friends.

We impact thousands of lives each year with the healing power of animals. Each of our Therapet teams undergoes specialized training and certification to ensure they are a good fit for the program.

Accompanied by their human handlers, these dogs, cats and rabbits visit hospitals, schools, nursing homes, specialized care facilities, college campuses and many other locations throughout our region.

We also offer our Pet Assisted Literary Services (PALS) program which build confidence and promotes a love of reading through the animal-human bond.

Therapets

What is a therapy animal?

Not to be confused with service dog or emotional support animals, a therapy animal is any companion animal who has undergone training and certification to provide comfort and affectionate support to someone other than their owner.

What is the difference between a service dog, therapy dog and emotional support animal (ESA)?

  • Service Dog

    These dogs are highly trained to perform tasks in order to assist people with disabilities. They are protected by the ADA, allowing them access to public places where pets aren't permitted.

  • Therapy Animal

    These dogs are trained to offer comfort and affection in settings like hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. They are not service animals and are not protected by the ADA. They can visit facilities if invited, but they cannot go to restaurants or stores, fly on airplanes without a ticket or live in housing with “no pets” policies.

  • Emotional Support Animal

    These pets provide comfort and support to people with mental health disorders, but they are not trained to perform tasks. They are not protected by the ADA and cannot go into public. However, you can get an emotional support animal letter (ESA letter) from a medical professional that qualifies you and your ESA for protection under the Fair Housing Act.

Request a Therapets Visit

Providing comfort and affection to those who need it most in our community.

Each team includes a handler and a dog, cat or rabbit who have been evaluated and certified for pet therapy.  Dog teams have also completed a six-week Therapets training course.

Visits typically last for about an hour and take place at your facility located in Pittsburgh or surrounding regions.

Scheduling your visit is subject to the availability of our volunteer Therapets teams.

To request your visit, fill out the appropriate form below.

Therapets

Therapet Certification

We are currently seeking cat and rabbit teams! Dog evaluations will resume in March 2025 for our spring session, please email the address below at that time to schedule.

Team Requirements

To become a Therapet, your pet must be:

  • Spayed or neutered.

  • At least 1 year old.

  • A member of your family for at least 6 months.

  • Up-to-date on appropriate vaccines (titers are not accepted) and have documentation of an annual wellness exam.

    • Dogs must have distemper and rabies vaccines.
    • Cats must have FVRCP and rabies vaccines.
    • Rabbits must have their RHD vaccines.

Handlers 18 years of age or older must be able to pass PA Child Abuse, PA State Police and FBI Fingerprint clearances.

Petsburgh Magazine

Think your animal would be a good Therapet?

To determine whether your dog, cat or rabbit might be a good candidate, consider the following:

  • Are they friendly and outgoing?

  • Do they enjoy being touched and petted by those unfamiliar to them?

  • Do they enjoy visiting new places and meeting new people?

  • Do they ride well in the car?

  • Are they calm and patient in new environments?

  • For dogs, have they attended and completed more than one group class? Are they able to focus and ignore other dogs when in a group setting?

  • For cats, are they comfortable traveling in a carrier and wearing a harness and leash? Please let us know if you need advice on helping your cat adjust to a harness!

  • For rabbits, are they comfortable traveling in a carrier and wearing a harness or leash or being carried in a basket or cross-body sling?

If you answered yes to these questions and you’re interested in becoming a member of our Therapets program, please email Therapets@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org and you will be contacted to learn about next steps. Please monitor your junk or spam folder for our response in case it ends up there by mistake.

  • Prep Classes and Certification

    To become a certified Therapets team, you and your pet must first complete a behavior evaluation with one of our Therapets trainers to determine whether they’re a good fit for the program. If they pass, humans 18 years or older must complete our volunteer orientation and a Pet Therapy Workshop with our Therapeutic Services Coordinator. Anyone accompanying the handler during Therapets visits must be 13 years or older and complete these two training sessions as well.

    We offer a 6-week Therapets Prep Class along with other resources to help you and your dog develop the skills needed to conduct therapy dog visits at a variety of facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, residential treatment centers, hospices, and more.

    Throughout the course, we will focus on strengthening the bond between dog and handler, ensuring that both work well together as a cohesive team. The class includes a hands-on visit to a local facility for a therapy dog session. By the end of the course, you and your dog will be prepared for the Animal Friends’ Therapets Canine Certification test.

    Please note: an assessment interview is required before enrolling in this class.

    Click here to review our Therapets testing criteria.

    To schedule an appointment or for more information about our program, please contact Therapets@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

Pet Assisted Literacy Services (PALS)

Our Pet-Assisted Literacy Services (PALS) build confidence and promotes a love of reading through the animal-human bond. By enjoying books that have been selected and approved as aligning with Animal Friends’ vision of a humane and compassionate future for every animal friend, participants will develop reading skills by reading aloud to our PALS trained Therapets teams.

Reading to a companion animal can be a great way to enhance a child’s literacy skills and foster a love of reading!

Did you know that reading to a companion animal can have many benefits for a child, such as:

  • Motivation

    An animal can make reading more enjoyable for a child, especially if they choose the book and the animal is attentive.

  • Confidence

    An animal provides a non-judgmental listener, helping children feel less anxious about mistakes or reading slowly.

  • Fluency

    An animal allows children to practice reading aloud, improving speed, accuracy, and expression through repetition.

  • Reading for a Purpose

    Reading to an animal gives children a sense of purpose and responsibility, as their attention benefits the animal.

pet assisted literary

Animal Friends is proud to offer two types of PALS programming:

Reading PALS in Schools

This school-based program supports shy or struggling readers in grades 1-3, or older students with learning exceptionalities, in the Pittsburgh area. Certified therapy animals and their handlers visit schools to work with students recommended by teachers or reading specialists. During these read-aloud sessions, students read to an animal and its handler in a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Classroom educators facilitate the sessions, while reading specialists or librarians assist in selecting appropriate reading materials.

We also provide a selection of humane education books to schools in need. Reading PALS fosters a positive and fun reading experience while teaching students about animal respect and the value of humane education.

pet literacy and therapy

Please note: Animal Friends’ Therapeutic Programs Coordinator reviews all books to ensure they align with our Mission, Vision, and Values. If necessary, school staff may be asked to help students choose a different book.

Event PALS

Event PALS offers literacy activities for readers of all ages and abilities. These events are less formal than Reading PALS and are held outside of the classroom at local libraries, community events, summer camps, or other venues. Participants can read to certified therapy animals and engage in activities like listening to an animal-themed story or reading aloud to a certified Therapet. Event PALS also features books with humane messaging, provided by Animal Friends. You can view the approved PALS book list here.

Note: Reading to shelter animals at Animal Friends is not currently available. However, families can schedule a 15-minute one-on-one session with a PALS team during We Time Weekends. Learn more about our We Time Weekends here.

dog being read to by children

For more information about Animal Friends' PALS programs, please email PALS@ThinkingOutsideTheCage.Org or call 412.847.7030.

If you'd like to volunteer with your pet in our PALS programs, you must first become a certified Therapets team.