Around here, Labor Day signals the unofficial transition from summer to fall. Therapy dog visits are once again front and center in my weekly schedule. Sadie is SO happy to be back to work. Here, she is at Park Street Elementary (Marietta City Schools) waiting patiently to meet new friends in a second grade class. One of our READers from last year was beyond excited to see us. School visits are my favorite type of visit and Sadie definitely knows this is “her” school.
When I left teaching in 2022, we were just coming out of COVID and therapy dog visit opportunities were few. I drove far and wide to make those visits. Today, therapy dog visit opportunities abound – meaning I can be more selective about the visit opportunities we accept. Facility, type of visit, distance and time of day all factor into the decision. Our regular, recurring visits fall somewhere between Midtown and the Big Chicken (or less than 10 miles/30 minutes from home). We still make visits farther afield; however, this is usually reserved for special events. Remember, Atlanta’s traffic is brutal.
If you have a dog that is both people and dog-friendly, consider becoming a therapy dog team. Visit the Alliance of Therapy Dogs website for complete details. My local therapy dog groups have more requests for therapy dog visits than teams available to fill them. One visit every 3 months is all that is required to remain in good standing with ATD. There are evening and weekend visit opportunities, as well. I think I averaged 10-12 visits per year when I was still working full-time. Sadie and I made 37 visits last year. In 2025, we’ve already met that number and it’s only early September.
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