Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) has an exceptional registry of committed, loyal Handlers who follow through on their commitments and ATD applauds each and every one of you. But sometimes a facility or an event falls short in some way, making our visits difficult.
What to do? Start with a conversation with your contact person. Sometimes they are not aware of what’s happening and/or of ATD rules. Sharing information with them may help them make the necessary adjustments to support your visits. If your contact person can’t help you, consider talking to their supervisor or someone higher up in the organization. They may or may not be able to help, but if you want to continue visiting at the facility, it’s worth trying. If you need additional information about ATD to share with the facility, please check the ATD website, your Member Portal, and/or contact the ATD Office. ATD has resources for facilities, and we can support both you and the facility.
If the facility or event is unresponsive, it’s OK to end the relationship with a facility if it’s not working out. If possible, give them notice before stopping your visits. There are plenty of facilities and events that want therapy dog teams and are willing and able to support and accommodate those teams and ATD rules.
If it is a safety issue for you and/or your dog, stop the visits immediately, including ending a visit you might be on currently. Our teams’ safety is of paramount importance, and we never want our teams to be in a dangerous situation. Do not feel badly about stopping visits or ending a visit due to a safety concern.
When the concern about a visit is about other dogs or teams visiting, there are several things you can do (please see our blog, “How to Deliver Bad News as an ATD Volunteer”), including talking with the Handler, sharing information with the Handler, and if things don’t improve, reporting the Handler to ATD and to the facility.
As Handlers, our goal is to facilitate our dogs sharing smiles and joy. That task, while straightforward, requires everyone working together to make it a reality for all those involved. If a facility or event is not a good fit, it’s okay. We know there are places for all our ATD teams.
