Attending an Information Session is the first step in learning more about what volunteering with Ottawa Therapy Dogs entails. These are offered virtually and are approximately 60 minutes in duration, followed by a Q&A. This will provide an overview of canine assisted interventions, and what makes both a dog and handler a good candidate for therapy dog work.

To receive an email to be notified of our next Information Session, please leave us your contact information by clicking here.

We will send you a link to our online application to complete after you attend our Information Session. You must complete the application prior to attending our Orientation Session.

After submitting your Application, prospective volunteers will be provided with an invitation to our in-person Orientation Session. We will cover a number of in-depth topics including preparing for a visit, your dog’s health/diet, grooming, liabilities/risk management, what to expect in the evaluation, and next steps.

You will have an online meeting with our Operations Manager during which they will review your application with you and discuss potential visiting scenarios. This also gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you may have before participating in the evaluation!

The Information and Orientation Sessions will help provide important insights to help you prepare for our in-person Evaluation. We will be in touch directly with eligible candidates to provide the date/time/location.

To prepare for the Evaluation you can watch the video below or you can view the list of Test Items by clicking here.

After a successful Evaluation with your dog, you will be required to complete these items to become a registered member of Ottawa Therapy Dogs:

• Police Record Check for working with the Vulnerable Sector (we will provide you with a letter to do this).

• Annual Health Record Form (Completed by your veterinarian to verify that your dog is in good health to be a visiting Therapy Dog. This may have costs associated with it for the required vaccinations and the fecal test, which is mandatory).

• Membership Registration Form.

• There is a $45 membership registration fee payable at this stage. This includes coverage under Ottawa Therapy Dogs' liability insurance, but you are strongly advised to also have your own personal liability insurance as well.

After a team successfully passes the Evaluation, we will commence with two phases of mentorship. The mentorship must also be successfully completed to be finally placed in one of our partner facilities. In the first phase, our new volunteer handler will observe two experienced teams during their visits. In the second phase, a mentor will accompany the new volunteer team to their placement once the facility is confirmed. This is an invaluable opportunity to learn more from our handlers, share knowledge and help ensure your transition to in-person visits is smooth.

Our Operations Manager works closely with volunteers to determine a placement/facility that is most suitable for each team. There are a number of factors taken into consideration including triaging priority waitlist requests, location of the facility and the preferred facility type indicated by each volunteer.

Ottawa Therapy Dogs maintains ongoing communication with our volunteer teams regarding individual visits, engagement opportunities and updates from the organization. Our team encourages feedback from teams and facility partners to ensure your visits are as safe and effective as possible, and are readily available to answer any questions you may have. We love to hear from members of the Ottawa Therapy Dogs community and are here to provide ongoing support throughout your journey as a team.