If I had a dollar for every time that I had been asked about the difference between Emotional Support Animals, Service Dogs, and Therapy Dogs I would be a very wealthy individual. I have quite a bit of experience with training therapy dogs and it never fails that 99% of the time when someone starts to ask me questions about therapy dogs what they actually want is information on public access rights and service dog training.
While the difference in these three types of dogs may be easy to understand for those of us who eat, sleep, and breath dogs- the difference is not so clear for the general public. To be honest it's understandable why it's confusing. It's far too easy to buy a vest online and fake the look of a service dog. Fake service dogs often act up in public due to a lack of training and not only is this dangerous but it gives properly trained service dogs a bad name and image. Not to mention that it is also *punishable by law* in a majority of states.
What is a Service Dog?
Service dogs according to the Americans with Disabilities Act are working dogs that have been "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability". The use of a service dog helps the owner have a more independent life. These dogs are not just pets. Each service dog is trained to complete specific actions that are needed by the person with the disability. This could be helping with balance, alerting to a medical issue, pushing buttons, opening/closing doors, and a myriad of other tasks.
Service dogs are granted public access and can go anywhere the general public can go. Only two questions can be asked if it is not obvious that an dog is a service dog.
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Individuals have the option of either paying for a trained dog or training a dog on their own. Paying for training for a service dog is often extremely cost prohibitive although there are some non-profit organizations that may be able to help.
Self training a service dog may be lower in cost but it is very time consuming and usually takes years. In addition to this it is important to note that not all dogs are suited for the job. Dogs that show the following characteristics may be good candidates for service dog training.
Alert to surroundings but not reactive or afraid
Eagerness to learn and please
Calm in all settings
Reliable when asked to perform something
Good at learning
What is a Therapy Animal?
Therapy animals are pets that have been trained to volunteer with their owners in a variety of settings. Commonly these animals will be present in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, or courthouses. Therapy animals are NOT service animals and do NOT have public access rights. They are volunteers and remain with their owner/handler at all times during a visit. During the visit they provide psychological and physiological therapy to individuals at the facility. They will interact with a variety of individuals during a volunteer visit.
Therapy animals are highly trained and must be calm in a variety of settings and have a strong obedience foundation. In order to become a therapy animal the handler and animal must pass a test and complete practice visits with a recognized therapy animal association.
You may have noticed I'm using the word animal instead of dog in this section- that's because some organizations allow other animals such as cats or horses to join. Can you imagine a horse walking into a hospital room?
There are many therapy animal associations across the United States but the most common are listed below.
Alliance of Therapy Dogs
Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs
Love on a Leash
Pet Partners
Therapy Dogs International
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
Emotional Support Animals are pets that mental health professionals can prescribe. ESA's are often prescribed to individuals with specific emotional or mental conditions who need the pet to help with their ailment. Emotional Support Animals do not have to be trained to perform a specific task and they do not have to be a dog. Emotional Support Animals are NOT service dogs and do NOT have public access rights.
ESA's do however get certain rights in regards to housing. Individuals with ESA's cannot be discriminated against due to their disability when applying for housing. Bans on pets are often waived for people with Emotional Support Animals and landlords are not allowed to charge a pet deposit.
Most airlines no longer allow ESA's on flights due to a recent rule change to the Air Carrier Access Act in December 2020.
Hopefully this post has helped to clear up some of the confusion about the difference in Service Dogs, Therapy Animals, and Emotional Support Animals. If nothing else please take away this- don't pretend your dog is a service dog just to take them into public with you. Just don't.
Until next time-
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