Dog- assisted therapy (DAT) has been shown to be useful in improving educational, psychological, and motivational effectiveness in regards to patient recovery. Petting dogs has been shown to have relaxing effects mediated by the release of serotonin, prolactin, and oxytocin, and has significant positive effects on cardiovascular health. Dogs are known to be a major reservoir for both viral and bacterial zoonotic infections including Rabies, Norovirus, Pasturella, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Bordatella, Coxiella, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). There have been some case reports illustrating the possibility of transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing infection from pets to humans. This study sought to determine the presence of common “problematic” pathogens potentially carried by a group of emergency department (ED) therapy dogs, namely MRSA, E. Coli, Clostridium difficile, and Pseudomonas. It is hypothesized that the incidence of positive cultures would be negligible. A convenience sample of 7 therapy dogs was swabbed (coat, nose, and paws) before and after walking through the ED visiting patients. One perianal swab from each dog was obtained to test for Clostridium difficile (C. diff). Samples were cultured on plates containing Blood Agar, Chocolate Agar, Colistin and Naladixic acid (CNA), and MacConkey Agar (MAC). These culture mediums were specifically selected to optimize the growth of the pathogens of concern. A rapid membrane enzyme immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of C. diff glutamate dehydrogenase antigen and toxins A and B in a single reaction well was used to assess for C. diff. This test serves as a screen for the presence of C. diff and confirms the presence of toxigenic C. diff by detecting toxins A and B in fecal specimens. The rate (presence/absence) of pathogens was quantified for each dog during each session (pre/post). Paired samples t-tests were utilized to test for statistical significance (p < 0.05). The study involved 7 dogs of different breeds, including Golden Retrievers, Miniature Poodle, and Great Dane. The dogs were led through the department by their handler, and per protocol, did not visit the critically ill and suicidal patients. Upon arrival, all tests at baseline were negative for all 7 dogs. Following the dogs’ visits through the emergency department, all tests were negative for the 7 dogs on post-measure. Microbial analysis of the collected samples revealed that all 7 dogs carried commensal skin flora, even after very close contact with the patients who involved petting, hugging, and kissing the dogs. There was no growth of the pathogens of concern, namely E. coli, MRSA, C. diff, and Pseudomonas. Although there have been rare case reports of clinically significant transmission of microbial agents from domestic pets to humans, this study helps to demonstrate that pet therapy dogs do not pose a potential clinical harm to patients in the emergency department setting.