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Frequently Asked Questions |
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What does "an Affilate of Delta Society Pet Partners" mean? You can think of Massachusetts Pet Partners as a Delta Society local chapter-like entity that supports local interests and needs. Massachusetts Pet Partners is a separate, self sustaining, legal entity. The affiliate association means that we are promoting the same mission and goals of the parent company, Delta Society. A Delta Society affiliate is not a franchise. What animals can be Pet Partners? There are a great many species that make wonderful visiting animals and can form a strong human-animal bond. Only domesticated animals may become Pet Partners. Examples of registered pets include: dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, domesticated rats, horses, goats, llamas, donkeys, potbellied pigs, miniature pigs, cockatoos, African Gray parrots, and chickens. Wild or exotic animals (e.g., snakes, ferrets, lizards) may not be Pet Partners. What if I cannot attend a seminar? For handlers who prefer to study on their own or cannot attend a workshop, Delta Society offers a home study version of the Pet Partners Team Training Course. Is there a difference between Massachusetts Pet Partners Team Training sessions and the Delta Society Pet Partner Home Study version? The Delta Society Pet Partner Team Training is standardized. The materials used in the training sessions are identical and the information provided the same. One difference is that the Massachusetts Pet Partners training sessions are conducted in a small group setting to promote exchange of experiences and ideas between participants. Massachusetts Pet Partners training sessions include group exercises, self reflection exercises, and an evaluation demonstration. What happens if I am unable to attend a scheduled training session? If you are scheduled to participate in a training session and can no longer attend please contact Massachusetts Pet Partners. You are welcome to reschedule for a different training session. If you are sick and cannot attend one of the two training sessions you may make up the missed class in the next scheduled training session. You must complete both class sessions to be eligible for the evaluation. Can I become a Pet Partner if I do not have an animal companion? Yes, individuals who do not have an animal may also register as Pet Partners. What are the age requirements for a Pet Partner handler? The person handling the animal (handlers) must be at least 10 years old. Handlers younger than 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must have written permission to participate from a parent or guardian. What are the age requirements for a Pet Partner animal? All animals except birds must have lived in the owner's home for at least 6 months. Birds must have lived in the owner's home for at least 1 year. All animals except "pocket pets" must be at least 1 year of age at the time the animal is evaluated. Pocket pets (e.g., guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, etc.) must be at least 6 months at the time the animal is evaluated. Dogs trained to aggressively protect and/or encouraged to actively bite, even as a component of a dog sport (e.g., bite work that is part of Schutzhund) may not be Pet Partners. What are the Evaluation prerequisites? Once you participate in the Pet Partner Team Training, you are eligible to participate in the evaluation. How do I prepare for the Evaluation? The evaluation is in 2 parts - skills and aptitude. The skills portion of the evaluation (PPST) is modeled after the AKC Canine Good Citizen test with minor changes. As in the CGC, food treats cannot be used during the test. The team may be given up to 3 attempts to successfully complete skills of the PPST, but only if the mistake is due to handler error. If you are unfamiliar with the CGC visit the AKC web site. You are strongly encouraged to practice these skill sets prior to evaluation. The aptitude portion of the evaluation (PPAT) is a combination of scenarios in which the individual exercises flow from one to another. The order of the exercises allows for escalation of stressors during testing. During the PPAT, the handler and animal will interact (i.e., role play) with the evaluator and assistants as though they are people being visited at a facility. The handler should be able to work with the animal while at the same time interacting socially with the "client" (evaluator and assistants) as if on a visit. What happens if we do not pass the Evaluation? A Delta Society licensed Evaluator will conduct the evaluation and review the scoring results will you. The Evaluator will discuss with you the areas that you and your animal companion need to work on in order to pass the Evaluation. If you do not pass, you have the opportunity to try again at the next scheduled Evaluation event (you may not retest on the same day). What if I am not ready for the Evaluation? When you enroll in a Massachusetts Pet Partners training session, you are scheduled for the training classes and the evaluation. If after the training sessions you feel that you are not ready to participate in the evaluation you may defer the evaluation until you are ready with no penalty. You can participate in any Massachusetts Pet Partners scheduled evaluation event. Note that available evaluation time slots may be limited - first priority is given to the training session participants. Can I be evaluated with more than one animal? A team consists of a human and an animal; if multiple individuals wish to be a Pet Partner with the same animal or one individual wishes to be a Pet Partner with multiple animals then each 'team' will require an evaluation. Must my animal have a Rabies vaccine or is a titer acceptable? There is often not a consensus of opinion among those in the veterinarian community about immunizations, and State laws with respect to rabies vaccinations vary. Rather than attempting to prescribe immunizations schedules for dogs and cats (other than compliance with State laws with respect to rabies vaccination), Delta Society will rely on your veterinarian's medical judgment and knowledge of your animal's health history and status. |
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Are Pet Partners insured? Pet Partners are covered by Delta's commercial general liability insurance when they are doing volunteer work and acting within the scope of duties for a Pet Partners volunteer. As of this date, the coverage is a $1,000,000 limitation per incident. For detailed information about Pet Partners insurance visit the Delta Society web site How frequently must Pet Partners renew their registration membership? Pet Partners must renew their registration every two years. The renewal process includes an evaluation and veterinarian's health screening. |
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© 2005, Massachusetts Pet Partners, Inc.
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