CAP values its members and appreciates the time, effort, and care that handlers and their therapy dogs give each time they visit a facility and while they are representing CAP at charitable and other community events.
CAP provides scarves for the dogs, CAP name tags and CAP navy vests for the handlers. These, or other CAP attire are required at all visits to CAP sanctioned facilities and while participating in other events as a representative of CAP. These items readily identify handlers and their dogs as team members and are required by the insurance CAP provides for its members. Insurance coverage applies only to members when they are visiting CAP approved facilities at regularly scheduled times or are participating in charitable or other community events as representatives of CAP.
All Therapy Teams are expected to take their commitment to visitations seriously, noting the dates on their calendars and faithfully arriving at designated sites on time. If members are unable to attend for any reason, they must contact their Captain and/or try to obtain a replacement Therapy Team with their Captain’s permission.
The Captain assists with facility visits. He or she supports the Therapy Teams and is the liaison between CAP and the facility. At the start of a visiting season, the CAP Visitation Coordinators and the Captains, along with team members, work together to identify the availability of a date and time for scheduled visits. The Captain contacts his or her site or sites and confirms the new season’s schedule. At facilities that are visited year-round, Captains check in with the site’s contact person regularly. Teams usually visit once a month, typically for one hour. Members are welcome to request visits at more than one site during the month by contacting Mary Wills or Kerry Walton, the Upper Cape Visitation Coordinators (Sandwich-Centerville) or Ellen Hewins, the Lower Cape Visitation Coordinator (Yarmouth-Provincetown).
Once a pet therapy team has completed six visits at an adult facility, and upon approval of their Captain, they may apply for the Children and Adult Specialty Visits Program. For more information regarding the program, see their page on this website. To fill out an application for this program click on Children and Adult Specialty Visits Application.