The procedure for you and your dog to become a certified therapy dog/handler team with Caring Canines is:

• Complete our brief online application,

• Attend an observation visit by you to one of our group visits without your dog,

• Pass a successful evaluation of you and your dog as a team, and

• Complete three supervised training visits assisted by a Caring Canines mentor.

More details of Caring Canines requirements can be found on our Join Us page.

We require an up to date rabies vaccination record for all dogs. Dogs must have received their core puppy shots (distemper, parvovirus, and CAV-2). We also require that dogs be vaccinated annually for bordetella (kennel cough) and leptospirosis. These requirements are for the safety of our dogs and the patients we visit.

Caring Canines asks that each certified handler commit to eight visits per calendar year. We operate September through mid-June.

Each therapy dog organization has its own standards and many do not operate with multiple dog visits. Each dog/handler team, regardless of previous certifications, must successfully complete the Caring Canines certification procedure.

Each dog must be evaluated separately and individually with the handler and also accomplish their mentoring visits individually. After certification, the handler can make visits with a single dog only. The handler only needs to make one guest orientation visit.

Because of the nature of our therapy work, a dog and handler in our organization is certified as a team and is considered an entity for working within the Caring Canines program. Two handlers may be certified separately with a single dog. With the exception of the guest orientation visit, each handler must accomplish the certification process separately and independently. Substitute handlers or dogs are not permitted.

It is unreasonable to expect to participate in the Caring Canines program using public transportation. Although it’s possible to get to many Caring Canine visits by public transportation, it has been found to be exhausting both for the handler and the dog. The stress of the transportation activity causes the team to be too tired or too distracted to be an effective visiting unit.

No, you don’t. All Caring Canines Visiting Therapy Dogs activities are covered through our insurance policy.

IMPORTANT POINTS REGARDING INSURANCE:

• Coverage is for the registered handler only and applies only while participating in a Caring Canines’ activity with the dog certified and registered with the handler.

• Handler must comply with the safety procedures in the Caring Canines’ visiting Guidelines to be qualified for coverage.

• Caring Canines’ insurance covers the handler only when participating in Caring Canines’ activities. It does not provide coverage for any independently scheduled or conducted visits unless handler receives prior approval from the Program Coordinator to conduct a visit on behalf of Caring Canines.

Regretfully, we very rarely have opportunities for volunteers without dogs. Our operational and administrative tasks are accomplished by volunteers who are also active dog handlers.