Wanted!: Animal Volunteers » (Revised)

An internationally recognized expert in the field, Mary R. Burch, Ph.D., lives in Tallahassee, Florida. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has had her work with therapy dogs featured in U.S.News & World Report, Newsweek, and Reader s Digest. Her first therapy dog was the 1992 Delta Society Therapy Animal of the year. Dr. Burch was the chairperson of the Delta Society committee to develop standards for therapy dogs. She is a certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and is an award-winning writer. Dr. Burch has lectured and conducted training on animal-assisted therapy in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

About the First Edition:

"Dr. Mary Burch s Volunteering with Your Pet is a necessary manual for anyone who wishes to join the growing number of volunteers supplementing conventional medicine with the healing potential of contact with animals." Dr. Aaron Katcher, Associate Professor Emeritus, Oral Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania

Now Completely Revised, the Definitive Guide for Animal Lovers Who Want to Get Involved in Animal-Assisted Therapy

For nursing home residents, AIDS patients, people with emotional or physical handicaps, and even prisoners, contact with animals can help lower blood pressure, release endorphins, and achieve specific treatment or program goals. This information-packed guide explains how you and your pet can make a difference in the lives of others.

Drawing from personal experience, extensive research, and heartwarming case studies, Mary Burch provides practical information for those wanting to volunteer with animals from obtaining liability insurance to evaluating clients progress. Not just an arena for dogs or cats, animal-assisted activities can involve rabbits, guinea pigs, horses, farm animals, and just about any other kind of animal. With Wanted! Animal Volunteers you ll discover what a difference you can make simply with your time, creativity, and love for animals.

Dr. Aaron Katcher, Associate Professor Emeritus, Oral Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania - Aaron Katcher

Dr. Mary Burch’s Volunteering with Your Pet is a necessary manual for anyone who wishes to join the growing number of volunteers… supplementing conventional medicine with the healing potential of contact with animals.

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

PART I: What It Involves.

Chapter 1: A History of Animal-Assisted Therapy.

Chapter 2: Getting Started.

PART II: Which Pets Do What and Why.

Chapter 3: Dogs.

Chapter 4: Cats.

Chapter 5: Horses.

Chapter 6: Farm Animals.

Chapter 7: Other Animals.

PART III: Where You Can Volunteer with Your Pet.

Chapter 8: Nursing Homes.

Chapter 9: Developmental Disabilities Facilities.

Chapter 10: Schools.

Chapter 11: Hospitals.

Chapter 12: Hospices and AIDS Settings.

Chapter 13: Prisons and Detention Centers.

Chapter 14: Miscellaneous Settings.

Chapter 15: Non-Therapeutic Settings.

Part IV: Off on Your Own.

Chapter 16: Putting a Program Together.

Chapter 17: In the Not-Too-Distant Future.

References.

Glossary.

Index.

Index of Case Studies.