Therapy Dog Final Survey

We want to first say thank you to all who participated in the therapy dog survey. The feedback and comments were very helpful in our continued research of the program.

A lot of questions came up and we want to address some of those directly in this email. Also in this email you will find the results of the survey, an attachment with the survey comments, and a shortened version of our proposal. The proposal has additional information on the “why”, benefits, vision, and success stories.

Lastly, we ask that you take this ONE question, FINAL survey – yes ONE question! Even if you already took the first survey. This will guide us to the final decision on whether or not the therapy dog program moves forward. Please take this survey by end of day May 10^th.

Common questions:

17. What about allergies?

1. We are looking into working with an organization that trains and places dogs for therapy and other needs. They are able to find a dog based on the size and breed requested. For example, we can say we want a large, hypoallergenic breed. The organization will then find a dog matching those requirements, who also has the proper temperament to be a therapy dog.

17. What about cost?

1. Elite K9 charges a fee of $7500 for initial and on-going training for the life of the dog. Our newest chaplain, Ernest Smith, has graciously said he will pay for the cost of the training. Therapy dog training involves more than just sit, stay, and down. The training is very specialized for this role and will need to be maintained regularly. As for food, vet bills, etc. we are still working on those details.

17. Is a therapy dog the new and shiny thing that will eventually be outdated?

1. The short answer is no. Benefits of dogs for mental and physical health have always been measurable, and research can prove that dating back decades. Though therapy dogs in the fire service are a new idea, what they can do for humans they’ve been doing for ages. Additional benefits of dogs can be found in the Therapy Dog Proposal_CRFD (attached)

17. Is this a station dog or a dog tied to one person/handler?

1. This is a dog that will have one specific handler. We are continuing to look at the logistics involved in this, depending on who may become the handler. We will continue to communicate this information as it develops.