Therapy Animal Handler Course
Learn animal body language, visit safety, advocacy, and team evaluation skills.
Therapy Animal Handler Course Details
Becoming a therapy animal team with your pet takes more than a vest and good intentions. You need to be prepared for what to expect and know how to advocate for your animal partner in situations that will be completely new for you both.
That’s why every volunteer completes the Therapy Animal Handler Course before joining Pet Partners. This comprehensive course helps you feel confident and ready by covering:
- How to read and respond to animal body language
- How to guide and advocate for your animal in real-world visiting environments
- How to prepare for the Pet Partners Team Evaluation
Our Handler Course helps you and your animal show up confident, safe, and ready to make meaningful connections from day one.
Course Pricing
Registered Volunteer: $0
Non or In-progress Volunteer: $80
Course Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Our courses are fully self-paced and easy to follow. They are designed for people with busy lives, those new to volunteering with their pet, or those already visiting with their pet and looking to build skills and confidence. You’ll hear the lessons read aloud, and you’ll answer real-world, scenario-based questions (think: multiple choice and drag-and-drop). You’ll have a quick knowledge check at the end and walk away with a certificate you can show the staff at any facility you visit.
With every Pet Partners online course, you can truly go at your own pace. Courses usually take people 2–4 hours to complete, depending on how deeply you engage with the content. You can start, stop, and return whenever your schedule allows. Learn at whatever pace works best for you!
The course is available for free to all registered Pet Partners volunteers. For non-volunteers the course is $80.
You will see a Buy Course section on this course page above. Simply enter your email address and click “Next”. You will receive a login code via email, which you can use to log in to the LMS. Follow the instructions on the screen to proceed.
Yes, Pet Partners courses are designed to be as inclusive as possible! The Therapy Animal Handler Course has accurate closed captions, screen reader support, alternate text, keyboard navigation, and learner-controlled playback and display settings. Whether you’re using a laptop or assistive tech, you’ll be able to access everything you need.