Canines for Therapy Coming to Charleston!

Canines for Service is pleased to announce the offering of the Canines for Therapy program will be offered in Charleston beginning September 2012.

The Canines for Therapy program trains owners and their dogs to provide animal-assisted visitations in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, group homes and treatment facilities. Our comprehensive training program gives canines the healing touch through a 6-week course which is designed to provide a hands-on approach for people and their dogs to learn the skills needed for successful animal assisted activity and therapy visitations. After completing the program, the person and their dog become certified Canines for Therapy Teams and can volunteer in their community.

Canines for Service has been providing an animal assisted therapy program in the greater Wilmington, NC community since 2002. In 2009, Canines for Therapy expanded to the greater Raleigh, NC area and recently to Smithfield, NC and Charleston, SC. The program is one of the only animal assisted therapy programs in which the certified teams can work with physical and occupational therapists, speech therapist and reading specialist to use the certified therapy dog in directed therapies for the client.

“We are happy to expand our programs and offer the therapy program in the Charleston community," said Rick Hairston, president & CEO of Canines for Service. "Canines for Therapy will offer the comprehensive training program for people and their dogs and expand the volunteer opportunities in the Charleston community that we have not been able to provide up until now. We will be looking to start our very successful Canines for Literacy program in the community helping children struggling with their reading once we have certified therapy teams ready to volunteer.”

The Canines for Therapy program will be offered at PetCo in North Charleston at 5900 Rivers Ave. #E2, North Charleston, SC 29046 beginning on September 12, 2012 at 6:30 pm. The class will run for 6 consecutive weeks. The course prerequisites include the dog must be at least one (1) year of age and have lived in the handlers home for at least 6 months prior to participation, dogs must know strong and reliable basic obedience (sit, down, stay, recall and walking on a loose leash) and have completed AKC Canine Good Citizens prior to class registration. Class is limited to 10 handlers and their dogs. Pre-registration is required and the first night of class handler must provide completed registration form, proof of CGC certification and copy of animal’s vaccination record. The course fee is a total of $200 which includes 6-weeks of comprehensive course, student workbook, and evaluation, 2-year certification as a therapy team, identification and liability insurance coverage while volunteering.

Canines for Veterans a program of Canines for Service (CFS) has been part of the Charleston community since September 2010. Canines for Service is a nonprofit health and human services organization that trains service dogs for people with disabilities. Operating entirely on private donations, CFS provides people with mobility limitations quality trained service dogs, instructs prisoners to raise and train each service dog that is provided to veterans, and offers the Canines for Therapy and Canines for Literacy program.

For more information on Canines for Service and its programs, call (866) 910-3647 or visit www.caninesforservice.org.