All CCPT visits are in the following NJ counties: Bergen, Essex, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

Most visits are during the weekday hours of 9 am – 5 pm. Evening and weekend visits are less frequent and may require you to drive further. Please consider if you have time to perform therapy visits.

While most of our therapy pets are dogs, we also accept cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and some miniature farm animals. We currently do not accept any type of birds or reptiles.

Your pet should be at least 1 year old and have been living with you for at least 6 months. We do not have a maximum age restriction as long as the animal is comfortable and wants to visit. There are no breed restrictions; however, certain facilities that we visit may limit specific breeds (rare).

• Calm and under full control of the handler.
• Willingly approaches strangers for petting.
• Enjoys people of all types and ages.
• Confidence in unfamiliar situations / environments.
• Neutral with other animals. Can ignore other dogs on leash in close proximity.

No specific training is required. We suggest that potential dog teams attend an introductory training class before taking the evaluation test. Some facilities offer therapy dog prep classes. A Canine Good Citizen prep class would be another option to help prepare your dog for the test.

All animals must have a vet exam within the past year to ensure good physical and mental health

Dogs & Cats:

• Rabies vaccinated (or titer results if exempt)
• Distemper vaccinated (or titer results)
• A negative fecal exam within the past year

Horses, Goats: 

• Rabies vaccinated (or titer results if exempt)
• Coggins papers (Horses only)
• Clostridial vaccinated (CDT) (Goats only)

Rabbits, Guinea Pigs: 

• No vaccines required

Other Animals: 

• Please contact CCPT to determine vaccination needs

Handler: There are no vaccine requirements for the handler, but some facilities that we visit may have their own requirements, such as hospitals.

We ask our teams to perform at least 1-2 visits per month.

Anyone going on a visit needs to be certified with the animal. We do allow junior handlers (14 yrs – 17 yrs); however, they must perform visits under the supervision of a certified adult member.

Yes! You can be a member of CCPT and another therapy organization at the same time; just be sure to confirm that the other group allows dual membership. Please note that even if your pet has passed a therapy evaluation elsewhere, all teams must complete CCPT’s evaluation and onboarding process. This is required to meet our insurance guidelines and to honor the agreements we have with our partner facilities. Each therapy organization has its own standards, tests, and training procedures, so we cannot accept outside certifications in place of ours.

Yes! You may test with any animal you have known for at least six months. It could be a borrowed pet from a family member, friend, or even a neighbor.

Step 1: Apply – Before taking the test, we need a completed application and your pet’s records.

Step 2: Introductory Call – We’ll set up a phone call to:

• Answer your questions about the test and program
• Learn about your goals and availability
• Confirm your pet therapy test date and time

Step 3: Evaluation Test – The pet therapy test combines obedience and pet temperament and takes about 20-30 minutes to complete. You can view more about our test here.

Step 4: Orientation – Join a live online session to review next steps and learn how to use our training program.

Step 5: Education Videos – Our online self-paced lessons will help prepare you for your role as a CCPT therapy team member. 

Step 6: Assessment Visit – Your first official visit will be with an experienced therapy team who will guide and support you. 

 The certification process includes six steps and typically takes 1-2 weeks from evaluation to the first visit as a certified team. The speed at which you are certified will depend on how quickly you complete the self-paced training and your availability for the assessment visit.

The pet therapy test combines obedience and pet temperament and takes about 30 minutes to complete. Your pet will be expected to obey commands, avoid food and other dogs, approach strangers calmly for petting, settle in an unfamiliar environment, and be comfortable around medical equipment. You can view more about our test here.

We do not offer dog training classes. A list of dog trainers we recommend is available here. We suggest completing basic training (sit, down, leave it, walking nicely on the leash, and respectful greetings) before taking the evaluation test. Some facilities offer therapy dog prep classes. A Canine Good Citizen prep class would be another option to help prepare your dog for the test.

ALLOWED

• Flat Collar
• Fabric Martingale
• Halters (Head/Body)
• 4’–6′ Leash
• Pet Stroller

NOT ALLOWED

• Prong Collar
• Chain Collar
• Electric Collar
• Retractable Leash

Due to the cost of onboarding a volunteer, we cannot offer a refund once you test. Following your test, the evaluator will provide feedback on any sections where your pet is deemed “not ready”. Once you are ready to retest those sections, let CCPT know, and you will be added to the next available test date at no charge. 

Therapy animals need to be good with everyone in all types of environments. We find that the pets who are “bomb proof” are the most comfortable during visits and provide the best experience for those who receive pet therapy.

After passing the evaluation, you will be enrolled in our self-paced online lessons, which review…

• how to prepare for visits
• what to expect during visits
• how to effectively handle your pet for accessibility
• communication tips
• health and safety recommendations
• how to read your pet’s body language to keep them comfortable

Your first official visit will be with an experienced therapy team who will guide and support you. 

Our online dynamic calendar lets certified volunteer teams choose from a wide variety of visits based on location and schedule. We take care of the details (best place to park, where to check in, what to expect), so teams never need to contact facilities directly to schedule visits.

We have many visits for you to choose from each week, in a variety of settings and locations.  We set up visits to hospitals, schools, libraries, mental health facilities, and senior centers.  We encourage you to try a number of visits to see what works best for you and your therapy pet.

We have a program for in-house therapy animals (pets that go to work with their handler), which includes an annual fee and a contract with the facility. Currently, this program is only for schools. The program costs $750 annually and is typically covered by educational grants. Please reach out to us for further information on this program. 973-285-9083 ext:202

Many of our visits are with two teams, so you will often have opportunities to visit with other CCPT teams.

We do have opportunities to volunteer without an animal, but please note that we do not have a kennel. All our therapy pets are owned by and live with their handlers. Please contact us at info@ccpettherapy.org to discuss specific volunteer jobs.

Each visit is typically an hour, unless it is a special event, in which case it may be longer. An hour of visiting can be tiring for the pets, so we try to stay within that timeframe.

The first-year application fee is $100, which includes $60 for onboarding costs and $40 for your first-year membership dues. After that, the membership dues are $40 annually. 

Creature Comfort is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization raising enough funds to cover the cost of doing business. CCPT charges fees to cover the cost of testing, team materials, ongoing training, and supervision of our teams. As a CCPT team member, you are also covered by our liability policy.

CCPT has group insurance to cover volunteers in good standing during visits to CCPT partner facilities.

We ask our teams to wear our logo prominently during visits, along with the ID badge we provide. You will receive a CCPT t-shirt and something for your pet to wear (bandana or leash cover) after you pass the evaluation. You may use any of our approved restraints for testing and visits. We highly recommend a pet stroller for small animals (under 15lbs).

YES, we have a variety of items, including collared shirts, sweatshirts, and fleece vests, available for purchase on our website.

A service animal is specifically task-trained to help their disabled owner. An emotional support animal is a companion that provides comfort and therapeutic benefits to a person by just being around. Therapy animals accompany their owners to partner sites to provide comfort and happiness to others. Unlike service animals, therapy animals do not have public access rights in stores or on planes. They are treated like regular pets outside our facilities. Therapy animals do not qualify for housing exceptions as they are pets.

When teams join Creature Comfort, they become part of a community. Our staff is available to answer questions, offer advice, or address concerns. We take care of everything for you; all you need to do is pick your visits from our calendar and show up. Our teams communicate in our private online forum and often visit together. We hold regularly scheduled gatherings to socialize, share, and learn. Continuing education and bettering our organization is a constant focus.