New Member Inquiry

HOPE AACR teams bring Comfort In Times of Crisis and people like you–and your canines are critical to the work we do. After becoming a HOPE Member, you’ll work side-by-side with relief organizations, first responders, and community groups to provide emotional comfort and support to people affected by crises and disasters. Join our network of support, and make a difference in your community.

To become a Certified Member with a canine partner:

  • You must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the screening evaluation.
  • Your canine must be at least 18 months old at the time of the certification training workshop.
  • You and your canine must be a registered member of a formal animal-assisted therapy organization and working with your canine as a therapy team for at least 12 consecutive months.
  • You and your canine must have a minimum of 12 verifiable AAA/T visits within the last twelve months.
  • You and your canine must successfully complete a HOPE AACR screening evaluation.
  • You and your canine must successfully complete a certification training workshop.
  • Your canine should not be easily stressed and should enjoy interacting with people.
  • You should be in good health and be capable of handling the physical and mental stress of crisis response work and have sufficient energy levels adequate for crisis response work.
  • Pay all fees related to screening and training workshop, membership fees, and purchase all necessary uniform items.

To become a Certified Member without a canine partner (Team Leader):

  • You must be at least 18 years of age at the time of the screening evaluation.
  • You should have some experience in animal-assisted therapy or some other experience working with dogs.
  • You must successfully complete a HOPE AACR screening evaluation.
  • You must successfully complete a certification training workshop.
  • You should be in good health and be capable of handling the physical and mental stress of crisis response work.
  • Pay all fees related to screening and training workshop, membership fees, and purchase all necessary uniform items.