March 2008 Vol. 27. No. 3

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

For All Time Cat Haven: Del Norte couple crates a safe dwelling for pets
Budget cuts: Programs will likely be affected
Area 1 Agency on Aging: Come talk about senior needs March 18
Get ready for A Special Day of Caring ‹ for your critters
AARP Driver Safety classes set
Rx: Pets: Training to become a Pet Partner set April 25, 26

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Rx: Pets
Training to become a Pet Partner set April 25, 26

Prescription: Pets, an affiliate of Delta Society¹s Pet Partners Program, is offering Humboldt County residents and their pets an opportunity to bring smiles to residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

The workshop to become a Pet Partner team will take place Friday evening, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, in Eureka. This training is for humans only; the animal members of the Pet Partner team will later receive coaching and then the entire team will be evaluated by Delta Society standards.

Humboldt County Pet Partners is hoping to expand services to organizations which serve children and battered women and need more trained teams to do so.

The Pet Partner Program was established in 1990 to ensure that ³both ends of the leash² ‹ people as well as animals ‹ were prepared to participate in animal-assisted activity and therapy programs. Pet Partners is the only international registry that requires volunteer training and screening of animal-handler teams.

Delta¹s national network links volunteers with facilities in their own communities that request visiting pets and helps Pet Partners contact facilities to begin visits in new locations.

Prescription Pets serves Humboldt, Tehama and Shasta counties and operates with a base of about 80 animal-handler teams visiting 14 facilities. The goal is to enhance the quality of life and emotional health of patients, clients and staff.

Though most of the animals are dogs, cats, rabbits and a miniature horse also make visits. Each facility is scheduled for one to four visits a month by one to six animal-handler teams.

Prescription Pets hopes to increase the number of animal-handler teams and facilities served in Northern California and invites interested community members to join. For more information, call Maggie Kraft at 444-8254, ext. 202, or browse the following sites: www.deltasociety.org or www.prescriptionpets.org.