Thank you for your interest in the Longmont United Hospital (LUH) therapy dog program. TAILS (Therapy Animals In Loving Service) has been delivering smiles to patients, visitors, and staff since 2002.
Therapy dogs must be calm, obedient, and not easily distracted. They must love meeting many kinds of people. They should know basic commands, walk calmly on a loose lead, and be easily managed by their handlers in varied settings. For our program, dogs must be at least 2 years old; handlers must be at least 18 years old or at least 16 years old and accompanied by a parent.
TAILS handlers are hospital volunteers. All volunteers meet with the Volunteer Coordinator, pass a background check, get tested for TB and agree to the hospital policy regarding flu and other shots each year. LUH is a drug-free and tobacco-free workplace.
To participate in our program, you and your dog must registered with one of the following national organizations:
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) www.therapydogs.com
- Pet Partners www.petpartners.org
- Therapy Dogs International www.tdi-dog.org
If you are not currently registered with one of these organizations, please complete the registration process with one of them before submitting your application to volunteer with the TAILS program.
Not all dogs are suited for this kind of work. Nor are all handlers. Before contacting us, we strongly recommend that you read “Dog Assisted Therapy: Is Your Dog a Good Fit?” It is an excellent article by Patricia McConnell, PhD. It is available online.
If this is something you are interested in, please complete this form. Then, please email your completed form to [email protected].