At The WNC  Alliance, our Therapy Dog Team brings certified canine companions into partner agencies and programs, offering gentle affection, comfort, and unconditional support. By weaving animal-assisted interventions into our advocacy, counseling, and community services, these hard working therapy dogs help clients feel safer, reduce anxiety, and strengthen trust as part of their healing journey. We currently have a training yard in Waynesville, NC to assist in learning and practicing skills.

Helpful Definitions

Therapy Dogs are trained to provide affection, comfort, and love to people in a variety of settings. Typical settings are hospitals, nursing homes, libraries, and health care settings. Vests or bandannas are worn to identify therapy dogs while working in the community. These dogs are not allowed access to public areas. Our Log Dog Therapy team provides therapy dogs at local agencies and incorporate animal-assisted therapy into our Children Exposed to Violence program

Service Dogs are individually trained to work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a medically documented disability. These dogs are federally protected under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) to accompany their person into public places such as restaurants, movie theaters, and stores.

Emotional Support Dogs are dogs that provide comfort and support in forms of affection and companionship for an individual with a medically documented mental or emotional condition. These dogs are not legally required to perform tasks. They are not considered service dogs so are not allowed access to public places, but they can live in housing (Fair Housing Amendment Act- FHAA) or fly with their individual (Air Carrier Access Act- ACAA).

Animal Assisted Therapy involves intentionally engaging animals in treatment to assist in improving mental, emotional, behavioral symptoms as a result of experiencing trauma. The relationship with the animal facilitate safety, security, connection, and promotes healing from trauma.