Therapy Dog Brigade wants Greenwich-area dog owners to turn their calm, friendly pets into certified therapy teams that visit hospitals, schools, senior residences and libraries.

The nonprofit is holding pre-course screening appointments on Sunday, Oct. 4, from noon to 5 p.m. at the American Red Cross in Greenwich, as first reported by Greenwich Free Press. Fall training classes begin Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Round Hill Community House in Greenwich. The Oct. 4 screening gives dog owners a chance to find out whether their pet is suited for therapy work.

Executive director Heidi Lobel, a 14-year Greenwich resident, leads the organization. She told Greenwich Free Press that many existing teams live in Greenwich and that she wants to train a new group this fall so they can begin visits at the start of the new year.

Therapy Dog Brigade launched about a year ago and operates across Fairfield, Westchester and Rockland counties, according to the group's website. Its teams have already built a local footprint, visiting King Street Rehab, the YWCA for Harmony Project events, Kids in Crisis' Hope Day and Greenwich Library for its Study Escapes program. The organization said it expects to begin placing teams at Greenwich Hospital.

The group also runs a Reading to a Therapy Dog Program in schools and libraries, where children read aloud to a calm dog to build literacy and communication skills. In April, Greenwich Public Schools posted on X that Lobel and Alberto Ferrar visited students to share stories about their therapy dog work.

Round Hill Community Church provides in-kind support to the organization as a partner.

Greenwich resident Melissa Giorgi and her French bulldog mix, Bean, completed the six-week training over the summer and are now a certified team. Giorgi adopted Bean a year ago and noticed his temperament at her workplace in a Stamford school. "He's not a jumper, he's very calm and everyone seems to really enjoy him," Giorgi told Greenwich Free Press. The pair are preparing to work with special needs students in Stamford.

Bean is a good fit. So might your dog be.

Residents interested in joining can apply and schedule a screening appointment at therapydogbrigade.org.