Membership with Bright & Beautiful is on an annual basis. Each active member is mailed a B&B renewal form 1 – 2 months before the membership expiration date. To renew, B&BTD requires a signed renewal form, updated medical records, and the renewal fee ($40 for the first team and $15 for each additional handler or dog). The renewal form and renewal check must be mailed to our office at 80 Powder Mill Road, Morris Plains, NJ 07950. Updated medical records may be mailed, emailed to info@golden-dogs.org or faxed to 973-292-9559. For more information, refer to the webpage on renewals.

The use of pet strollers for visitation is strongly discouraged. They are only permitted with medical clearance from the dog’s veterinarian and/or the handler’s medical doctor. Written permission will be granted only after B&BTD receives a picture of the stroller and documentation showing how the dog is affixed to the stroller.

For the visit, the member must wear his/her current ID badge, keep his/her dog on a 4’ leash (or shorter) at all times, and ensure that the dog is clean, well-groomed and healthy. The dog should wear the B&BTD red bone shaped tag, their current rabies tag, and a local municipality dog license tag (if required). The member should also have a copy of the dog’s vaccine records with them. The B&B Guidelines and Health Requirements must be followed.

Some additional considerations include: The population that teams are visiting must be an appropriate and non-threatening audience for the therapy dog handler and dog. The facility environment must be safe and clean. The facility must provide an escort so that the therapy dog team is not left alone without supervision and knows whom to visit, where to go, and has a contact in case of emergency.

In other states, the facility should contact a B&BTD Evaluator in their vicinity and obtain the Evaluator’s assistance in finding therapy dog teams for visits.

Note that all facilities must follow Bright & Beautiful Guidelines to ensure a safe and effective therapy dog visit.

The process for requesting a visit depends on the private home’s location. Within New Jersey, a family member can complete a request form to describe the nature of the visitation request. B&BTD sends out a weekly email blast to all NJ members to let them know about current opportunities. Any interested members can then reach out to the family member directly. Note that B&BTD does not make the actual placement, as our members select where and when they volunteer. A family member or other responsible adult must be physically present during the time that a therapy dog team is visiting someone in a private home.

In other states, the family member should contact a B&BTD Evaluator in their vicinity and obtain the Evaluator’s assistance in finding therapy dog teams for visits.

Note that all requests for home visits must follow Bright & Beautiful Therapy Dog Guidelines and Health Requirements to ensure a safe and effective therapy dog visit.

Service dog – a service or assistance dog is a dog specifically trained to aid or assist an individual with a disability. Many are trained by an assistance dog organization, or by their handler, often with the help of a professional trainer.

Emotional support dog – Emotional support animals (ESAs) refer to dogs and other pets that provide emotional support and comfort to their owners daily. ESAs legally must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional like a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist.

Click here to see a chart that summarizes the differences.