Volunteer with Healing Paws

This form is for dog owners who are interested to join SOSD Healing Paws Programme as a dog-handling volunteer. You will be bringing your dog for Healing Paws sessions and interacting with the various beneficiaries from our partner organisations.

Healing Paws does not certify therapy dogs. The purpose of our assessment is to screen your dog’s suitability for volunteering at Healing Paws activities only.

Your dog’s welfare and happiness are our greatest priorities. Animal-Assisted Activities can be a potentially stressful experience for animals. We would like to ask a few questions, so that we may advise you on whether or not SOSD’s Healing Paws Programme is the right fit for your furry buddy!

Applicants who pass this pre-screening will be invited to a temperament assessment. Applicants who pass the temperament assessment must attend training first before attending Healing Paws visits. We conduct assessments and trainings three times a year, every January, May and September.

After submitting this form, please allow 5-7 working days for our programme coordinator to get in touch with you. Feel free to contact us at Healingpaws@sosd.org.sg should you have a question!

If you do not own a dog, but wish to join us for Healing Paws visits, please fill up THIS FORM to sign up as an AAA Assistant.

    This form will take you about 10 minutes to complete.

    Your Name (required)

    Your Email (required)

    Your Contact No. (required)

    Name of Dog (required)

    Gender of Dog

    Age of Dog (required)

    Dog Breed (required)

    DOGGY ETIQUETTE
    ​1. Has your dog ever bitten, kicked, or seriously injured another person or animal before?
    YesNo

    2. Does your dog have the tendency to urinate or defecate in public areas not covered by grass? (common walkways, sitting areas etc.)
    YesNo

    3. Does your dog have any issues with territorial behaviours or resource guarding? (Food aggression, possessiveness over toys or sleeping area etc.)
    YesNo

    4. Is your dog comfortable and friendly around most dogs?
    YesNo

    BASIC OBEDIENCE
    ​1. Can your dog walk on a loose leash?
    YesNo

    2. Can your dog 'sit' on command?
    YesNo

    3. Can your dog move into a 'down' position on command?
    YesNo

    4. Can your dog 'stay' and 'come' when called?
    YesNo

    STRESS TOLERANCE
    ​Is your dog comfortable and manageable around:
    1. Men?
    YesNoI don't know

    2. Small children?
    YesNoI don't know

    3. Wheel chairs?
    YesNoI don't know

    4. Walking sticks?
    YesNoI don't know

    5. Sudden loud noises?
    YesNoI don't know

    6. Shocking visual stimuli?
    YesNoI don't know

    7. Angry shouting persons?
    YesNoI don't know

    HANDLER'S CONFIDENCE
    1. Are you confident in handling your dog in stressful situations?
    Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

    2. Are you aware of what your dog likes and dislikes?
    Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

    3. Do you enjoy interacting with old folks, children and persons with special needs?
    Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

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    Please share your brief response to the following questions; you may write in point form where necessary. Your answers will help us understand what motivates your dog, and whether or not he/she may enjoy Animal-Assisted Activities.

    1. Tell us about your dog (what he/she likes and dislikes)

    2. How does your dog react to unfamiliar people?

    3. How would your dog react if a complete stranger were to pull its tail and ears?

    4. Do you use physical punishment or dominance-based training methods on your dog?

    5. Would you prefer your dog to interact with elderly or children?

    6. Do you have any prior volunteering experience? If so, please elaborate on which organisations you have worked with

    Most Available on

    I can participate in Healing Paws
    WeeklyFortnightlyOnce a Month

    Are you able to arrange for your own transport to Healing Paws Sessions?

    Participants are to take a video with a maximum length of 1 minute. After submitting this application form, please submit your video to HealingPaws@sosd.org.sg.

    The video should include you and your dog doing the following:

    1. Walking with a loose leash. Please use either a flat collar, martingale collar, slip-leash, or harness on your dog for this video (these are collars that we encourage our volunteers to use during visits)
    2. Dog to sit and lie down
    3. Stay while owner moves to a distance, then come
    4. Greeting a stranger* and allowing stranger to pat them

    *In this case, stranger will refer to someone not living in your household.

    There does not need to be a specific quality for the video but it should be clear enough to identify yourself and your dog. As far as possible, please try to take the video continuously and avoid separate cuts. The video should not be edited (e.g. music/animation added etc.).

    For an example of what this might look like, please look at:

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