Get More Than You Give. Bring Your Therapy Dog to Roxy.

Want to make a visible difference with your precious time? Want to affect the lives of school-age children in a positive, rewarding way? Want to work with your dog to make the magic happen?

Roxy has 70+ handler/therapy dog teams and we still don’t have enough to meet the needs of the community. Here’s where you and your pupper come in.

If your dog has a great disposition, you could make a great therapy team!

Join dozens of other volunteers and their dogs enjoying visits through Roxy™ Therapy Dog programs.

Start Here!

  • You must have owned your dog for at least 6 months before having them tested to be certified as a therapy dog.

    Click on the agency name listed below for information on their specific testing requirements, schedule and locations.

    Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc.

    Alliance of Therapy Dogs (formerly Therapy Dogs, Incorporated)

    Please note that Roxy Therapy Dogs does not accept teams certified by Therapy Dogs INTERNATIONAL or Comfort Caring Canines.

  • This is encouraged but not required for volunteering with Roxy.

    To learn more about the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, click here.

    To find an evaluator in your area, click here.

  • Complete our Volunteer Application.

    Upon receipt, we’ll contact you to arrange a meeting with our Welcome Team who will answer any questions and help with placement in specific Roxy programs.

  • Note: Clearances are only valid for 5 years. All volunteers must maintain valid clearances in order to continue visits.

    1. Submit to a PA State Police Criminal Background Check. There is no charge for this background check for volunteers.

    2. Apply for a PA Child Abuse History Certification. Click “Create Individual Account”. The Keystone Key is a user name you create. Follow the site’s step-by-step instructions for creating a password. Be sure to keep a record of your Keystone Key and Password as you will need them to access your results. You will receive an email from the site when your results are available, within 14 days of your submission. There is no charge for this background check for volunteers.

    3. Submit an FBI Fingerprinting Clearance. Enroll online at the IdentoGO site and make an appointment for fingerprinting at a location of your choice. The Service Code for VOLUNTEERS is 1KG6ZJ. There is a fee for the FBI background check. Alternatively, if you have been a resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during the previous 10-year period, you can opt to complete this Disclosure Affidavit in lieu of the FBI Fingerprint Clearance. Please email it to our Director of Volunteers when complete.

    4. Email copies of all three completed Clearances to our Director of Volunteers.

  • This training is available online at Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania Online Training. Roxy Therapy Dogs Volunteers are considered mandated reporters by law and as such, all volunteers are provided Mandated Reporting training free of charge. This training is offered through a webinar created by the University of Pittsburgh.

Scroll Down For FAQs! ↓

“Thank you for all of your work getting us into the organization. It was the experience of a lifetime with my dog of a lifetime. This organization gave me a precious opportunity to share this amazing dog with people who needed some extra cheer. Thank you again for a wonderful experience. We are both extremely proud to have been a part of Roxy.”
— Rachael Simon, Volunteer, and Douglas

What Is a Roxy Dog?

A Roxy dog has experienced the joy of being a pup.and is ready for the responsibility of adulthood.

A Roxy dog adores all people.

A Roxy dog is predictable even when the environment or people around them become unpredictable.

A Roxy dog has a reliable skill set learned through consistent training with its handler.

A Roxy dog has a handler who always advocates for it.

Read the full article by Susie Danzis.➜

Volunteer with a Dog FAQs

  • Nope! We have dogs of all breeds (and mixed breeds) in Roxy! As long as your dog has a calm temperament and enjoys being around kids, then he/she is a good candidate for being a therapy dog.

  • We have dogs of all ages. However, dogs must be at least one year old before becoming a Roxy Therapy Dog.

  • You can start by emailing Susie Danzis and she’ll point you in the right direction.

  • You can volunteer for as many or as few hours as your schedule allows. However, your certification organization may have minimum requirements.

  • A lot of woof-derful things. Learn more here.

  • No. All Roxy dogs are certified to work with a specific human (their owner or owners), and only them. We don't "loan out" our therapy dogs.

Looking for a Therapy Dog Trainer?

For more information on getting started and training your dog for the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) or therapy dog evaluations, please contact Susie Danzis at Training Tails Dog Training.