Gabriel's Angels - Pet Therapy for abused and at-risk children

FAQs

1. What exactly do you do?
Gabriel's Angels visits facilities serving abused and at-risk children in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Registered teams, consisting of owner and dog, offer unconditional love, teach empathy, respect, trust and a host of other life skills these children have not learned through traditional channels. We also teach humane treatment of animals. We serve children from infants to 18 years of age.

2. What is Pet Therapy?
At the majority of our visits we provide "animal assisted activities" to abused and at-risk Valley children. Animal assisted activities are goal-related activities that improve the quality of the child's life through the use of the human-animal bond. We use the term Pet Therapy, because the general population more easily recognizes it to mean animals visiting with human clients. Animal assisted therapy, on the other hand, is used as part of a treatment process for a client. In animal assisted therapy, the certified team would work with and under the direction of therapists who set therapeutic goals and evaluate the process.

3. Who is Gabriel?
Gabriel is one of the founders of Gabriel's Angels. He is a 9-year-old Weimaraner and lives with Pam and Mike Gaber of Phoenix, Arizona. He is a Delta registered therapy dog and goes with Pam on visits to various shelters in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Gabriel's Angels was established because of Gabe's special gift of working with children in crisis. The Gabers felt it was their duty to share him as well as recruit other volunteers to help children in crisis.

4. How do I know if I have the right dog to volunteer with Gabriel's Angels?
Dogs that are candidates for our program must be comfortable around and tolerate children petting and hugging them. They must be predictable in their behavior as well as pass basic obedience skills (walk on a loose leash, sit, stay, down, and come commands). Dogs must be at least one year of age to be screened and registered. Click here to obtain pet assessment information.

5. How can my dog and I become a registered Pet Therapy Team?
Your first step would be to attend one of our monthly Information Sessions. During the session we cover all that is necessary to become a registered Pet Therapy Team. Please see our Join Our Team page for details on dates and locations.

6. My dog and I are already registered through the Delta Society. How can we become a Pet Therapy Team with Gabriel’s Angels?
Congratulations on being registered with the Delta Society! The next step would be to attend one of our monthly Information Sessions. Please see our How Can I Help page for details on dates and locations of these meetings.

7. I don't have a dog. Can I still volunteer?
Yes, we have many other wonderful volunteer opportunities. Please click here to obtain information about our volunteer opportunities.

8. What exactly happens on the Pet Therapy visits?
During our visits, the human part of the team encourages the children to pet, brush, hug or speak to the dog. These activities enable the child to experience unconditional love (maybe for the first time), build feelings of trust, empathy and respect and join in group behavior. This interaction also allows the children to achieve outward focus and forget about their problems for the moment. The children walk the dog on a leash with the help of the handler,bring the dog water and reward the dog with for obeying basic obedience commands. The latter activity allows the child to experience positive control and heightens their self-esteem when the dog listens and responds. These represent part of the many ways our dogs and volunteers interact with the children.

9. Is there a certain breed of dog you prefer to be a Therapy Dog?
There are no breed requirements for Delta registration. All dogs must be of predictable, sound temperament, love to interact with children and be at least one year old.

10. Do you only use dogs?
We currently only have one cat certified with their owner, but cats can be used in therapy work and we welcome any new additions!

11. How much does it cost to be certified?
Delta Society Home Study Course:	$37.50
Evaluation by Delta Evaluator:	$25.00
Two-year registration with Delta:	$75.00
Gabriel's Angels T-Shirt for visits:	$12.00
Gabriel's Angels Therapy Vest for dog:	$15.00
All costs are approximate and are subject to change.

12. Does Gabriel's Angels place me in a facility once I am a volunteer?
Yes. Depending upon your schedule, available population, and the facility's request, we place you in an appropriate facility and attend your first visit with you.

13. How do you decide what type of facility and age group is right for my dog and me?
We decide together! This determination is primarily made based on your dog’s size, personality and temperament. We serve children infant to 18 years of age in a variety of facilities.

14. Can a team cancel a visit? Do I have to be consistent?
Consistency is paramount for these children. Certainly, things come up that require you to cancel a visit. However, the children do miss you when you don't show up. Our teams visit for 45 minutes to one hour weekly or every other week, so the time commitment is minimal. If you know in advance that you will miss your visit, please notify both the facility’s Volunteer Coordinator and your Volunteer Coordinator at Gabriel's Angels.

15. Do you provide Pet Therapy for nursing homes, hospitals etc., or do you just focus on facilities serving abused or at-risk children?
Gabriel's Angels' mission is to build healthy relationships between abused and at-risk children and pets. We focus strictly on this mission, however, there are other organizations providing visiting animals to local nursing homes, rehab clinics and hospice care facilities.

16. How old must my dog be to be certified?
Dogs must be at least one year of age to be certified for therapy work with Gabriel’s Angels.

17. Is there liability insurance for my dog and me when we are volunteering for Gabriel's Angels?
With your Delta Society registration, you receive a one million dollar primary liability policy through them. This policy is in effect when you are volunteering as a Therapy Team and are adhering to proper procedures.

18. Can I volunteer in any other capacity outside of Gabriel's Angels once I am certified?
Yes, you are certified to work at a variety of facilities including nursing homes, rehab centers, hospice situations. Be aware, however, that these facilities may have additional requirements before you can visit with the clients. Please contact these organizations directly for their specific requirements.

19. What requirements does Gabriel's Angels have for me to be a volunteer?
To become part of our Therapy Team program, you and your dog must be screened and registered with the Delta Society, fill out our Volunteer Application and Waiver, submit and pass a federal background check. We also ask for three personal references. Your dog must have a health examination by his/her veterinarian. Helping Hand volunteers must follow these same guidelines, with the exception of Delta registration and animal health screening.

20. Do I have to be fingerprinted?
Yes, all Pet Therapy volunteers must be fingerprinted, as is mandated by the State of Arizona.

21. What confidentiality agreements are required?
Gabriel’s Angels requires that you sign a confidentiality agreement and adhere to both our rules and that of the facilities served in order to safeguard the children we serve.

22. Once I pass my certification what do I do with my paperwork?
First, make copies of all your Delta paperwork prior to filling it out just in case you need another blank copy. When you have completed the paperwork and you receive your registration papers from the evaluator, make copies of the entire packet and mail to the Delta Society directly.

23. What facilities does Gabriel's Angels service
Click here for the current list of facilities served.

24. How many Certified Pet Therapy Teams do you have actively volunteering?
We have over 90 Pet Therapy teams volunteering at facilities in Phoenix and Tucson.

25. What is a 501(c)(3) organization?
This means that all contributions to this charity, other than for value of goods received, are tax-deductible as mandated by the Internal Revenue Service.

26. How long has Gabriel's Angels been a charity?
We have been a charity since May of 2000. We officially began our Pet Therapy visits in August of 2000.

27. How can I subscribe to the Gabriel's Angels newsletter?
You can Contact Us and submit a request to receive our newsletter.

28. How can I help?
There are many ways to help. Volunteer your time, make a donation, buy Gabe's stuff, set up a memorial contribution or legacy fund. Click on How Can I Help for more information.

29.How do I get a Gabriel's Angels Team started at my facility?
You can contact us and we will set up an interview to discuss whether your facility and program meets our mission.