Hi Nicole,

We have 5 (?) facilities dogs. The handlers are all paid staff members, so the dogs work with their handlers all day. We go through Canine Companions, so each handler was paired specifically with their dog just like someone would if was getting a personal assistance dog.

-Alex

I believe my situation is similar to what Alex mentioned. We have had several facility dogs in the past who came to work with an employee and the dog's role was mostly to support that employee's unit. It was considered to be different from our pet therapy teams and did not go through Volunteer Services.

Yes, the dogs have to be trained to be a facility dog. I don't know a lot about it since I wasn't involved, but I know the last one who came here came from Canine Companions. The team member went to them to be matched and to go through intensive training with the dog.