We have teamed up with Therapy Dogs Carolina to service the Triangle area!

Therapy Dogs Carolina have made it our focus to become the best of the best when it comes to serving the community. Specializing in bringing companionship and joy to local communities and were originally created to focus more on local opportunities such as assisted living, children’s programs, hospitals, and much more.

Initial Interest Meeting:

Join us on Saturday, September 21 at 2 PM for an introductory session on becoming a registered therapy dog team. Our special guest, Jack Barron, brings nearly 30 years of experience in the field. He has worked with four registered therapy dogs and has directed one of the largest therapy dog programs in the U.S. (This is a non-dog meeting!) Text or Call 919-714-9748 to register.

Mission Statement

Therapy Dogs Carolina is an organization whose mission is to provide service, therapy, and comfort to the community through our well trained and rigorously tested Therapy, and Comfort Canines. Our organization includes dedicated Therapy Teams, Trainers, Fosters, and Volunteers who are integral in taking a canine with great potential and molding that potential into a happy, focused and obedient dog, ready to serve groups and individuals within the community. Once their potential is realized, our canines are ready to serve in a broad spectrum of roles with children, senior citizens, victims, soldiers, those with special needs, or anywhere else we are called to serve.

What Do Therapy Dogs Do?

Therapy Dog refers to a dog trained to provide affection and comfort to people through animal-assisted activities in locations like hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, mental institutions, schools, veterans hospitals and stressful situations such as disaster areas.

A therapy dog gives and receives affection freely. They are generally welcome in any establishment where they can provide love and affection though some establishments may have their own specific requirements that must be met first.

A therapy dog’s primary job is to allow unfamiliar people to make physical contact with them to derive comfort and pleasure. Children, in particular, enjoy hugging animals; adults usually enjoy simply petting the dog. Therapy dogs are exemplary in their behavior and obedience: Calm, relaxed, affectionate, not startled easily, able to be handled and touched everywhere, well-groomed, not driven to jump or take food, etc.

Therapy Dog And Service Dog… Is There A Difference?

Absolutely, a Service Dog is not considered a pet and performs at least two specific tasks for an individual and is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) A dog that is therapeutic to its disabled handler for instance, is a Service Dog or an Emotional Support animal not a Therapy Dog.

It is important to note that therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs directly assist humans and have a legal right to accompany their owners because they have been specifically trained to assist with a disability. Therapy dogs do not provide direct assistance, do not have legal rights to travel everywhere, and must be invited by institutions. Most institutions have rigorous requirements for therapy dog access. Therapy dog tags do not contain ADA rules on the back as the ADA rules do not apply to therapy dogs.

A therapy dog is a very well-trained pet that has met certain criteria and is certified by a recognized organization. A therapy dog operates with the handler or handlers that the dog was certified with. In order for a dog to certify as a therapy dog, it must be certified with a specific handler or handlers. In the case of multiple handlers, the dog must go through the entire certification process with each handler and pass to demonstrate both behavior and handler control. There is an annual renewal fee and refresher task for each dog in order to main our insurance for handlers.

Questions or Interested in Joining? Contact us at Raleigh@SitMeansSit.com or call/text 919-714-9748