PAWSS

Join Our Team

Are you interested in joining the PAWSS program with your pet? Or perhaps you’d like to volunteer with PAWSS even though you don’t have a pet to accompany you. In either case, it is important to know about our assessment process and expectations.

PAWSS assessments

PAWSS has partnered with Good Boy Dog Training to create a thorough evaluation for our handler teams. Based on the renowned Delta Therapy Dog Assessment, our evaluation has established criteria in the areas of sociability, tolerance, self-control and teamwork. Basic obedience is threaded throughout the evaluation.

In addition to successfully passing the evaluation, we require the following criteria to be met prior to handler teams being vested:

• PAWSS dogs must be a minimum of six months old and are required to be re-assessed when the dog turns one year old.
• PAWSS cats must be over one year old.
• PAWSS animals must be current in annual health exams and vaccinations (rabies/Bordatella/DAPP) and deworming.
• PAWSS animals must have a city license for the city in which they reside (if applicable).
• PAWSS handlers must be 18 years of age or older.
• PAWSS handlers must have a clear criminal check and vulnerable sector check (MacEwan policy).
• PAWSS handlers may be required to complete an online mental health module (for volunteers at MacEwan Campus)

Once the handler team is vested, is it expected that the team will:

• Adhere to the vision, mission, safety procedures, and expectations of PAWSS programming as outlined in the volunteer framework, and review this information annually.
• Record volunteer hours using Track it Forward.
• Monitor their animal's body language and engagement throughout each session, class or work day.