Pet Assisted Wellness at Stanford (PAWS)
Contact Information
Coordinator: Jesse Rodriguez
Phone: (650) 498-3333
Fax: (650) 736-4130
Location: Guest Services
300 Pasteur Drive
Room H1132
Stanford, CA 94305
Pet Assisted Wellness at Stanford (PAWS) is an animal visitation program for patients in the hospital. We match well-trained, carefully selected animals (Dogs, Cats & Bunnies) with patients who would enjoy a friendly visit.
Two of our PAWS dogs, Rita and Sophie, are featured in the book To The Rescue: Found Dogs with a Mission, now available for purchase at the Stanford Hospital Gift Shop.
Note: Only Service Animals are allowed within Stanford Hospital & Clinics, with exception of Therapy Animals registered through the PAWS program. Service animals are legally defined (Americans With Disabilities Act, 1990) and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have disabilities.
PAWS on the Units
PAWS facilitators will make unit rounds shortly before visitations to capture patient requests. Let your Nurse or PAWS facilitator know if you wish to have a PAWS visit.
- B2: Mondays, 1-2pm
- C3, E & F Ground: Thursdays, 4-5pm
- G2: Every other Friday, 2-3pm
Special requests for PAWS visits on non-scheduled units have to be cleared by the unit Nurse Manager and are subject to PAWS team availability.
Want to join our PAWS program?
We are always looking for talented and obedient animals. Here at Stanford Hospital & Clinics, safety is a priority, therefore our process in joining the PAWS program is a bit
challenging, but well worth it. Our next PAWS
Orientation will be: Saturday, February 27th, 2010
3:00 - 4:00 pm, in Redwood City. Please email
Jesse Rodriguez for more details.
Animals: All of the animals Stanford Hospital
& Clinics uses for its PAWS program must first
be certified by the Delta Society. After your animal
receives Delta Society “complex” certification,
you are expected to pass additional screenings by PAWS evaluators before you and your animal become a “PAWS team.” Note: This process can take over 6 months to accomplish.
Handlers: All human volunteers are processed through Volunteer Resources and are expected to pass annual online compliance modules, medical
requirements, and receive Delta Society certification
with their animal.