We have been so fortunate to have had many amazing Pet Teams through the years at VUMC. Please see the guidelines below and assess if they all apply to you and your pet. We hope that you, or someone you know, may be interested in joining VUMC as a Pet Team!
Pet Team Guidelines
- My pet is registered through either: a) Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA) – local chapter is TherapyARC; or b) Pet Partners – local chapter is Music City Pet Partners.
- My pet is at least one year old, has lived with me for at least one year, and weighs less than 150 pounds.
- I am willing to follow Infection Control Protocols including bathing my pet no more than 24 hours before each visit and following strict hand hygiene protocol during all visits.
- My pet is comfortable walking on slick floors and riding in elevators.
- My pet can be approached by people and engage with them, without jumping on them.
- My pet is comfortable and calm in unfamiliar surroundings, with strong smells, and new sounds.
- I am willing to onboard as a VUMC volunteer which includes a background check, required vaccines, and compliance training. Click here to review onboarding steps.
If you can answer YES to each checklist item and you are interested in learning more, please contact us at volunteer.services@vumc.org. There is a separate application for our Pet Team program, which will be sent upon mutual agreement after initial contact.