This is a Reading Buddies team and all pets must have passed the Reading Buddies evaluation class. The team visits 1st grade children who read one-on-one or sometimes as pairs to our patient pets. Before each visit, the team meets either outside or in the multi-purpose room. Volunteers are asked to bring a large blanket for their pets and the children to sit on. Seating for volunteers is provided. The program has been very popular with the children which has increased their confidence in their reading, comprehension, and their love of books.

Our monthly visits to The Healthcare Center at The Forum at Rancho San Antonio include the Acute Care (20 min), Skilled Nursing (15 min), and Memory Care (20 min) units. These visits occur in the 3 ”Day Rooms” of each unit, and if time permits, some individual room visits are included. As most residents are seated during these visits, either lap dogs/cats or larger dogs work best. The staff also enjoy visiting with our Furry Friends.

Welcome to the Reading Buddies program at the Gilroy Library. This state of the art library is located at 350 W. Sixth St. in Gilroy. Reading Buddies is a program where children read books aloud to pets, to help increase their confidence and reading ability. The one-hour visits take place in a single large room, so all pets are in close proximity to other pets. Pets of all types are encouraged; however, pets must be able to be calm for relatively long periods of time, maintaining a sit/stay or down/stay, while the child is reading to them and petting them. All pets must have passed our Reading Buddies evaluation class. This program is a lot of fun for both the pets and the children involved, and very rewarding for the volunteers. Consider signing up for one of these exciting Reading Buddies sites!

Green Hills Manor is a small nursing home/convalescent hospital facility in a residential area. The residents are about equally divided between those who are very low functioning and those who are higher functioning. Since Since it is a small facility, the team is small and the animals should also be small. We visit on the first Monday of the month at 3:30 pm. Visits usually last 30 minutes.

This is a Reading Buddies team and pets must have passed the Reading Buddies evaluation class. Our monthly visits last about an hour. The children are invited to practice reading to gentle, therapy-trained dogs who love books! By sitting down next to a dog and reading to the dog, all threats of being judged are put aside and the child relaxes, pats the attentive dog, and focuses on the reading.

Hope Services provides training and employment for developmentally delayed adults. The clients are middle-aged and a few have physical disabilities, but most of them are ambulatory. The Furry Friends team meets with the clients in a large common room while the clients wait for their transportation for the day. Furry Friends has been visiting Hope for more than a decade now and many of the clients remember all of the pets by name. Some of them love to interact with the animals, and others more interested in simply having someone to chat with for a while.

Idylwood Care Facility is a Skilled Nursing Center in Sunnyvale. Idylwood provides nursing care for short and long-term rehabilitation. Our monthly visit consists of 30 minutes with mentally challenged residents and 30 minutes with skilled nursing care residents. Visits occur in community activity rooms and at bedsides.

This is an Off-Leash team and pets must have passed the off-leash evaluation class. This is a facility for minors aged about 11 to 18 who are incarcerated. Volunteers are required to go through police screening procedures before their first visit and are also required to attend a 3-hour state-mandated training (not necessarily before the first visit). Typically about 6 to 8 volunteers attend each month. Visits take place outdoors with several groups of youngsters and last about two hours. Rain cancels the visit. Active dogs often do well at this visit; dogs that fetch are very popular. Because dogs are off leash and activity level is high, it is important that all pets be non-possessive of toys and non-aggressive, even in hectic situations, and that owners of small animals monitor them to avoid accidental injury.

This is an Off Leash team and all pets must have passed the Off Leash evaluation class. This site is a 5th - 8th grade middle school where visits are with students in our full-inclusion Special Education program. All are are always very excited for the chance to get to play with dogs (large and small!). We usually have groups of 3-4 students that rotate, so you and your dog get the opportunity to meet with kids in a smaller setting. This is an outdoor site with a small team of volunteers and teachers. Our team is great if you enjoy working with kids and being outdoors!

Kensington Place is an upscale senior living community where our volunteers and their pets socialize with the residents in the lobby/library/parlor areas for 30 minutes before visiting with the residents in the memory care unit for 30 minutes. This is a beautiful, upbeat visit to do and all types of pets are welcome.

This is a Reading Buddies team and pets must have passed the Reading Buddies evaluation class. La Selva Beach Library is in a quiet neighborhood. It is a small site with an intimate setting and a large grassy area. The staff is very supportive and the visits are fun.

Laboure Residence is a retirement community and skilled nursing facility for the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul, retired Catholic Sisters, many of whom have been teachers. They gather in a large room, and we bring the dogs around to each of the nuns that are interested in petting them. Most of the sisters are in wheelchairs and, while we’ve mostly had large dogs at this facility, lap dogs and cats would be ideal.

Lincoln Glen Manor is a very pleasant senior facility located in the Willow Glen residential neighborhood. Lincoln Glen Manor is dedicated to enhancing the lives of seniors by providing 4 levels of care in independent living, assisted living, nursing care, and memory care. Furry Friends volunteers visit Lincoln Glen Manor residents and staff each month on the 2nd Monday. We meet with residents for 20 minutes in a large assisted living activity room, then we enjoy the well-kept grounds with freshly planted flowers throughout during our short walk to the nursing care activity room. We conclude our Monday site visit with residents in memory care. On the 4th Thursday, Furry Friends volunteers visit residents in the large nursing care activity room for 45-60 minutes. Furry friends volunteers may choose to visit either on Monday or Thursday or both days each month!

This is a Reading Buddies team and all pets must have passed the Reading Buddies evaluation class. Our visit takes place in a large community room, separated from the rest of the library. We sit in a large circle, and there is plenty of space between each pet. Children are accompanied by one or both of their parents, and sometimes siblings as well. Animals must be calm and enjoy being close to children for long periods of time. Volunteers must be at least 14 years old, and those under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent, who is also a volunteer.

Los Esteros Apartments is a low-income, affordable housing development in North San Jose. They have an after-school program where, as a reward for good/positive behavior, they get to visit with the dogs. Our hour long visits are always a fun time for all!

This is a Reading Buddies team and all pets must have passed the Reading Buddies evaluation class. Children of all ages pair up to read one-one within the spacious children's room at the Los Gatos Library. This is a structured visit where participants sign up to read aloud to our patient pets. Volunteers are asked to bring a large blanket for their pets and the children to sit on. Seating for volunteers is provided. This well-liked program provides the right environment for children to gain confidence in their reading skills. Our visits last one hour.

Located on W. San Carlos Street in San Jose, this is an Intensive Outpatient Program for teens struggling with an eating disorder. We meet in a nice and spacious, indoor living room-style setting. The meeting room is located on the 2nd floor, and is accessible by either stairs or an elevator. There are typically 6-8 teens present for our visit, which lasts 40-45 minutes. The room is filled with art supplies, puzzles, stuffed animals, and other items which may be distracting for some dogs. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old.