What's the Difference Between Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs, and Emotional Support Animals?
There is controversy surrounding the roles of animals in the lives of individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses. A lot of us have observed the posts online about registering your animal as an emotional support animal with a little fee, and having the ability to keep your animal in a no pets allowed setting. This has led people to question the legitimacy of all service animals and their roles. A feeling of distrust among individuals who do not understand the difference between these animals, and the rights that accompany them, has been emerging as more people utilize these services.
Service Dogs are the most protected and trained of the 3 forms of dogs. Even though https://www.wellnesswag.com/ refer to all 3 types as "service animals", the state names for this type is Service Dog. These dogs are legally considered medical equipment and also have a price tag to complement, ranging from $10,000- $50,000. They are intensively trained for 1.5-2.5 years, having to pass a number of tests to be serviceable including, however, not limited to, opening cupboards, retrieving dropped objects, staying calm in public, etc.
Beneath the Americans with Disabilities Act, Service Dogs are allowed anywhere their handler is, and can't be turned away from an establishment or refused to visit work with their handler. DOT's Air Carrier Access Act, and DOJ/HUD Fair Housing Act and Federal Rehabilitation Act cover other circumstances that the ADA doesn't. While there is a difference between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals, there exists a gray area for dogs that are used to calm anxiety attacks under ADA rules. Psychiatric Service Dogs are covered under the ADA only when they perform a specific action to avoid or lessen an attack. If they're just there for comfort they are considered an Emotional Support Animal.
Therapy dogs are sort of the opposite side of the same coin as Service Dogs. Rather than offering physical aid to their handlers, they provide psychological or physiological therapy to others and so are accompanied by a handler who doesn't usually need their service. The very best exemplory case of a therapy dog will be dogs that go to children's hospitals to create comfort, or dogs that work in school systems.
These animals, just like the Service Dogs, require extensive training. Therapy dogs are also encouraged to be very social and interact with many different people, unlike Service Dogs who have to concentrate on their handler. Therapy dogs could be trained by anyone, but they need to meet standards to be certified. Therapy dogs don't have the same rights as service dogs, though many places will allow a therapy dog to accompany their owners, they are not required to for legal reasons.
The last type we have been discussing are Emotional Support Animals. This one is the most vague and open-ended. An Emotional Support Animal doesn't have to possess any special training and most of that time period is registered by its owner because it brings comfort. Also, an Emotional Support Animal doesn't have to be a dog. These animals are not protected under the ADA and cannot accompany their owners in establishments where there are no animals allowed. Owners with a registered support animals will keep them in housing that otherwise does not allow pets based on the Fair Housing Act.