Therapy  Dogs are real party animals.  The Therapy  Dogs attend most every event for kids at Mariners.  They serve at many of the Outreach Special Events throughout the year.  Some of the events include Christmas Parties ( Lighthouse Community Centers and Foster Kids), Harvest Celebration, Easter Party, Hillview Acres Carnival, Mentoring Picnic, Vacation Bible School, and the Therapy  Dogs also attend the children’s special needs class.

During camp, the Therapy Dog and handlers provides comfort and companionship by sharing the dog with the campers.  The Therapy Dogs provide unconditional love to the campers.  They also encourage campers to stay engaged with the camp activities. Therapy Dogs are used to help maintain a calm in stressful situations.  Therapy  Dogs help with the overall emotional well being of the campers and volunteers at camp.

Throughout the school year the Therapy Dogs are kept busy by Learning Center kids reading books to the dogs.  The Reading Program is designed to encourage kids to read.  The dogs are attentive and breakdown some of the barriers/fears of reading out loud.

Do I have to have a dog to volunteer?  Yes.

How do I get my dog certified as a Therapy Dog?  The dogs need to be Therapy Dogs International (TDI) certified.  The TDI website www.tdi-dog.org has information on how to get your dog certified.  Your dog has to be friendly with people (kids and adults) and animals (other dogs).  Experience as a Certified Therapy Dog (Therapy Dogs International) is advised.   The dog is tested on temperament, obedience and health.  Once TDI certified contact Janene This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it