PETPOSITIVE DIARY UPDATE:A paraplegic woman has successfully passed the first of several steps to qualify for a companion canine partner recently.
She made the application with the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association in Kuala Lumpur.
Also known as PETPOSITIVE - the only national, not-for-profit animal-assisted therapy society in the country whose aim is to pair people with disabilities with pets for self-empowerment - visited the young woman in her home to conduct a professional assessment of her situation.
"Although our applicant, who is a Petpositive member, already has several pets of her own including several dogs and a cat, a new puppy in her life could very well be just what the doctor ordered in helping her live a positive life with her disability," said Petpositive's President Anthony SB Thanasayan to PET+BLOGSPOT in an interview conducted earlier today.
"We have already handed her our special Petpositive Pet-Partner Application Form which she will have to fill up in consultation with her family members," added Anthony.
"Once we receive her response, our member who happens to live outside of Kuala Lumpur will be invited to our Petpositive Therapy Centre in Petaling Jaya where further independent and professional assessments from our Petpositive team will be made before the entire application process is discussed thoroughly at our main Petpositive Commitee Meeting for a final decision."
According to Anthony, each and every pet-partner application will have to go through a specialised team of persons before a successful candidate is selected.
The decision-makers will involve disabled and elderly persons who actively receive animal-assisted therapy, veterinary surgeons and medical doctors.
"Animal-assisted therapy is not a frivolous matter," cautioned Anthony.
"Every effort will be made on Petpositive's part to ensure that both the disabled participant and the animal involved get to benefit from the exercise," he concluded.
- If you are a disabled or elderly person who is interested in having a pet for companionship, please call us.
- If you are a volunteer who would like to be involved in our pet-partners programme, please write to us with your full details. Address your email to petpositive@yahoo.com.
- If you wish to financially sponsor a Petpositive Pet-Partner Programme, please call us for details. Please note that donations to Petpositive are tax-exempted. Please call us at 012 220 3146
PET+BLOGSPOT is the official online blog of the Malaysian Animal-Assisted Therapy for the Disabled and Elderly Association (Petpositive).
Our blog which was first established in October 2007 currently has more than 25,000 hits. Kindly take note that views expressed in this blog are not necessarily those of Petpositive.
You may also visit our Webpage by browsing: www.petpositive.com.my
No comments:
Post a Comment