Westside Medical Center
Pet therapy Volunteers
Pet therapy teams are an essential service of supporting the Kaiser Permanente mission of providing meaningful experiences to patients, members, staff and visitors. Our teams show members care and compassion by spending time with individuals, giving them comfort with their therapy dog, and providing a warm smile and presence everywhere they go.
Minimum Commitment requirement
At least 1 hour a week
Additional requirements
Handlers must provide updated copies of certifications and vaccination records of the pet annually.
Pet therapy teams must be registered with an approved Pet Assisted Therapy Program agency (Pet Partners or Dove Lewis for example)
How to become a volunteer
1. Complete Volunteer Application Form
Fill out the online application below. All volunteers must have an email that is regularly checked. Handlers must provide updated copies of certifications and vaccination records from their organization. The application provides spaces to include your dog’s information and to upload their certifications and vaccination records.
2. Come in for an Interview
Your application and availability will be reviewed. If it is a fit, we will ask you to come in for an interview with a member of the volunteer team. We will also want to meet with your therapy dog as well. We will provide you with further information about our program and next steps at the interview.
3. Background Check and Health Screening
Kaiser Permanente requires all volunteers to complete a health screening. If you are 18 or older, you must have a background check. This will be explained further during the interview process. Additionally, therapy dogs need to provide proof of most recent vaccination.
4. Volunteer On-boarding
As a new volunteer, you will participate in New Volunteer Orientation and training. All volunteers must agree to follow the hospital’s standards of behavior. Ongoing trainings are provided both in-person and online.