Register

East Central Therapy Dogs members who visit with their dogs at PRHC, long term care homes and VON Day Centres in Peterborough, Lakefield and Millbrook.

 

To qualify as a therapy dog, your dog must be at least 1 year old, must pass a temperament evaluation and must have current rabies vaccinations as required by law in Ontario. Our members must be at least 19 years of age and must obtain a police records check. Members are required to commit to one visit a week at their assigned location. If you are able to make that commitment and are comfortable around older people, many of whom have physical and/or mental disabilities, you may wish to register for our next dog test. Tests are held in the spring and fall.

 

Our dog test is not an obedience test. It does however require that your dog be under your control at all times. Your dog should walk on a loose leash and must never jump up on people. Any sign of aggression is an automatic failure. Our test attempts to simulate some of the situations that you may encounter while visiting, such as people in white coats, wheelchairs, loud noises, etc. There is a $20 fee for the test to help defray expenses. If your dog fails for any reason other than aggression, you may retake the test with no additional fee. If your dog passes the test, you will attend an orientation session (without your dog) after which one of our experienced handlers will take you on your initial visit to your assigned location. We try wherever possible to assign a location which is close to your home. After your first ten visits, you and your dog will be fully qualified and will receive a vest (for you) and a leash and bandana (for your dog).

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If you would like to register for the next dog evaluation, please fill out the Evaluation Registration Request form and submit it to us. Our Registration Coordinator will contact you two to four weeks before the next test to provide more details.

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Candidates must be fully vaccinated against COVID.