CAP values its members and appreciates the time, effort, and care that handlers and their therapy dogs give at each visit to a facility or 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 identifying attire, are required at all visits to CAP sanctioned facilities and while participating at events as a representative of CAP. These items readily identify the visiting teams as members of CAP 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 as the CAP representative. Teams are asked to visit once a month, typically for one hour. Members are welcome to request visits at more than one site during the month if they wish 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 months of visitations, and upon approval of their Captain, they may apply for both the Children’s program and Hospital programs. For the children’s program, please complete the Children’s Program Team Application. For more information regarding this wonderful program, contact Susan Hunt. For information on hospital visits, you can contact Mary Wills or Kerry Walton for Spaulding Rehab and Falmouth Hospital, and Ellen Hewins for Cape Cod Hospital.