In 2014, AFTLOA became a partner of "Attitudes In Reverse (A.I.R)" which is a New Jersey based non-profit organization raising awareness for Mental Health and providing resources by offering love and hope through their "Paws for Minds" program.
Through this program partnership, AFTLOA assists A.I.R by matching qualified families seeking Emotional Support Animals and life long companionship. Specifically, we thoroughly evaluate animals entering our rescue to determine if they are socially, temperamentally, and intelligently sound, and acquire the potential to go on to be trained through A.I.R's training program to earn Therapy Dog certification. A.I.R works individually with receiving adoptive families by providing a training program specifically tailored to meet each individual family and animal and may go beyond Therapy Dog certification to meet these individual needs.
Additionally, A.I.R is also equipped with trainers who are experienced trainers of Service Dogs. AFTLOA and A.I.R seeks out special dogs with mobility and retrieval potential who acquire the need to please and interest to perform a "job". These special dogs will then go through A.I.R's foster Service Dog training program. Once the dogs have gone through this program, they are then tested for certification. In the event a dog does not meet the qualifications necessary for certification, they will be considered as Emotional Support animals by receiving Therapy Dog certification.
Please continue reading to see the progress of this program and meet the rescued animals currently involved!
If you are interested in a general family/companion dog who also acquires Therapy Dog potential, please see our Available Angels or contact us directly. We have several dogs who qualify whom may not have the energy level or interests (i.e a dog looking for a more active lifestyle) then those of the potential families seeking Emotional Support, however are animals who are still socially, temperamentally, and intelligently sound. For instance, a dog who enjoys the outdoors and activities involved (water, hiking, social butterflies, ect). Potential families can still make a fun, rewarding difference with their loving, social adopted animals by getting them certified as Therapy Animals and visiting hospitals, nursing homes, schools, ect. while raising awareness for rescued animals and showing off their true potential!!! :)
