Therapy Dog Services in Pittsburgh: The Best Organizations in the City

Pittsburgh has more therapy dog services than you would think. So, if your dog is the calm one at the park and the one strangers kneel down to meet, then they might be a perfect fit for therapy work in Pittsburgh. 

You may be wondering, though, where you would even start. And the tricky part is that there’s no single “therapy dog certification” that’s all encompassing. As the dog owner, you should first choose where you want to volunteer, then go through the process of earning the appropriate credential. For example, hospitals, airports, and libraries each decide what types of credentials they will accept.

Therapy Dog, Service Dog, or Emotional Support Animal?

A therapy dog is a temperament-tested comfort dog. It has no special public-access rights, and no government certification exists for it. A service dog is task-trained to help its own disabled handler and has public-access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Meanwhile, an emotional support animal comforts its own owner and carries only housing rights. Since certification is private, the real question becomes: whose test should you take?

Where to Get Certified in Pittsburgh

The initial process of getting your dog certified requires health and vaccine checks, a temperament evaluation, a form of training or prep class, and then a supervised real-world visit or in-person test. From there, the process will become specific for each organization.

Organization	What You Get	Details Worth Knowing
Animal Friends Therapets	Six-week prep class then certification test	Work with dogs, cats, and rabbits; handler is required to obtain Pennsylvania state background clearances to participate.
Alliance of Therapy Dogs	National certifier and a tester meets you locally	$75 in stated first-year fees, which includes a $20 background check, $20 new member fee, and $35 yearly fee.
Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh (HARP)	A seven-week, prep course that meets for one hour each week	This is a prep only service; it prepares you for a test, but it’s not a certification itself.
Misty Pines	Local training resource with its own certification	To get certified, your dog must be at least 18 months old, have passed the Canine Good Citizen test before starting their program, and the handler must purchase and carry their own liability insurance.
Pet Partners	National certifier	For more information, refer to the Pet Partners website.

Therapy Dog Volunteer Opportunities in Pittsburgh

Before your dog completes their certifications, it’s important to decide what volunteer opportunities will best suit you. Each program listed below accepts different certifications, so note which one matches your plans.

PIT PAWS

PIT PAWS is a dog therapy program at Pittsburgh International Airport that allows passengers to pet and meet with certified and trained therapy dogs. The goal of the “Pups Alleviating Worries and Stress” initiative is to help provide relaxation for passengers before their flights. The PIT PAWS team’s responsibilities are to assist passengers by providing helpful information and directions around the airport, while also creating a fun and stress-free environment. 

Every dog is certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, which is a national organization that registers, insures, and supports members of volunteer animal-assisted activities. After the dog is certified, they will go through a month of airport training where they will work roughly two-hour shifts.

💡 PIT PAWS was launched in 2017 with only three or four volunteers, and has now grown to have 43 certified dogs as of June 2025.

UPMC Children’s Pet Friends

The Pet Friends Volunteer Program at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is one of six volunteer programs offered by this hospital. The Pet Friends program brings therapy dogs and their owners to visit hospitalized children. The goal of this initiative is to bring joy, comfort, and a positive experience to the children and their families during their hospital stay. 

To become an approved Pet Friends Volunteer, you must make sure your dog has received a series of evaluations and screenings and that you meet the following criteria: 

1	Submit the Pet Friends Program Interest Form and Therapy Dog Certification Document
2	Submit documentation that your dog is of good health
3	Submit UPMC Volunteer Application
4	Participate in a volunteer interview
5	Provide all required documentation
6	Partake in an on-site canine evaluation

If the initial criteria is met and you and your dog have passed the on-site evaluation, there will be a few additional steps to complete as well. 

All dogs must be 1+ years old, be fully vaccinated, and bathed the evening before a hospital visit. Handlers must commit to at least twice monthly visits and start on a waitlist. Handlers that make weekly visits to the hospital will be prioritized on the waitlist. For more information on these specific steps, check out the UPMC Children’s Program Page.

Allegheny Health Network (AHN) Pet Therapy

AHN is the Allegheny Health Network, which is a large nonprofit healthcare system based in Pittsburgh. They offer a pet therapy volunteer program for dogs only. Pet therapy teams visit patients, visitors, and employees, either one-on-one or in small groups. 

All dogs enrolled must have a Pet Therapy Certification and proof of immunizations for leptospirosis, parvo, rabies, and distemper. Owners of the dogs must read and sign the AHN Certified Pet Therapy Policy before volunteering. For more specifics on the AHN Pet Therapy Program, check out the AHN volunteer opportunities page.

Animal Friends Therapets

Therapets is an animal-assisted volunteer therapy program created by Animal Friends. It’s a program that offers free roughly hour-long visits to senior care facilities, hospitals, and schools. It involves a six-week training path and the requirement to pass a certification exam. 

To become a Therapet, your animal must:

• Be at least 1 year old
• Have been spayed or neutered
• Have been part of your family for at least six months
• Be up to date on vaccinations. 

Handlers of pets must be at least 18 years of age and be able to pass specific clearances.

💡 Therapets is one of the few local programs open to non-dog pets!

Animal Friends also offers Pet-Assisted Literacy Services (PALS), where children practice reading aloud to a PALS-trained Therapets team. The goal of this initiative is to develop a child’s reading skills and enhance the love of reading. Carnegie Library branches have previously hosted Animal Friends PALS visits.

Match the Credential to the Venue

Our advice: decide where you want to volunteer before choosing a credential. For example, the Pittsburgh International Airport requires a certification through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. Meanwhile, the UPMC program accepts dogs certified through Therapy Dogs International, Pet Partners, Therapets, Misty Pines, Therapy Dogs United, and Therapy Dogs Incorporated. These examples are exactly why it’s best to work backwards: 

1. Pick the program 
2. Check the requirements and credentials 
3. Train and test 
4. Apply 

Following this process can save you months of wasted time. Every legitimate path requires in-person evaluation, so fast online certificates will not be a legitimate source of certification.

Ultimately, getting your dog certified is just about paperwork – the real reward is what happens when you and your dog walk into a room. Whether it’s a hospital, senior center, or library, seeing the faces of children and patients light up with a smile is why all this matters. The volunteer work you do will bring genuine peace and happiness to people who need it most.

Let’s Not Forget Pet Palace!

Although we do not certify therapy dogs, we know that a happy, well-socialized dog is exactly where every therapy journey begins. Whether your dog needs to brush up on their manners with our training programs, get some energy out at day camp, enjoy a comfortable boarding stay, or get a fresh cut at the grooming salon, our Pittsburgh location in the South Side Flats is here to help.