Enriching Lives With Unconditional Love...
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What exactly does Hearts & Paws Comfort Dogs do?
Maureen loves us!
Maureen S
Volunteer
We are a group of dog lovers who are committed to sharing the love and comfort of dogs with our community. We visit schools and library programs, as well as other events – places with people (kids and adults) who might need a doggy hug or some unconditional love. There is never a charge for our visits.
We are always looking to reach out to the community, so if you know of a place or group that would welcome a visit from well-behaved, loving dogs, please contact us.
In addition, we are dedicated to raising money to directly help our communities on Cape Cod, such as the Family Pantry of Cape Cod. 100% of money raised at our events goes directly to the charity stated.
We occasionally hold fund-raisers to collect funds to help with our members’ expenses, such as training and exam fees in order to obtain our Canine Good Citizenship certification. We believe strongly that someone shouldn’t feel that they can’t afford to be part of our organization.
We are all volunteers, with no paid staff, so we keep our overhead light with the aim of giving to our community in as many ways as we can.
Can I volunteer without a dog?
Absolutely! All of our teams consist of a Comfort Dog, a Handler, and a Spotter, who handles any preliminary discussions with the visit coordinator and keeps an eye out for anything that might create a problem for the dog team. We see this as a vital role in our success, so if you don’t have a dog, or your dog isn’t suited to be a Comfort Dog, this is a great way for you to bring joy and comfort to people in our community, and make some wonderful friends in the process! Learn more about the role of the Spotter here.
Can I volunteer without a dog?
Absolutely! All of our teams consist of a Comfort Dog, a Handler, and a Spotter, who handles any preliminary discussions with the visit coordinator and keeps an eye out for anything that might create a problem for the dog team. We see this as a vital role in our success, so if you don’t have a dog, or your dog isn’t suited to be a Comfort Dog, this is a great way for you to bring joy and comfort to people in our community, and make some wonderful friends in the process! Learn more about the role of the Spotter here.
What's the difference between a therapy dog, a service dog and a comfort dog?
A therapy dog is certified by organizations that test that a dog’s behavior meets stringent standards. They must be under their handler’s control at all times, and be comfortable around medical equipment, noises and other distractions that might occur during visits to nursing homes or hospitals.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are defined as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.”
A Comfort Dog in our organization may not have met the same standards of training that a therapy dog has, but has passed the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen test, which certifies that the dog is well-trained and behaves well in public situations around strangers and strange dogs. You can read more about the CGC Exam here. All of the dogs we send into the community as Comfort Dogs have passed the CGC.
How long is a Comfort Dog visit?
Generally speaking, a Comfort Dog visit lasts about one hour. Depending on the situation, this can be flexible, but we always look to keep our dogs relaxed and stress-free, and therefore we need to limit the time they stay with a group.
What types of groups do you visit?
We visit schools, libraries, senior centers, veterans’ group homes/clubs, shelters, and other service-oriented organizations. We do NOT send teams to private residences, birthday parties or other non-service-oriented venues.
What areas do you serve?
We currently have dog teams that can be deployed throughout the Upper, Mid and Outer Cape towns.
“Petting, scratching, and cuddling a dog could be as soothing to the mind and heart as deep meditation and almost as good for the soul as prayer.”
Wow, Amazing Wow
We are always looking to reach out to the community, so if you know of a place or group that would benefit from a visit by well-behaved, loving dogs, please contact us.
Get Involved
There are many ways to help us help others
Library Visits are customized to your specific programs
What We Do
Libraries offer many opportunities for us to share the love and comfort our dogs have to give. Whether you have a children’s reading program, a senior program, or other gatherings, providing a Comfort Dog experience serves to enrich the lives of those in our communities.
And since we are all volunteers, there is never a charge to have us come visit.
How It Helps
It’s well documented that animals serve as a calming influence on most people. Many children and seniors have no opportunity to own an animal, and our Comfort Dog visits are a way for them to connect to a dog without having one at home.
Dogs make people smile, help ease grief and stress, and improve the day of all involved. Watch people light up as the dogs interact with your patrons and see how such a simple service can help many as they struggle with the challenges of life.
Great News! We've been nominated for the Martha's Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation's Community Impact Grant 2022!
