The HSSC Pet Therapy Program connects caring people and their special animals with opportunities to bring comfort, happiness, and humane education to a wide range of adults and children throughout Sarasota County. Teams visit a variety of organizations located in Sarasota County: schools, senior care campuses, hospitals, special needs facilities, and more.

HSSC has more than 80 certified Pet Therapy Teams. These dedicated human-animal teams play a vital role in raising community awareness of the many joys of responsible pet ownership. We believe the soothing effects of touching and communicating with animals should be available to everyone faced with health challenges, and we thank you for being willing to help us make that happen. 

• Team members are HSSC volunteers and must be at least 18 years old.

• We primiarily certify therapy dogs, but we are beginning to expand into therapy cats. 

• Assignments are determined and scheduled by HSSC. Please note that almost all of our visits take place on weekdays before 5pm, so this program may not be the best fit for people who work full-time during the week.

• We do accept certified Pet Therapy dogs from other national organizations (e.g., Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dogs) but we require all new Pet Therapy candidates to take our Pet Therapy Training Course to learn our specific procedures and policies. 

• We do not certify service or emotional support dogs. (What’s the difference? Here’s a helpful article.)

• Our program provides: registration, insurance, visit scheduling/coordination, and support to volunteers and their animals.

• For dogs that are not quite ready for pet therapy, we recommend our K-9 Obedience Courses. 

• Once you and your dog complete the course and pass the evaluation, you will be charged an $50 fee, which covers our cost to issue your Pet Therapy polo, dog bandana, name badge, and liability insurance for one year.

• Thereafter, you will be charged an annual fee of $40 to maintain your insurance and membership in the program.

If you are interested in joining our Pet Therapy Program, you must first complete our Pet Therapy Training Course. 

The Pet Therapy Training Course prepares you and your dog to be an HSSC Pet Therapy Team. The course covers the essential skills for therapy animals and handlers (attention, leash walking, ignoring distractions, reactivity, etc.). In addition, the course provides an overview of the roles and expectations of HSSC Pet Therapy Volunteers, and an overview of HSSC in general, since Pet Therapy Volunteers are considered ambassadors for HSSC. The final class is the evaluation. Passing the evaluation results in acceptance into the Pet Therapy Program. Those who do not pass the evaluation will be provided options for further training. This course consists of four one-hour classes and will meet once a week unless otherwise noted. For everyone's safety, we only permit one dog per handler. Capacity: 9 Dogs. Fee: $60.

Click here for the 2025 Pet Therapy Course Dates

Interested in scheduling Pet Therapy visits to your facility or school? Please contact the Volunteer Manager at 941.955.4131 x113 for more information or email [email protected]

Here are some of our current Pet Therapy sites: