Hearts of Gold Screening Event – NEJ (Jacksonville)

About the Hearts of Gold Therapy Team

GRRMF Hearts of Gold therapy team consists of dogs who have a stable temperament, canine good manners and a friendly, easy-going personality. We will introduce your pup to medical equipment, give you one-on-one helpful tips, and practice different testing stations to help you and your dog prepare for assessment as a therapy team. Those that pass our screenings may join Hearts of Gold as a therapy team after completing three supervised visits with an evaluator.  Your area coordinator will contact you by email and share a list of facilities requesting monthly scheduled therapy visits.

Therapy‑Ready Behaviors We Look For

Your dog should display the following:

1. Possess a physical calm – no barking, pawing or jumping when greeting others
2. Friendly – willingness to meet new people
3. Canine good manners – basic obedience commands, sit, down, stay
4. Cleanliness – bathed, brushed, nails trimmed

What Evaluators Look for During Testing

Testing stations will evaluate your dog’s reaction to different situations and how you work together as a dog/handler team:

1. Leash behavior – loose lead, heels, responds to gentle corrections
2. Medical equipment – response to wheelchair, walker, cane
3. Social behavior – response to crowds, other dogs, coughing, loud noises, hand movements
4. Leave-it command – can walk past food / treat
5. Examination – allow stranger to touch head, ears, tail, feet
6. Handler evaluation – positive attitude, appearance, ability to oversee/maintain control of dog

Coordinator Contact Information

CONTACT: Valerie Battersby, NEJ Events Coordinator  Valerie.Battersby@grrmf.org