The Community Therapy Dogs Society (CTDS) is recruiting dogs and volunteers from Airdrie to help fulfill the needs of the growing organization. According to Marilyn King, a director with CTDS, as demand grows for the organization’s services, the need for well-mannered, friendly dogs increases, as well. “The whole purpose of it is to bring benefit to people,” she said. “Our tagline is ‘helping people one dog at a time.’” CTDS – formerly Chestermere Therapy Dog Society – initially offered a single program, King said. Listening Tails, which debuted in 2014 at the Chestermere Public Library, provided an opportunity for children to gain confidence by reading out loud to a friendly canine ear. “We found that there were so many fringe benefits from that,” King said. “People were actually saying, ‘My child’s doing better reading, but they’re also much more confident, period.’” The success of Listening Tails quickly resulted in two additional programs: Caring Tails, where dogs provide therapeutic help to students suffering from anxiety and stress, and Visiting Tails, where canine friends visit seniors’ homes and hospitals. The program quickly travelled, and King said CTDS dogs have stopped in Airdrie, Cochrane, Balzac, Kathyrn and Crossfield. The program has also seen success in Calgary, Strathmore and Olds. According to King, CTDS currently has around 80 dogs, but as the organization has expanded, the need to recruit more volunteers has become apparent – not only to keep up with growth, but also to fill the spots of dogs that age out of the program. “Dogs pass,” King said. “You get to the point when they’re too old, they’re not comfortable, they don’t want to be touched anymore, so they need to retire.” CTDS is currently on a recruiting push, looking for owners willing to commit some of their and their dog’s time. King said there are certain characteristics that make for both an ideal volunteer and an ideal dog. Owners must have a calm and approachable disposition, and need to be committed to volunteering with the organization. King said the time commitment associated with volunteering is flexible – it’s down to individuals to decide how much time they’ll commit to the organization. “We don’t say you have to do so many hours a month,” King said. “However, if you’ve said that you would like to do a program, we’re going to be looking to you to actually take part in it.” Owners must also complete a police check prior to starting with the program. Ideal dogs, according to King, have a gentle temperament, are well-trained and should be good with people, especially children. “The dog needs to be very calm, has to be obedient, has to be focused on their owner,” she said. Every dog must complete a two-part assessment. They have to pass a health assessment – at no cost – with one of two veterinary clinics that partners with CTDS. Each dog must also be assessed for temperament by the organization. “[President Steve King] does a nose-to-tail check to make sure the dog’s happy being touched, because people do touch them,” King said. CTDS will be at The Place 4 Paws in Balzac to assess potential Airdrie volunteers and their dogs the first Sunday of each month for the remainder of the year. The first assessment will take place Sept. 2.
