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Community Pet Therapy Dog Team

Finding Inspiration in Every Turn

The Therapy Dog

A Community Pet Therapy Dog is a pet that is trained to interact with many people

other than their handler to make those people feel better.

Examples are dogs that visit nursing homes and hospitals; dogs that go to court to sit with minors or other traumatised witnesses while they give testimony; dogs that go to the library so that kids can read to them. 

So you want to become a Therapy Dog Team?

 

Where to start, 

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Most places you will visit with your Therapy Dog will want you and your dog to be registered or certified, with a therapy dog registry mainly for insurance purposes.

 

  • Therapeutic Dog Services Incorporated is a Therapy Dog Registry, in Animal Assisted Interventions: Activities, Education and Therapy. 

 

  • Places that you visit at minimum, they will require you to have: dog temperament tested, veterinarian health clearance, up to date with vaccinations, training and good skills set in animal assisted activities and most importantly covered with insurance. 

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  • There is no breed restriction on a Therapy Dog, however, since they don’t enjoy public access rights, you are not protected in areas of Breed-Specific-Legislation and if the institution you want to visit decides to put breed restrictions in place, you have to follow the rules.

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  • A Therapy Dog does not have public access rights and is only allowed in certain places by prior arrangement.