The Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium will be hosting a Pet Therapy Certification Class on Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The class is the first step handlers take in becoming certified to do pet therapy sessions. 

The class, presented by Washington-based Pet Partners, will teach handlers about what pet therapy is, how to keep their animals safe and healthy, what laws are involved in pet therapy, and tips for running pet therapy sessions. In order to become fully certified, potential handlers must submit an application on the Pet Partners website, undergo a background check, take the handler’s class, and do a team evaluation and handler/animal exam. Robin Beale, who is certified with Pet Partners, will be leading the class. He and his golden retriever, named Finney, have been doing pet therapy for over two years. 

“Finney goes everywhere with me,” Beale explained. “People are so happy to see and interact with Finney … He just brings smiles to people’s faces. It makes your day wonderful.”

Beale got into pet therapy because he’s a self-described animal lover. He recently retired, and adopted Finney around the same time. 

“Finney was a wild man, I wasn’t even sure I’d be able to get through basic obedience with him,” Beale said.

Once Finney matured, Beale saw a lot of favorable traits in him, and thought he would make a good therapy dog. Beale heard about Pet Partners through a friend and decided to get involved.

“I liked volunteering, and giving back to my community,” he said. 

Beale’s class will include only the handlers, except for the demonstration part of the class. The class is done in a group setting. Further training can be done solo, and a team evaluation will be held Sept. 8. 

According to Beale, there’s a lot of need for therapy dogs in the Keweenaw. Beale and Finney make regular visits to Garden View Assisted Living, various area hospitals, and Michigan Tech. He’s constantly getting new visit requests, but Pet Partners restricts dogs to no more than two hours a week of visits. This gap creates a need for more handlers and dogs in the local community. Handlers can create their own schedules for visits, and choose where they go. 

“They go wherever there’s a need,” Beale explained. He added that sometimes he and Finney will be asked to come to a specific facility or organization. He’s also reached out himself to places in the area to ask if they were interested in a visit. 

While therapy dogs are welcome in a variety of settings in the Keweenaw, Beale wanted to emphasize that therapy dogs don’t always have the same privileges as service animals. While service animals can go almost anywhere with their owners, like restaurants and airplanes, therapy dogs cannot. It’s recommended to call a facility ahead of time to find out if they allow therapy dogs. 

There are currently no breed restrictions on what kinds of dogs handlers can use for pet therapy. However, dogs must undergo a veterinary exam and have a vet’s approval before joining the program. Handlers must also be completely certified before they can begin visits. 

For more information and to sign up for the class, visit PetPartners.org, or reach out to Patty Cornish at 906-485-5815.