Volunteer

Welcome! We're glad you're here! Please take a few minutes to read the information below.

Eligibility requirements for PAL teams:

Volunteer handlers must be 18 years of age or older
Volunteers are required to follow all volunteer and visitor policies, including health, vaccination, and mask requirements, of the host sites/facilities at which they visit
Dogs must be fully up to date on rabies vaccination (& distemper for DC residents)
Both handlers & dogs must be eager to socialize with unfamiliar humans
Dogs must be non-reactive towards other dogs
At time of evaluation, dogs must be at least 18 months of age & have lived with you for at least six months

Path to becoming a registered PAL team**:

The onboarding process is currently being updated. In general, prospective teams can expect to:

Complete online introductory information session
Complete a volunteer application
Participate in a team evaluation to ensure the handler and dog can safely and effectively serve as a therapy team ($35 evaluation fee applies)
Complete orientation and/or training requirements as determined by PAL
Demonstrate competency at two or more coached visits
Pay a registration fee upon acceptance as a registered PAL team ($100, good for two years)
Be re-evaluated as a team every two years

Program Update:
PAL is developing enhancements to our onboarding and evaluation process, including the addition of structured handler training and refinements to our evaluation format. During this transition there may be a temporary pause in evaluations as these updates are finalized. We anticipate rolling out the updated process in Fall 2026.

Applicants who complete their evaluation prior to the rollout will continue to onboard under the current process described above. Additional details about the updated process will be shared as they become available.

For further information regarding local training and therapy dog prep courses, and recommended reading, click the "Resources" tab above. Our in-person visits take place in the Washington, DC metro area. If you have additional questions, please email us at info@peopleanimalslove.org.

We invite interested applicants to join our interest list to receive updates as they become available.