Girl kneeling with crisis canine dog, head to head.

Safety & Ethics

Trust and safety are at the heart of everything we do.

Every NATIONAL Crisis Response Canine team is certified, credentialed, and insured. All volunteers undergo comprehensive background checks, ethics and confidentiality training. We all pledge strict adherence to our Code of Ethics. And our teams work in pairs, employing a "buddy system" to help ensure our teams are safe.

This structure ensures the highest standards of safety for those we serve, those we work alongside, and each of our canine partners.

Tired crisis response canine, a black lab, relaxing on handler's lap.

Ethical Treatment & Support of Our Canine Partners   

The health and well-being of our canine partners is essential. Our canines are social, sensitive and intuitive around people…all of which can expose them to significant harm. At NATIONAL, we carefully prepare them for the work through gradual acclimation to stimuli, a robust certification process and a commitment to deploy canines who demonstrate both the ability and the willingness to work in the complex and challenging world of crisis response. Our approach enhances both the longevity of their service and the joy and fulfillment of the human+canine partnership.

Smiling older Alaska Native woman snuggles with a fluffy crisis canine on her lap.

We Serve ALL with Dignity & Respect

NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines is committed to helping anyone who is hurting. Each volunteer pledges to respect the human dignity of all people and provide crisis response to individuals regardless of their religion, race, ethnicity, gender, gender status, political or legal status, nationality, or any other aspect that makes us unique and yet universally human.

We listen before talking. We do not judge or tell people what to do. And we never say we've gone through the "same thing" — because we haven't. No one has. Every person, event and way people experience crisis is different. We respect that.

golden retriever with ear protection relaxing on a man's knee.

Signed Commitment to Confidentiality & Ethics

We recognize that the individuals we serve are intensely vulnerable. We are committed to building and keeping trust of those we serve, and those we serve alongside.

To signify this, every NATIONAL member, regardless of role or title, signs a Confidentiality Agreement and a Code of Ethics Agreement.