Volunteering as a Junior Handler with your therapy dog is a fun and meaningful way to give back to your community—especially to those who can no longer have a dog of their own. If you’re between 12 and 17 years old and have goals to meet through 4-H, FFA, Scouts, church groups, or community service, this is a unique and rewarding way to do it. Just be sure to talk with your parents first, as their involvement is required.
Download, review, and ensure you have your ATD Health Verification Form completed by your veterinarian. Sign and date your application page and Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability Form. Then find a volunteer Tester/Observer (T/O) in your area to test you and your dog for free as soon as the T/O can accommodate you. The test includes a Handling Assessment, which assesses your dog’s basic good manners and your handling skills. After the Handling Assessment of the test, you and your dog must interact with residents or strangers on 3-4 supervised visits while being observed by a T/O. Your T/O will then sign off on your paperwork to show that you are ready to become a Member of ATD. You’ll need to bring the completed paperwork to the test.
Click the button below to download our membership package that includes the ATD Member Application.
After the Handling Assessment of the test, you and your dog must interact with residents or strangers on 3-4 supervised visits while being observed by a T/O. Your T/O will then sign off on your paperwork to show that you are ready to become a Member of ATD.
Click the button below to visit our portal where you can see a list of Volunteer Testers/Observers closest to you.
After completing the ATD Certification Test , please send us the following documents:
Teams may submit their completed forms via email, fax, or standard mail. If submitting by email, we recommend retaining the original hard copies for your records. If mailing the original paperwork, we strongly suggest keeping a copy, as occasional delays or issues with USPS can occur.
Prospective members who choose to mail their application may include a check, money order or cashier’s check with their paperwork. For those who submit their forms via email or fax, a payment link will be sent by the ATD Office once the documents are received.
The ATD Office will review your application and, if approved, send out your ATD welcome packet to your current address. Once you receive your red heart tag, you and your therapy dog are ready to share smiles and joy! To maintain your membership in good standing, you will need to make at least 1 in-person volunteer visit every 3 months and log it in your ATD Member Portal. You will receive access to the Member Portal once you are approved by the Office.
Watch a sample of our Handling Assessment and how to handle your dog when interacting with others. You’ll see a variety of dogs doing the various sections of the test. As you can see, dogs don’t have to be perfect, but they can’t be shy, they can’t jump on others, and they can’t pull on their leash.
If you want to become a Member but have some questions or concerns, please contact us. We are happy to help!
Download our Junior Handler membership brochure to learn more about the Member process.
My name is Lilianna and my dog's name is Rory. Rory has been an angel since the second we brought her home in 2021. We wanted to share her love with the world, so I became a certified Junior Handler with Rory. Since Rory has become a certified therapy dog, my mom and I have brought her to Temple Hospital as part of the Temple Tails program. We let her say hi to all of the patients and the workers in the hallways.
My friend and I created a program at our school called TheraPaws. In Therapaws, we bring Rory to the Early Child Center on my school's campus and let Rory interact with the kids. This calms them down and helps them with feelings of separation anxiety or stressors from their first year of school!
I first became interested in becoming a therapy dog team because I believed my dog had the most wonderful personality for therapy visits, and I wanted to serve my community. She needed a job, and bringing joy to people’s lives with her was a great way to accomplish both.
Georgia
I started as a junior handler as a volunteer opportunity for Boy Scouts, but quickly therapy dogs eclipsed Boy Scouts. It was clear to me that our weekly visits heartened the patients in a way that was so meaningful to both them and me. On top of that, the therapy dog teams were an interesting and dedicated group of people and dogs to get to know!
Wyoming
Even before I had my own dog, I remember being impacted by the therapy dogs that would come to our school for reading programs. I knew that was something I wanted to do when I got a dog. My mom and I were able to get certified as a therapy dog team with our dog Ruby during COVID-19. While we sometimes visit schools, we most often make visits to our local memory care center. It is so rewarding to see the positive change of expression from the residents and the joy in their faces as they see our little dog walk in. That’s often all it takes to make their day and give them something to look forward to. I am so thankful for the chance to be an ATD Junior Handler with my special dog, Ruby, and to share her with others.
California
Everything I’ve done with Callie through ATD has been such a great experience. But one of my favorites is when we were testing. We were at the park and visited some young kids that were playing. It was so life-giving to see the looks on the kids’ faces when they saw the dogs give them a high five or twirl in a circle. I loved watching my dog’s reaction to it and how fun it was for her to do something new for someone. It was so special to see how much of an impact we made on these young lives.
California
We have more than eight years combined as junior handlers of two collies. What’s amazing about being an ATD junior handler is the reaction of those in the community seeing young people volunteering. Individuals cherish the time with our therapy dog, Legend, but they always comment about how appreciative they are seeing teens giving back to the community. In addition, the confidence that you’ll gain from speaking to people is invaluable. Plus, you’re an advocate for pet responsibility, as your presence with a well-behaved dog motivates people young and old to spend quality time and to properly train their own dogs.
Michigan
We became Junior Handlers because we wanted to make a difference in a place that means a lot to our family. Our Uncle Pops and our Grandma both received treatment at the local cancer center, and now we visit there with our therapy dog, Poppy. Every time we walk through the doors with her, it feels like we’re giving back in their honor. Watching patients smile, reach out to pet her, or simply relax for a moment reminds us that comfort can come in small, powerful ways. Volunteering with Poppy helps us feel close to Pops and Grandma—and being Junior Handlers together has brought us even closer as sisters.