Looking for a new, exciting pet therapy opportunity? BC Ambulance Dispatch may be a good match for you and your therapy dog.

  • Where: BC Ambulance Dispatch (Vancouver)
  • Date: Biweekly visits on Fridays*
  • Time: 12pm – 1pm
  • Arrival: 10 minutes early to park and sign in
  • Parking: Complimentary parking
  • Type of Visit: Buddy System – 2 volunteers per shift
  • Shifts: Every other week on Friday, regularly scheduled. This is not an ad-hoc one time event, this is a regular assignment. If you are interested in applying, you must be able to commit to regular visits on Fridays.
  • Training: Training will be provided by shadowing the current pet therapy team for 1 or 2 shifts.
  • Trial: There will be a trial period to make sure it is a good match for you & for the site.
  • Total # of pet therapy teams: 3

About: BC Health Services, Vancouver Dispatch Operations, site receives calls from and dispatches ambulances to over 30 communities as far east as Mission and Agassiz, south to Manning Park in the Fraser Canyon and north to Pemberton and Lillooet. On average, the centre responds to 900 emergency calls per day.

Description: You and another pet therapy team will meet and walk through the dispatch centre to visit staff (emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs), call takers (EMCTs), and occasionally first responders) who could use a furry pick-me-up. Note that it is not uncommon to wait for staff while they are busy on the phone, so you and your dog may need to keep each other company for short durations of time. You might also be invited to visit staff and students in the Air Ambulance section.

Qualifications: To apply, you and your pet must be fully current on your qualifications (i.e.: dog vaccinations, membership) and must maintain your status at all times. Check in My Impact to make sure you are up-to-date. In addition, you and your pet must have made a minimum of 10 visits (regularly scheduled at your facility or Feel the Love Events, or a combination of both) so you have some experience.

Apply: If you are interested in applying for this position, please email Katie Oster, Pet Therapy Event Coordinator, at gro.sdneirfdnastep@eitak and describe why you are interested and why you think you’d be a good fit.

We look forward to hearing from you and your pet!