Remembering Our Mission
It’s important. This “thing” we do. Those moments of joy and comfort we create for others as they snuggle, pet and connect with our dogs. They are remarkable! And as the world slowly learns how to navigate COVID, more and more of us can return to doing what we love - sharing our time, dogs and love with others!
We are proud of our HOTTD teams and know they always strive to provide a safe, positive experience for those we visit, our dogs and our peers. But with this increase in activity, we are also seeing an increase in rules violations. So for both new therapy dog teams and those with a lifetime of experience, please take a moment to review these critical rules so we all continue to represent ATD with professionalism and pride!
Two-foot rule: Dogs must be kept at least two feet from other dogs and animals at all times while representing ATD on a visit or event to discourage play, to ensure that dogs have enough personal space for focusing on the person being visited, and to prevent any interaction between dogs that could possibly lead to an injury to a third party, the handlers or their dogs.
Only the certified handler may handle his/her dog: Handlers must never leave their dogs alone with staff, patients, or visitors. The leash must be held by the member’s hand and may not be hooked or attached to the member’s body, belt, any chair, wall, purse, or other person, etc.
Dogs off leash: If safe conditions exist, a dog may be taken off leash when performing tricks, demonstrations, and when assisting with therapy such as retrieving. Only one dog at a time may be off leash. (Dogs should only be off-leash during these demonstrations, not when arriving/leaving a facility).
Dog treats: Although treats are often used during visits, ATD advises against allowing patients or residents to give treats to your dog. ATD advises against the use of dog treats that contain peanuts due to the risk that these treats might pose to people with peanut allergies.
Photos: If photos are allowed at a facility or function, for the privacy of those whom we visit and to protect both ATD and our members from liability, members must have an ATD Photograph Authorization Release Form signed prior to taking any photo which identifies any individual (e.g. face, tattoo, birthmark, scar, etc.). If you have a signed ATD Photo Authorization form and are posting or publishing the picture on your own, you should keep the form on file for your own protection. The signed ATD Photo Authorization form must accompany any submission to an ATD-managed publication/social media platform. ATD keeps them on file and does not delete them. A facility/organization photo release may not be used instead of the ATD photo release.
To review the full ATD Handbook please go to the Member Resources section of the ATD Member Portal: https://portal.therapydogs.com/member-resources