Therapy Dogs
Alliance of Therapy Dogs
Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) is a national organization with its corporate office
located in Cheyenne, WY. ATD was incorporated in the year 1990. Currently we have
12,000+ handler/dog teams in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and U.S.
Territories. It is a goal of Alliance of Therapy Dogs to provide certification, support, and
insurance for members who are involved in volunteer animal assisted activities. These
activities include, but are not limited to, visits to hospitals, special needs centers,
schools, and nursing homes. Our objective is to form a network of caring individuals
who are willing to share their special animals in order to bring happiness and cheer to
people, young and old alike.
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Therapy dogs are personal pets which meet certain requirements of good manners and
good health, and pass testing and evaluations:
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Therapy dogs must:
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Be at least one year of age
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Be good around other dogs
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Listen to their handlers
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Allow strangers to touch them all over
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Not jump on people when interacting
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Walk on a leash without pulling
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Not mind strange noises and smells
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Be calm for petting
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Not be afraid of people walking unsteadily
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Be current on all vaccines required by the local laws
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Have a negative fecal test every 12 months
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Be clean and well groomed
Any dog of any breed or mix of breeds with these qualifications is a good candidate to
be a therapy dog. The membership process involves the handler/dog team passing the
handling portion of the test followed by 3 successful supervised facility visits. At this
point, the handler sends in the membership packet with appropriate fees to the office
where upon ATD has sole authority in accepting the team for membership into the
organization. Upon acceptance, the newly registered team receives a membership card,
a certificate and a heart shaped tag for the dog's collar, to be worn when representing
ATD The team may only begin visiting after receiving this packet.​
Therapy dogs are not considered service dogs and do not have the legal access rights
that service dogs have. An ATD member who misrepresents his/her certified therapy
dog as a service dog violates the ATD Rules and Regulations and places his/her
membership and the integrity of the organization at risk.
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TCKC performs evaluations of dog/handler teams wishing to participate in therapy dog
activities. To schedule an evaluation with our Therapy Dog Coordinator, contact our
Director of Training at dot@tckc.org.