17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers

17th Circuit Volunteer Therapy Dog Program

17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers

17th Circuit Volunteer Therapy Dog Program

17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers

17th Circuit Volunteer Therapy Dog Program

How can my
dog and I volunteer?

Volunteers

We look for well-mannered, well-behaved dogs that enjoy meeting people.  All dogs in the 17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers must be certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD).  Please see their website, which will discuss age of dogs, formal training, vaccines, fecal exams, vet checks, background checks, insurance, dues, and the formal testing process. 

Next Steps

After you are certified, you may contact Mary Ellen Commare at Comer21@aol.com.  She will guide you through the rest of the process, which includes:

  1. A letter stating why you would like to work in the court system, the schools, and/or at community events.
  2. A copy of your ATD membership card and proof of insurance from ATD.
  3. Authorization and Release form for the background check.
  4. Confidentiality explanation and signature form completion.
  5. Copy of dog’s vaccinations and results of annual physical.
  6. Name of facility where your dog was trained and the name of your ATD evaluator.
  7. A list of where you have visited with your dog after you were certified. (6 months of visits are required)
  8. Picture of you and picture of your dog.

Kathleen Alsup is the ATD evaluator who tests for the 17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers program.  If she did not evaluate you for your ATD certification, she will do a shortened evaluation for you to become a member of the 17th Circuit program.

If you were a member of another therapy dog program and want to become a member of the 17th Circuit program, you will have to be certified by ATD and then follow the above steps for the 17th Circuit program.

17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers
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FAQ

Therapy dogs provide comfort and affection to various individuals and groups, while service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for their handlers who have disabilities.

Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Inc. is an international registry of certified therapy dog teams.  ATD provides testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance for members who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities.

First of all, you must be certified by ATD and have six months of community visits.  Then, contact Mary Ellen Commare at comer21@aol.com or 815-289-1568 to complete the process.  We will be happy to have you!

Kathleen Alsup certifies for ATD and the 17th Circuit.  Dogs who have been certified by another evaluator or another organization will need to be evaluated and approved by Kathleen Alsup prior to acceptance in the 17th Circuit program.

 We recommend 2 visits per month.  However, we have teams that do many more.  We are understanding of individual circumstances and availability.

Yes, besides courtrooms and schools, there are many community events our dogs visit.