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Important Pet Partners Information

Please read before signing up for a Handler Class or Evaluation! (For pdf versions, scroll to bottom.)

ElderPet currently offers the Pet Partners Handler Class two - three times a year.  The Pet Partners Handlers Class is for PEOPLE only – no pets allowed on this day.  Pet Partners Animal/Handler (Team) Evaluations take place by appointment only, on a Saturday two weeks following each workshop, either in Exeter or at UNH in Durham.  During the session we evaluate you and your pet to determine how well you would work together  as a team in situations that might be encountered on a typical “visit.” 

If you cannot make one of our classes, there are additional workshops by other New England Organizations listed on the Pet Partners website www.petpartners.org the Pet Partners also offers a and on-line “Home Study” option.

The fee for the Pet Partners Handler Course with ElderPet is $75.00/person, which includes the textbooks, all materials, and the evaluation of ONE animal.  (There is an extra $25 fee for each additional animal.  Additional animals will be evaluated if we have space available.) The team evaluations alone are $25.

Once you complete the class and the evaluation, you will need to register with Pet Partners as a Team.  This requires paying additional fees directly to the Pet Partners.  This registration is good for two years. The benefits to becoming a registered Pet Partners Team, including liability insurance, are discussed during the workshop.

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Not every person, and certainly not every animal, makes a good visiting team.  It depends on how comfortable you are volunteering in different settings, the skills and abilities of your pet, and how well the two of you work together.  It also takes a certain amount of commitment, both up front and on-going.  In order to help you decide whether or not you want to attend the Pet Partners handler Class, below is a list of the requirements necessary to become a registered Pet Partners team.

• Your pet must be at least one year old.

• Your pet must have lived with you for at least six months.

• Your pet must NOT be on a raw animal source protein diet.

• You must complete the Pet Partners Handlers Course in person or complete the on-line course.

• You and your pet must be evaluated by a Pet Partners licensed team evaluator and must receive a passing score on both the skills and aptitude tests.

To receive a passing score, dogs must be able to perform basic obedience skills including sit, lie down, stay, and come when called, and have the appropriate temperament for visiting.

We recommend that dogs complete a Canine Good Citizen class, or, at the very least, a basic obedience course, prior to being evaluated for Pet Partner.

To register for an upcoming course, please print and fill out the workshop registration form and send it in with your payment.  To register for an evaluation only, please print out a separate evaluation form. Payment is required to hold your spot. 

Questions may be directed to Jeri Zezula, Pet Partners Instructor at jerilee.zezula@unh.edu

Team Evaluation Information

We recommend not coming to the evaluation site any earlier than 10 to 15 minutes prior to your appointment, as there are times when we run behind schedule and, should that be the case, we do not want your pet to have to way an inordinate amount of time prior to being evaluated.  (We do try our best to stay on schedule, so if we are running behind we ask for your patience and understanding.)

The evaluation itself will last about 15 to 20 minutes, but please plan on being at the evaluation site for about 45 minutes.  Also, please be sure to bring your pet’s rabies certificate with you (rabies tags will not suffice). You can obtain the rabies certificate from your veterinarian. We cannot evaluate your animal without first seeing the rabies certificate!  There will be NO exceptions.  You will also need to bring your animal’s brush, as well as a completed copy of the “Handler Questionnaire” from your Pet Partners Class or Renewal Packet. If you have taken the on-line class, you will need to bring your completion certificate.

Please note that Delta stipulates that food treats and toy treats cannot be used during the evaluation session. 

As a reminder, dogs need to be able to perform basic commands (sit, down, stay, come when called, etc.) in order to pass the skills test.  Failure to complete any of the exercises on the skills test will result in a “not ready” overall score. 

Your pet will also be tested for temperament (i.e., reaction to another dog, accepting petting/hugging, accepting a treat from a friendly stranger, etc.)  He/she will be allowed to receive up to three “not ready” scores on the aptitude (temperament) test and still receive an overall passing score. 

Please remember that we are also evaluating you, to see how much control you have over your animal, and to determine how well the two of you work together.

Upon successful completion of the evaluation, you will receive instructions as to your “next steps.”  You will need to submit your registration fee and all paperwork (from the back of your book or from your renewal packet) directly to the Pet Partners.

If you wish to become a member of ElderPet (There is no fee for membership.), you may register with the Pet Partners at a discounted rate as a Pet Partners  “affiliate” member.  Be sure to write ELderPet on your application form.  (If you are a senior or have a disability, Pet Partners also offers discounts.)

If you are signing up for the evaluation only (not the workshop) see Evaluation Schedule.

If you have any questions please email jerilee.zezula@unh.edu Pet Partners Instructor

PDF's for printing:

Becoming a Pet Partner (From Pet Partners)

Team Evaluation Info

 

ElderPet|291Mast Rd.| Durham, NH, 03824 |603-767-6856 | jerilee.zezula@unh.edu |Last updated 5/10/12