Over one hundred students turned out for Oswego College’s Mental Health Awareness event on October 7, and the highlight, for many, was the opportunity to visit with PAWS of CNY’s therapy dog teams. The event was held on the campus quad, and encouraged students to participate in a variety of stress reduction activities.
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The students at Onondaga Community College (OCC) successfully hosted their first stress reduction event for students on October 8. The event brought several wellness-themed organizations and activities to the campus quad, including some of PAWS of CNY’s therapy dog teams. PAWS of CNY volunteer Jody Satalin attended the event with her golden retriever Cooper.
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PAWS of CNY was pleased to participate in “Healthy Monday” on Monday, September 29. The event, organized by two resident hall activity directors at Syracuse University, aimed to promote an afternoon of stress-free wellness for students living at Day and Flint residence halls, located on Syracuse University’s “Mount Olympus.” The event was part of the “Mondays on the Mount” activity series for the two residence halls.
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PAWS of CNY, Inc. is pleased to offer Therapy Dog Training classes designed to prepare dogs to pass the PAWS of CNY certification, as well as to provide ongoing education to dogs and handlers who are already certified. The training classes are not mandatory in order for a dog to be evaluated, but they are encouraged for dogs who are good candidates for pet therapy work but may need assistance perfecting some of the certification criteria
Courses are routinely scheduled throughout the year. View our events page to see current and upcoming course information, or click here to register online for our next available course.
Learn more about the course content
Please note that as a class prerequisite, dogs coming into the class must have a good foundation of basic skills such as sit and leash manners.
There are five classes in each session. The total cost is $80.
Pre-registration is required.
Please contact us to learn more about the available therapy dog training classes.
PLEASE NOTE: The PAWS of CNY Certification provides accreditation for handlers and their dogs to attend PAWS of CNY sanctioned AAA and AAT pet therapy visits only. PAWS of CNY does not certify emotional support dogs, guide dogs, and other service dogs.
PAWS of CNY, Inc. welcomes all domesticated dogs and cats that meet our eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria. If you are interested in becoming a PAWS of CNY certified volunteer team with your pet, you will need to complete the following steps:
1. Application – Please complete both a volunteer application and a pet application and return them along with the required health and vaccine records for your pet to PAWS of CNY. We will review your application and if you and your pet meet our initial requirements, we will contact you to begin the certification process.
Click here to learn more about the application process.
2. Certification – The certification process includes both an initial evaluation and a facility evaluation:
Initial evaluation – You and your pet must pass an initial evaluation test for our certified evaluators. If you pass the initial evaluation you must attend the next monthly New Volunteer Orientation meeting in which you and other evaluated volunteers will meet with a member of the Board of Directors to learn more about the requirements and expectations of our volunteers.
Facility evaluation – At the New Volunteer Orientation meeting you will be assigned to a nursing home or assisted living facility in which you will complete the facility evaluation process over a series of three months. If you and your pet pass the facility evaluation you will have passed the complete certification process and will receive a PAWS of CNY certificate and a bandanna for your pet to wear at facility visits and events moving forward.