NCTD and the R.E.A.D. Program

NCTD is proud to be an affiliate of the Reading Education Assistance Dogs© program (R.E.A.D.) offered by Intermountain Therapy Animals (ITA). NCTD R.E.A.D. teams visit schools and libraries where children improve their communication skills and love of books by reading to our dogs.

The R.E.A.D. registration is a per-pet addition to your existing NCTD certification. To obtain your R.E.A.D. certification, you purchase the training package from ITA. Complete the at-home training, fill out the application and the 40-question written test, read and sign the policies and procedures, and mail these to ITA with a copy of your NCTD registration and the lifetime membership fee. If everything is in order and you pass the test, ITA will send your membership card, R.E.A.D. dog tag, and letter saying you are registered with the R.E.A.D. program within 1-to-2 weeks

Note that since NCTD is a R.E.A.D. affiliate the registration fee is reduced. Don't forget to mention that you are affiliated with NCTD when you fill out your application.

R.E.A.D registration is good for the life of your pet - as long as he/she remains an active therapy dog. The only step you must take to keep your R.E.A.D. registration current is to mail ITA a copy of your NCTD renewal every three years.

If you have additional NCTD-certified pets who you want to register for R.E.A.D., there’s a members-only form on the ITA website to fill out and send in along with a copy of that dog’s NCTD registration. There is a nominal fee but you don't need to purchase any additional ITA training manuals.