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Patchogue Rotary Animal Assisted Therapy

PRAAT
639 Route 112
Patchogue, NY 11772
631-207-9325
praat@optonline.net

welcome...

Animal Assisted Therapy...
Incorporates programs that provide the joy and companionship of pets and animals to children in libraries, to those who are ill, mentally or physically handicapped, or otherwise disadvantaged.

Often these people have had pets in their past but due to a change in circumstances, they can no longer have them. PRAAT brings these people back into contact with the therapeutic world of animals.

Visits from PRAAT volunteers have proven to be positive and uplifting, both mentally and physically. Whenever a person laughs and smiles it is ALWAYS good medicine.

Benefits of Animal Assisted Therapy...

	Lowers blood pressure
	Reduces anxiety and stress
	Improves gross and fine motor skills
	Provides an interesting topic to encourage dialogue
	Improves communicativeness of patients
	Makes the residents feel important and worthy
	Improves elderly patient’s recall of their childhood and the pets they had and cared for
	Improves children's reading and communication skills

Type of Facilities we visit... Our list of facilities includes (but is not limited to) the following.

	Nursing homes
	Adult homes
	Hospitals
	Handicapped facilities
	Psychiatric wards
	Pediatric wards
	Rehabilitation centers
	Schools and Libraries
	Camp Paquatuck (Rotary summer camp for handicapped children)

If you work in a facility and would like information on having a PRAAT therapy dog team visit you, please contact Carol at: (631) 827-4170 or cknapp4AAT@aol.com

How do I get involved?

There are a few steps involved with having your dog certified as a PRAAT therapy dog.

Temperament Screening. Contact us if you would like to see if your dog has the temperament required to become a therapy dog. We're looking for dogs that are very friendly and sociable.
Training. We require that you and your dog complete an eight week obedience training class. Volunteers are required to pay for the training class but you will be reimbursed for the cost of the class once you have been certified and completed 24 visits. If your dog already has excellent obedience skills we will be happy to do an obedience evaluation and bypass the training classes as long as the dog passes our standards.
Evaluation. Once you and your dog have completed the training class we will schedule to do a visit at a participating facility with you. We will be looking for not only how your dog behaves in a medical facility, but also how you handle the dog and interact with the clients and staff.
Let the visits begin!

PRAAT News!

See Photos of our
1st Annual
Dog Parade &
Costume Contest!
which was held at the
Suffolk County Farm.
10/25/09
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Tell us why you're involved with PRAAT.
Why did you get involved with Animal Assisted Therapy? What do you get out of the visits you do with your dog? Tell us your story for our new PRAAT Stories page...
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Pictures Please!
We're looking for pictures of PRAAT teams! Send us a photo and tell us something about you and your therapy dog!
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Seasonal Tips...
Check out the list of
dog-related safety
tips for the
holiday season.
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