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There are major legal differences between emotional support animals and service animals. Knowing the difference will help you in understanding your rights. It will also determine how you go about obtaining the right documentation and identification for your animal.
What is the Purpose of Emotional Support Animals and Service AnimalsBy helping individuals with disabilities function better in society, emotional support animals (ESAs) serve a higher purpose than regular house pets. The sole purpose of an emotional support animal is to provide therapeutic benefits to individuals with mental, emotional or psychological disabilities.
On the other hand, service animals provide direct assistance to people with disabilities. A service animal’s main purpose is to perform functions and tasks that individuals with disabilities cannot perform themselves. Direct assistance includes guiding individuals who are blind, picking up items, or alerting and calming a person experiencing a panic attack/anxiety.
What Kinds of Animals can be Emotional Support Animals?Emotional support animals are not limited to just dogs. All domesticated animals can qualify as an emotional support animal as long as they are not a nuisance and are manageable in or around public areas.
Under titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are limited to dogs and, in some cases, miniature horses. The animal must be able to perform tasks directly related to the owner’s disability. Although service animals are limited to dogs and miniature horses, the ADA does not restrict the type of dog breeds.
Training Requirements for ESA’s and Service DogsEmotional support animals are not required by law to have special training because their role is to provide emotional comfort, companionship, friendship, and affection to their owner or handler. Their presence mitigates stress associated with the owner’s psychological or emotional disability.
However, service animals are required under law to be highly trained to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. To ensure good public behavior and adequate support, dogs undergo extensive training before they become service animals. While every state has different laws regarding training, it can take roughly 1 to 2 years to train a service dog although there are not age requirements. Although training is required by law, people with disabilities are not required to use a professional service dog training program. They may train their service animal themselves.
Documentation for ESA’s and Service AnimalsEmotional support animals are not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Owners are required to acquire an ESA letter, provided by a licensed mental health professional before they are granted access to apartments with a no-pets policy. The letter should state how the owner’s disability substantially limits their lifestyle and how an emotional support animal is necessary for treating their mental health.
Service animals, on the other hand, are entitled to accompany their owners in all public areas and facilities. Under ADA, businesses are only allowed to ask (1) if the dog is required due to a disability and (2) what task the dog has been trained to perform. Unlike owners of emotional support animals, service animal owners are not required to show documentation. Some service animal handlers may chose to carry an service dog identification card or have a vest on their service dog to avoid harassment by people who are ignorant to service dog rights.
We hope this helps clarify some misperceptions you may have had on Emotional Support Animals and Service Dogs! Share this article to help your friends or family find the help they may need.
The official definition of a service dog is that it’s an animal trained to do particular tasks for a person with a physical or mental disability. These tasks must be connected to how the person is able to function. The service dog works to compound, support and assist these activities or mitigate the person’s impairment. The ADA only allows dogs and miniature horses to become service animals.
Why train a service dog?Training of a service dog might be facilitated by an expert through a program for service dogs. However, enlisting in professional programs is not a requirement. The individual with the disability can actually train his dog himself or herself.
Apart from making a disabled person’s life easier, it’s important for service dogs to get the proper training so that the animals can have access in public properties. Under the stipulations of the ADA, trained service dogs can be with their owners inside restaurants, hospitals, airplanes, hotels and other establishments. Service animals must be allowed access to wherever their handlers are allowed access.
Service dogs are not exempt from following human rules when visiting establishments with their handler. If a service dog causes a disturbance or creates any damages, a business or airline or any other establishment is allowed to ask the handler to remove their service dog from the establishment.
What are Service Dogs? Service dogs may also be referred to as: Therapy or psychiatric dogs that help those suffering from psychological impairment or other emotional difficulties. These dogs can be found at hospitals or retirement homes Guide dogs or signal dogs that help people with physical and mental disability. A blind person, for instance, will need a service dog for his mobility. A person suffering from neurological disability, such as someone with PTSD, might need a signal dog to warn him or the people around him of triggers before these happen.Service dogs are considered more than pets because of these specific and important tasks they perform for their handlers on a daily basis. Any breed of dog can become a service dog, but the distinction is not acknowledged for other animals, whether they are domestic or wild. This means cats, birds, monkeys, or any other animals are not allowed to be designated as a service animal.
Below is the official definition of service dogs from the Americans With Disabilites Act: “A service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.”
Registering Service DogsRegistration of a service dog is not necessary or required by law. Although it is not required, it may be beneficial for a service dog handler to register their dog in order to maintain their privacy. By showing their identification card when questioned about their service dog, the handler can avoid divulging private medical information to complete strangers. Since many people do not understand the rights of service dogs, having an identification card is a personal preference for handlers.
Highly trained service animals work for their owners with physical or psychiatric disability. There are different types of training as there are different types of work that the service dogs provide. These dogs assist their owners or masters to ensure that they can go on with their routines and activities without any incidents or problems. Above all, the service dogs must ensure their owner’s safety and health as it can become a life or death situation.
Below are just some of the tasks service dogs can do for individuals with disability or impairment, according to the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners:
Service Dogs Basic Tasks Answers when someone’s at the door by pulling a lever. Brings or retrieves stuff to its owner, such as the mail, medicine bottles or any other items. Barks, summons or alerts someone in the other room, for the owner who cannot get to them. Helps his owner get around, or get up from his seat, or climb the stairs at the home or in public establishments. Be his owner’s steady support, in case he experiences an imbalance while doing activities. Carries medicine and other provisions for his owner in a specialized back pack. Service Dogs Tasks During Emergencies Brings the phone to his owner to call 911 or a relative. Knows how to bark at a speaker phone to signal for emergency. Interrupts or tags its owner during a trigger or psychiatric occurrence. Alerts other people when its owner is in distress. Leads other people to its owner, who could already be down on the floor after an episode or a suicide attempt, especially in cases of depression and mood disorders. Alert its owner in cases of fire or burglary attempts.Service Dog Tasks
Psychiatric Service Dog ServicesPsychiatric service dogs provide assistance to people with mental health disabilities navigate through life. Similar to other service dogs, psychiatric service dogs are trained to assist their handlers by performing these tasks:
Guide a disoriented handler – for people on medications or in the middle of a disassociated Provide tactile stimulation for anxiety attacks, panic attacks, etc. Identify hallucinations – for people who experience hallucinations Search a room – for people with PTSD who are hyper-vigilant Interrupt and redirect – for people with OCD who may self harm themselvesPsychiatric service dogs can provide tremendous benefits for their handlers, outside the services they provide, so that the handlers can lead normal lives. Caring for a dog requires the handler to get out of the house and forces them to interact with the outside world. The simple act of having to get out of bed and getting fresh air can reverse the symptoms of depression in people. Emotional support animals can also provide these benefits to their handlers. Service dog and emotional support dog handlers report greater self-esteem due to the independence that they experience with their service dog or emotional support dog. Remember, in order to qualify for an emotional support dog you need an emotional support dog letter from a licensed health care professional.
Training for service dogs could take weeks and will depend on the tasks they have to learn and perform. Because of these tasks, the law, through the Americans with Disabilities Act, acknowledges that persons with disabilities or impairment need their service dogs at all times. Establishments and businesses are expected to recognize and afford individuals with service dogs the access or accommodation.
If you are experiencing any type of discrimination due to your need for a service animal, please contact the ADA.
Click on the links to get your service dog identification card or emotional support animal identification card.
TESTIMONIALS
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