Therapy Dogs at National Night Out Activities
May 29, 2025
17th Circuit Therapy Dog teams will be present at the National Night Out activities on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
17th Circuit Therapy Dog teams will be present at the National Night Out activities on Tuesday, August 5, 2025.
On April 14th, the Rockford City Council recognized the 17th Circuit Therapy Dog Volunteers with a proclamation from Mayor McNamara.
In 2024, there were 1,024 therapy dog visits to facilities and events in the Rockford community.
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.