HosPet Volunteer (St. Lucie and Martin Counties)

Save to Favorites

The Treasure Coast Hospice HosPet Program provides a team which includes a volunteer and therapy dog to visit with Treasure Coast Hospice patients.

The program's goal is to improve a patient's social, emotional, or mental health with the assistance of the HosPet team visit. Often TCH patients have had to give up their own pets due to illness, relocation to a facility or an inability to care for them. The HosPet program provides a social visit with a dog that can bring fond memories and lift spirts. Who can resist a wagging tail and floppy ears?

Note that the dog must be certified as a therapy dog through a qualifying program*.

HosPet Visit Assignment:

• The team may be assigned to a specific patient through a referral from Treasure Coast Hospice clinical staff for the patient or family.
• The team may be assigned a facility to make regular weekly visits to the facility and all Treasure Coast Hospice patients at the facility.

A typical HosPet team visit is usually 15 - 30 minutes.

*Local therapy dog training is available through the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast (https://hstc1.org/Training). We encourage volunteers who are interested in this program to sign up as a Treasured Pets volunteer (https://www.treasurehealth.org/Treasured-Pets) as their pet goes through training.