Dogs On Call is a volunteer-based therapy dog program of the non-profit The Center for Human-Animal Interaction (www.facebook.com/humananimalinteraction) at Virginia Commonwealth University. Therapy dog and handler teams visit as volunteers, at no cost to patients and their families, with the aim of enhancing the health and well-being of a myriad of clinical populations. Visits are provided nearly everywhere throughout the VCU Medical Center, with the exception of operating rooms, delivery rooms, and where contact precautions are in place. Participating therapy dogs must be certified and continually meet set standards for temperament, obedience, and hygiene. Together, volunteers and their therapy dogs work to satisfy safety requirements so that they can provide this important service. The DOC Program is an evidence-based practice, supported by research conducted both internally and externally to the VCU Medical Center. Research conducted by the Center for Human-Animal Interaction, often involving visiting DOC teams, continues to uncover benefits patient and staff benefits from their visits as well as from other forms of human-animal interaction.
