Why Tracking Your Hours Actually Matters

You show up every week. You load your therapy dog into the car, drive to the hospital or school, and spend an hour or two bringing comfort to people who really need it. That time has value. Not just emotionally but practically, in ways that affect your taxes, your recognition, and your program's credibility.

Therapy dog handlers are volunteers, and volunteers in the United States have real financial protections and benefits under federal tax law. The problem is that most handlers never take advantage of them because nobody explained the rules clearly. This guide does exactly that.

At TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our team works closely with therapy dog handlers and program coordinators across the country. We see firsthand how much time and money volunteers pour into this work. Our goal is to make sure that generosity is respected, documented, and rewarded.

What Therapy Dog Volunteers Can Deduct

Under current federal tax law, volunteers who serve a qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization can deduct certain out-of-pocket expenses. The key phrase is "out-of-pocket." You spent real money. You can claim it.

Here are the categories that therapy dog handlers commonly qualify for:

• Mileage driven to and from volunteer visits at the IRS charitable mileage rate
• Tolls and parking fees paid during volunteer trips
• Equipment costs like therapy dog vests, bandanas, or ID badges purchased specifically for your volunteer role
• Registration and certification fees paid to a qualifying nonprofit therapy dog organization
• Grooming costs that are directly tied to preparing your dog for a scheduled visit

The organization you volunteer with must be a recognized 501(c)(3) for these deductions to apply. Always confirm that status before assuming your expenses are deductible. You can verify any organization's 501(c)(3) status through the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search tool at irs.gov.

Food, veterinary care, and general dog supplies are not deductible even if your dog is a therapy animal. The IRS draws a clear line between expenses that are volunteer-specific and expenses that benefit you as a pet owner regardless of your volunteer work.

Mileage Deductions for Volunteer Visits

This is the deduction most therapy dog handlers miss. Every mile you drive to a qualifying volunteer visit counts. The IRS sets a charitable mileage rate each year, and for 2026 that rate applies to every round-trip mile you log for your volunteer work.

The charitable mileage rate is lower than the business mileage rate, but it adds up fast. If you visit a memory care facility 20 miles from your home twice a month, that is 960 miles per year. At the current charitable rate, that is a real deduction sitting unclaimed in most handlers' tax returns.

To claim mileage, you need a written log. The IRS requires that your log include:

• The date of each trip
• The destination (facility name and address)
• The purpose of the trip (therapy dog visit)
• The number of miles driven

A simple spreadsheet works perfectly. Some handlers use a notes app on their phone and batch-enter records weekly. What matters is consistency. If you are ever audited, a detailed mileage log is your best protection.

Parking fees and tolls paid during the same trip are deductible on top of your mileage. Keep those receipts in a folder, digital or physical, labeled by month.

What You Cannot Deduct as a Volunteer

Knowing the limits is just as important as knowing the benefits. The IRS does not allow volunteers to deduct the value of their time. Your hours are not deductible, even if your going rate as a professional would be substantial. This is one of the most common misconceptions in the volunteer world.

You also cannot deduct:

• Routine veterinary expenses, even for a certified therapy dog
• Dog food or treats, even treats given during visits
• General training costs that were not specifically required by your volunteer organization
• Travel costs for personal trips that happened to include a volunteer stop

The rule is purpose. If the expense would have happened anyway without the volunteer activity, it does not qualify. If the expense exists only because of your volunteer role, it likely does.

Always consult a qualified tax professional before filing. These guidelines reflect general IRS rules under current federal tax law, but individual situations vary. A CPA familiar with charitable contribution rules can help you maximize your legitimate deductions without risk.

Building Strong Documentation Habits

Great documentation does two things. It protects you at tax time, and it tells a story about the impact your team is making. Both matter.

The simplest system is a visit log that you fill out immediately after each visit. Waiting until the end of the month means forgotten details. A quick two-minute entry right after a visit takes almost no effort and keeps your records clean.

Your visit log should capture:

• Date and facility name
• Time in and time out
• Number of people visited or interactions made
• Any notable moments (a non-verbal patient who spoke to your dog for the first time, a child who finished a whole book aloud)
• Miles driven
• Any out-of-pocket expenses that day

Those notable moments are not just feel-good notes. When your program coordinator submits reports to the hospital administration or school board, those stories become evidence of real impact. They support funding requests, volunteer recognition events, and public outreach.

If you coordinate a team of handlers, a shared digital log through any basic form tool keeps everyone's records in one place. That data becomes powerful when you report cumulative hours to your partner facilities at the end of the year.

How Organizations Recognize Long-Serving Teams

Volunteer recognition is not just a nice gesture. Research in volunteer management consistently shows that recognized volunteers stay longer, recruit more peers, and report higher satisfaction with their programs. For therapy dog programs specifically, retention matters because experienced teams deliver better outcomes for the people they visit.

Well-structured recognition programs typically mark milestones at 50, 100, 250, and 500 cumulative volunteer hours. Some organizations also recognize visit anniversaries at one year, five years, and ten years of continuous service.

Common recognition formats include:

• Milestone pins or patches attached to the handler's vest or lanyard
• Certificate of appreciation from the facility or the volunteer organization
• Social media features spotlighting the handler and dog with their story
• Letters of recognition from facility leadership, which volunteers can use for their own professional portfolios
• Annual volunteer appreciation events where long-serving teams are publicly honored

The most meaningful recognition usually comes directly from the facility staff. A handwritten thank-you note from a hospital's patient experience coordinator or a school principal carries more weight than any plaque. Encourage your facility contacts to make these personal gestures part of their culture.

For handlers who have served ten or more years, some programs offer a named recognition like a legacy designation. This creates a visible tier of honor that newer volunteers aspire to, building a culture of commitment across the whole program.

Tips for Program Coordinators Tracking Volunteer Hours

If you manage a therapy dog program, accurate hour tracking is your responsibility as much as your volunteers'. Facilities that partner with you need this data. Grants often require it. And your volunteers deserve to have their contributions accurately counted.

Start with a simple intake form that every new handler completes. Capture their contact information, their dog's certification number, and the facilities they plan to visit. That baseline makes tracking far easier from day one.

Set a monthly reporting rhythm. Ask each handler to submit their log by the first of the following month. A brief email reminder helps. Most handlers want to report their hours but forget without a prompt.

At the end of each quarter, compile your team's total hours and visits. Share a summary back to your handlers. Seeing the collective impact, 200 visits made, 1,400 people reached, 300 volunteer hours logged, creates a sense of shared purpose that keeps teams motivated.

Some coordinators also maintain a running total on a public-facing page or in a facility newsletter. This transparency builds community trust and often attracts new volunteers who see the scope of the program's reach.

You can learn more about building and managing therapy dog programs by visiting the handler resources section on the US Therapy Dog website, where our team shares practical tools for coordinators at every stage.

Getting the Support Your Team Deserves

Therapy dog handlers give a tremendous amount. They give time, energy, mileage, and real money to make their visits happen. The tax code offers some relief for that, and your organization should offer recognition that matches the depth of that commitment.

If you are just starting out as a handler, build your documentation habit from day one. A simple log started on your first visit is infinitely easier to maintain than trying to reconstruct a year's worth of trips at tax time.

If you have been volunteering for years without tracking anything, start now. Even partial records are better than none, and going forward you will have everything you need.

If you coordinate a program, invest in your recognition systems. They cost very little and return a great deal in volunteer loyalty and program stability.

TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group supports therapy dog handlers and program coordinators through education, resources, and clinical guidance. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our mission is to strengthen the human-animal bond in healthcare, education, and community settings. We believe every handler who shows up week after week deserves to feel seen, supported, and valued for the work they do.

Questions about therapy dog programs or handler wellness? Reach our team at help@mypsd.org or call (800) 851-4390. You can also start your screening process at go.mypsd.org.