Service Dog VS. Emotional Support Dog
What’s the difference?!
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability; including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability.
The ADA guides us that the work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Emotional support animals are not limited to just dogs . Emotional support animals can provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, HOWEVER they do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.
The ADA guides us that only dogs who have received specialized training to perform a specific task or tasks for an individual with a disability are considered service animals. This is the key difference between a service animal and all other types of working animals, including therapy, comfort animals, and emotional support animals.
Even though a service dog must have a minimum requirement of performing at least one task that pertains directly to a handler’s disability, most are trained to do a multitude of things.
A service dog can change someone’s life, they allow individuals with disabilities independence.
Teachable tasks that a dog can perform to help an individual with a disability be confident, independent, and successful are truly endless.
If you or someone you know is in need of a service dog, we are here to help! The first step in the process is identifying what specific needs or tasks you are looking for a dog to perform. Because this process is so special and specific to each handler and their needs we schedule an initial assessment to make an individualized plan.
Contact us for more information to get started!
For more information about service dog guidelines, visit : https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm
