Healing Paws / Canine Chums

Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA)

AAA involves casual interactions with animals to improve the emotional and physical well-being of participants. This contrasts with Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT), which is more structured and goal-oriented.

AAA sessions are usually casual, and include “meet and greet” activities that involve pets and their handlers visiting people in homes and institutions. The length and content of the visit is spontaneous and depends on the quality of the interaction between the patient and animal. The sessions are also not tailored to a particular person or medical condition.

Get Involved

Healing Paws

Healing Paws: Enhancing Lives Through Animal-Assisted Activities

Launched in January 2014, Healing Paws is a programme that brings comfort and companionship to various communities through Animal-Assisted Activities (AAA).

Volunteers and their dogs visit children’s homes, elderly homes, and hospices, providing much-needed emotional support and motivation.

Healing Paws Dogficer Requirements

Enjoys being handled by strangers
Approaches strangers willingly and enthusiastically
Friendly, calm and well-behaved
Pass an assessment
Undergo training
Older than 2 years of age
Under 10 years old
Not on a raw diet

Do note that 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.

Animal-Assisted Activities can be a potentially stressful experience for animals. Your dog’s welfare and happiness are our greatest priorities. To ensure a positive experience for you and your furry buddy, please fill in the form below, so that we may advise you if SOSD’s Healing Paws Programme is the right fit for you!

AAA-Assistant

If you do not own a dog that is suitable for AAA, but you wish to join us for Healing Paws visits, you can still volunteer as an AAA-Assistant.

Your role as an AAA-Assistant is to interact with the beneficiaries and provide assistance in ensuring the smooth-running of each AAA session. It is suited for persons who enjoy working with humans. Your goal is to communicate with and enthusiastically engage elderly or children beneficiaries. Working with Healing Paws canine volunteers and their handlers is an added bonus. You will not be handling dogs.

Canine Chums

Canine Chums is a programme whereby Singapore Specials are given the opportunity to meet & greet members of the public.

It is typically offered to tertiary schools, as a way to inculcate the spirit of adoption, responsible pet ownership and to accept Singapore Specials as they are.

Singapore Specials can be fearful when first rescued. It takes patience and empathy to help them get comfortable and open up, and they can absolutely be great companions.

During the sessions, we hope to educate people on what are the most appropriate ways to interact with dogs.

In this process, we hope to bring smiles to people’s faces and light up their day!

Canine Chums Dogficer Requirements

– Be a Singapore Special

– No bite history

– Must be comfortable meeting strangers

– Owner must be present to handle your dog

Healing Paws / Canine Chums connects people with dogs that offer animal-assisted activities (AAA), offering comfort, companionship, and emotional support to enhance well-being and happiness. 🐶❤️

I am signing my dog up for:

Healing PawsCanine Chums

Your Name*

Your Email*

Your Address.*

Postal Code.*

Your Contact No.*

Name of Dog*

Gender of Dog

Age of Dog*

Dog Breed*

Sterilization Status*

Has your dog been vaccinated or titer tested for Canine Distemper, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis in the past 1 year?*

YesNo

Diet*

How long have you had the dog for?*

DOGGY ETIQUETTE

1. Has your dog ever bitten, or injured another person or animal in any circumstances before? If yes, please describe the incident:*

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 display any territorial behaviours or possessiveness over food, toys, caregivers or sleeping area etc.?) *

YesNo

4. Is your dog comfortable and calm around most dogs?*

YesNo

5. Does your dog prefer engagement with humans over dogs?*

YesNo

6. Does your dog (male/female) like to hump?*

YesNo

BASIC LIFESKILLS

1. Can your dog walk on a loose leash in an unfamiliar environment with other dogs around?*

YesNo

2. Can your dog sit when asked?*

YesNo

3. Can your dog move into a down position when asked?*

YesNo

4. Can your dog stay and come when called?*

YesNo

SENSITIVITY TOLERANCE

How does your dog behave around:

1. Men?

2. Small children?

3. Strangers?

4. Wheel chairs?

5. Walking sticks?

6. Sudden loud noises?

6. Shocking visual stimuli?

7. Angry shouting persons?

8. Other unsterilized dogs?

9. Getting pets and grooming procedures?

HANDLER’S CONFIDENCE

1. Are you confident in handling your dog in stressful situations?*

Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

2. Do you enjoy interacting with old folks, children and persons with special needs?*

Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

3. Will you be comfortable speaking up when you notice your dog is getting uncomfortable with an interaction?*

Not confidentModerately confidentVery confident

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

3. What equipment do you walk your dog with?*

4. Have you undergone any training with your dog, and which trainer did you work with?*

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*

WeekdaysWeekends

I can participate in Healing Paws*

WeeklyFortnightlyOnce a Month

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

YesNo

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

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:

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)
Dog to sit and lie down
Stay while owner moves to a distance, then come
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.).

EXAMPLE:

Keep Up with Our Updates

Get in touch with us to learn more about what we are doing to assist stray dogs in Singapore.

Keep Up with Our Updates

Get in touch with us to learn more about what we are doing to assist stray dogs in Singapore.