Teton County Pet Partners

307-690-8532

TCPetPartners.org

It’s true that man’s best friend can improve any day, and Teton County Pet Partners finds a way to bring that joy and camaraderie to those who need it most.

Working with St. John’s Health, C Bar V Ranch, TCSD, Teton Literacy Center, Jackson Hole Airport and many other local agencies, Teton County Pet Partners match dog and handler teams with clients to bring some joy for people with everything from difficult diagnoses to loneliness to general stress.

“We just did a couple of visits to the local high schools, where it's more like, you're taking a break between finals and need a pick-me-up or just a reset to destress a little bit,” Kelly Chadwick, Director of the Teton County Pet Partners chapter, said. Chadwick’s demand for canine cohorts definitely outnumbers her capacity of local teams. Since Covid she is still struggling to boost the number of teams available to make visits on the organization’s roster.

“We’re a local chapter of the national organization, which does have rules and an application process to be a part of the therapy program,” she said. The first step for any prospective handler is to take the Online Handler’s Course, which provides a thorough background on the responsibilities and necessary considerations of being a successful volunteer team. “It’s more of a course that helps people understand how a visit should work. Once you complete that, we hold an evaluation to see if the team is sound.”

Most of what the program is looking for is a well-behaved dog who has a strong connection with his or her handler. Participants as young as 10-16 years old can be a handler, as long as a guardian is present at all times to provide supervision during visits. Currently there are 3 handlers under the age of 18 participating in the program in Teton County. “It's really rewarding to see youth out volunteering in their own community,’ said Chadwick.

Chadwick said the next team evaluation date is Tuesday, Aug. 8 for interested dog and human duos who want to go out and do some good in the world.

“The best way to learn whether Pet Partners would be a good fit is to get involved. Observing an evaluation is a great way for people to determine if this program is right for them.” If you are interested in attending the upcoming evaluation (as a volunteer, spectator or potential team), Kelly would love to help you get involved, and can be reached at info@tcpetpartners. org. “The joy that dogs bring people is immeasurable,” she said. “People wind up talking about pets they’ve loved, memories they have, or just feel connected with a friendly, soft face and gentle eyes."