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As a C.A.T. Member, you will be encouraged to participate in Continuing Education Programs.

C.A.T. is dedicated to providing soul healing therapy through the use of dogs for both children and adults who need comfort, companionship, or the most basic feeling of unconditional love that only a dog can provide.

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As a C.A.T. Member, you will be encouraged to participate in Continuing Education Programs.

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  1. C.A.T. is dedicated to providing soul healing therapy through the use of dogs for both children and adults who need comfort, companionship, or the most basic feeling of unconditional love that only a dog can provide.

  2. Canine Assisted Therapy, aka C.A.T., was founded by Debra and Wayne Berger and Joanne Jurgle, all lifelong dog lovers and first-hand witnesses to the transformational power of canine therapy. Debra, Wayne and Joanne started the C.A.T. organization with the sole mission to provide a network of qualified, dependable, caring Therapy Teams committed to delivering a therapeutic benefit through the use of dogs to both children and adults who need comfort, companionship, or the unconditional love that only a dog can provide.

  3. C.A.T. Membership includes $1,000,000 in liability insurance when working in a facility as a C.A.T. volunteer. • If you are injured while volunteering in a facility as a Canine Assisted Therapy volunteer, Accident Medical Expense Coverage will pay eligible medical expenses that are in excess of amounts paid by other personal, group medical or health benefit plan that the covered volunteer may have, for up to $100,000 per accident per volunteer and is also included in C.A.T. Membership.

  4. As a C.A.T. Member, you will be encouraged to participate in Continuing Education Programs. • These programs are designed to help you to better understand the people that you are serving as a volunteer. • These programs include quarterly (CEU Credit) seminars, dog training classes, dog health and care classes and many other exciting and educational programs.

  5. Our Continuing Education Program for volunteers is newly developed and not currently offered by any other Therapy Dog organization. We are working hard to ensure that our volunteers are well trained and informed in an effort to make volunteering a positive experience for both the volunteer and those that they serve. • The program is led by Laura A. Weber, M.S., LHMC. A native Floridian, Weber has been in working in Community Mental Health throughout Central and Southern Florida since the mid 1980s. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology at the University of Central Florida and her Bachelor’s degree at Stetson University in DeLand. • Seminars will be conducted on such subjects as: Autism, Working with the Elderly, The Challenges of Volunteering with the Mentally and Physically Challenged, and many other topics. • We work hard to ensure that our human handlers are as well trained as our canine volunteers.

  6. Facility Placement - We take great care in your placement in a facility. It is important to us that you are comfortable and happy in your assigned facility and that you not only meet the needs of the facility, but that the facility meets your needs as a volunteer.

  7. C.A.T. has planned group activities on a regular basis. These are activities such as: • participation in dog walks throughout the community; • monthly dog park get-togethers for C.A.T. dogs and their owners; • the Annual Doggy Black-Tie Volunteer Recognition / Fundraiser; • and other various "fun" fundraising activities.

  8. There are many ways to be involved with C.A.T. and stay involved in the community. Some of the volunteer committees that we offer are: • Outreach and Membership • Special Events and Fundraising • Facility Management • Education • Pack Reader Program Please review your information packet for more information on these committees.

  9. Dogs are ideal reading companions.  Studies show that they help increase relaxation and lower blood pressure and unlike peers, dogs are attentive listeners.  They don’t judge or criticize, so children are more comfortable and inclined to forget about their own fears.  Our Pack Readers program is designed to work with two or three children at a time and the Therapy Team simply listens to them read.  It’s OK for the handler to correct or help with a word occasionally but mainly the children’s focus is on the dog.  The intent is to help develop the child’s reading skills while having fun.  Children that have dyslexia or difficulty reading are often hesitant to read aloud for fear of being judged and feeling embarrassed.  But these same children often times feel at ease around a dog who is there just to listen to the story – not to critique their reading abilities.

  10. In order for C.A.T. to provide quality volunteers and to insure that we protect the venerable populations that we serve, we require all of our volunteers to: • submit to a background check; • Volunteers must complete and sign the Volunteer Application, Liability and Photo Release, Guidelines for Dog Assisted Therapy, and review the C.A.T. Fees and Policies.

  11. All C.A.T. Dogs must be spayed or neutered. • Your dog must be at least 1 year old. • You must have owned your dog, and the dog must have lived with you for at least 6 months. • The dog must be of good temperament and have basic obedience training.

  12. The goal of C.A.T. is to provide top quality Therapy Dog Teams to those in need. To accomplish this, all C.A.T. Dogs must pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. This test is Nationally recognized as a measure of basic dog obedience. Many dogs already have the skills with which to pass the test. Some may need more training. We are here to help either way!

  13. All dogs must also pass the Canine Assisted Therapy Test (C.A.T. Dog Test). This test consists of 9 elements. These elements help to establish if the dog can handle being a therapy dog. Dogs must show that they can be handled, hugged, not be afraid of noise, are not afraid of medical equipment, etc. These are all things that your dog will encounter being a C.A.T. Dog.

  14. Once your dog has passed the Canine Good Citizen and Canine Assisted Therapy Tests: • you will be accompanied to a nursing facility where you will see what it’s like to be a C.A.T. Dog. This will be your first assessment and evaluation. • You will be asked to visit the facility once per week alone for two visits. • On the third visit, you will once again be accompanied by a C.A.T. evaluator to make sure that all is well. • Upon passing the final evaluation, your dog will be an official C.A.T. Dog!

  15. Not all dogs can be therapy dogs. Some just can’t quite make it through the tests. Some can’t handle the therapy environment. We at C.A.T. want you to know that we still want you and your dog to be a part of our organization! The C.A.T. Dog Advocates are an important part of making the public aware of the need for therapy dogs. C.A.T. Dog Advocates are encouraged to participate in all C.A.T. functions such as dog walks, parties, and fund raising activities. We at C.A.T. understand how important it is to be able to share your life and activities with your dog!

  16. Supporting Membership – Supporting members do not have a dog, but still want to help and participate in C.A.T. activities. Supporting Membership is $50 per year.

  17. Full Membership – Full membership includes one dog. Full Membership is $75 per year. • First year membership includes liability insurance coverage, background check fee, C.A.T. T-shirt, dog bandana, and I.D. Badge. • Additional dogs are $25 per dog.

  18. All C.A.T. Dogs are required to have the AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification. • If your dog already has this certification, we require a copy of the CGC Certificate. • If your dog does not have this certification, we provide a source for your CGC • The fee for the C.A.T. Test is $10. • The C.A.T. Test can be taken prior to membership to determine if your dog has the right temperament and personality to become a therapy dog.

  19. Co-Founders, Debra Berger and Joanne Jurgle, are always available and open to input from our volunteers. We look to our volunteers to keep us informed and give us ideas on how to make our organization better. • One final note, the color Purple represents Royalty. We at C.A.T. want to treat our volunteers, the people we serve, and our furry friends like Royalty. Our volunteers are our most valuable resource. We strive to show love and respect for all those that we come in contact with.

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