What we do
Peata Pet Therapy’s main activity is our dog visiting scheme, in which qualified volunteers and their dogs visit Caring Facilities on a regular basis.
We provide information to health care professionals about the advantages of pet therapy and work with schools and education facilities on promoting animal welfare.
What are the health benefits?
- Dogs make us feel less alone.
- Dogs are good for your heart.
- Dogs help you stop stressing out.
- Dogs help us cope with crisis
- Dogs encourage you to move.
- Dogs make us more social.
- Dogs are so adorable the make us love them.
- Dogs make us happier
- Dogs help seniors with cognitive fuction and social interaction
Source: American Kennel Club
PEATA PET THERAPY VISITNG TEAMS ARE FULLY INSURED AND GARDA VETTED
FAQ: Visiting Members
When you, the Visiting Team (member + dog!) arrive at your caring facility, you check in with the facility’s coordinator and they will guide you to people who are interested in being visited that day.
Visiting Teams can also circulate in day rooms chatting to people about their dog and sharing experiences.
The areas you visit are designated by the Caring Facility’s coordinator.
The duration of visits depends on how your dog is responding during the visit. Dogs can tire quickly being indoors in warm buildings, your visits can also be weather (heat, humidity) dependent and you must take your dog’s welfare into consideration.
As a Visiting Member, you are requested to agree a regular visiting schedule with the Caring Facility to which you are paired. Prior to starting, we also advise that you meet with the co-ordinator to familiarise yourself with their Health, Fire & Safety procedures.
All Peata Pet Therapy Visiting teams are assessed and approved for suitability. Volunteers should have a caring attitude and must demostrate they are in full control of their dog and show that they can carry out visits in a manner than is non-disruptive to the fuctioning of the facility they are visiting. All volunteers are Garda Vetted and where you are working with children under 18, you must complete and submit the Children First Certificate from Tusla. Details of this short online course will be provided.
A Peata Pet Therapy dog is a friendly dog, they enjoy meeting people and are happy in themselves!
All Peata dogs undergo beahvioural assessment to endure they are friendly and like to meet people.
Peata visiting dogs should always be well behaved and at ease in a hospital-like environments.
Committment is an essential requirement of all Peata Visiting teams as patients build a relationship with both volunteer and pet and greatly look forward to their visits.
Unfortunately we are not able to accept dogs on the restricted breed list or dogs that are mixed with one parent on this list. We are also unable to accept dogs on a raw food diet, details of which are provided in our Education section.
Membership is renewed by payment of an annual subscription.
The membership year runs from 1st January to 31st December. For both Visiting Teams, the annual membership is €30. Caring Facilities membership is €50 and a Supporting Membership is €25 per year.
Membership is considered to have lapsed until membership is renewed.
For you and your dog to be covered by the Peata insurance policy, your annual membership subscription must be fully paid up-to-date.
Where membership has lapsed, a person / facility is no longer a member of Peata and should not be visiting / having visitors.
As Peata visiting teams regularly call to vulnerable members of society, children and adolescence, Garda clearance is required.
Dog breeds which appear on the“Restricted Dog Breeds” list in Ireland are not eligible.
No, not at present.
Yes. Peata conducts visits to third level institutions, offices, libraries and institutions who request a visiting team in the Dublin area only for once-off or occasional visits. These are arranged through our Occasional Visits Coordinator. Donation amounts vary depending on a variety of factors which can be discussed with our team. Email occasionalvisits@peata.ie for further information.
Peata Pet Therapy assesses dogs who are 9 months old and over. There is no upper age limit for assessing a dog to become a potential visiting team therapy dog.
The Visiting member is usually a minimum of 18 years of age.
FAQ: Caring Facilities
As a Caring Facility member, we request you to inform us with as much information about your facility and residents as possible so we can pair you with a suitable Visiting Team.
Your daily timetables are particularly helpful for scheduling purposes.
Please fill out the form with your organisation name, contact details and describe how you can see Peata Pet Therapy adding to your services.
When the Visiting Team (member + dog!) arrive at your facility they check in with the coordinator. As the coordinator you will let the visiting team know who is interested in being visited that day.
Visiting Teams can also circulate in day rooms chatting to people about their dog and sharing experiences. You as the coordinator designate the areas they can visit.
You are requested to agree a regular visiting schedule with the Visiting Team you are assigned.
The duration of visits depends on how the dog is responding during the visit. Dogs can tire quickly being indoors in warm buildings, the visits can also be weather (heat, humidity) dependent and we must take the dogs welfare into consideration.
As a voluntary organisation, all of Peata’s services are provided free of charge to users. None of the members of Peata, including the board of directors, receives remuneration for their activities.
Membership must be renewed annually by payment of an annual subscription.
The membership year runs from 1st January to 31st December.
For Caring Facility members, the annual subscription is €30.
Membership is considered to have lapsed until membership is renewed.
Where membership has lapsed, a person / facility is no longer a member of Peata Pet Therapy.
No, not at present.
Yes. Peata conducts visits to third level institutions, offices, libraries and institutions that request a visiting team.
