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. Most 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. It has led visitors to question the legitimacy of most service animals and their roles. A feeling of distrust among people who don't realize the difference between these animals, and the rights that accompany them, has been emerging as more folks utilize these services.

Service Dogs are the most protected and trained of the 3 types of dogs. While many people make reference to all 3 types as "service animals", the state names because of this type is Service Dog. These dogs are legally considered medical equipment and have a price tag to complement, ranging from $10,000- $50,000. They're intensively trained for 1.5-2.5 years, having to pass a number of tests to be serviceable including, but 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 go to use 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 an improvement between Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals, you will find a gray area for dogs that are used to calm panic disorders under ADA rules. Psychiatric Service Dogs are covered beneath the ADA only if they perform specific action to avoid or lessen an attack. If they're just there for comfort then they are believed an Emotional Support Animal.

Therapy dogs are sort of the contrary side of the same coin as Service Dogs. Instead of offering physical aid to their handlers, they provide psychological or physiological therapy to others and 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 bring comfort, or dogs that work in school systems.

These animals, like the Service Dogs, require extensive training.  ESA Letter  are also encouraged to be very social and connect to various people, unlike Service Dogs who have to concentrate on their handler. Therapy dogs may be trained by anyone, but they need to meet standards to be certified. Therapy dogs don't have exactly the same rights as service dogs, though many places allows a therapy dog to accompany their owners, they are not required to for legal reasons.

The last type we are discussing are Emotional Support Animals. This one may be the most vague and open-ended. An Emotional Support Animal doesn't have to have 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 aren't protected beneath 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 will not allow pets according to the Fair Housing Act.