Why is it important to know the difference between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Therapy Dogs?
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Because the humans so often get us confused!
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Service Dogs perform a task for a disabled person. This can vary from turning on the lights, being their eyes, alerting to an allergy or medical condition, to applying deep pressure for a panic attack, and so much more. These types of dogs are often called “Assistance Dogs” outside of the US.
➡️Police Dogs, Military Dogs, Search and Rescue Dogs, are lumped into this same “service dog” category. In the US, both types of Service Dogs are protected by the ADA and have full public access.
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Emotional Support Dogs, often confused with therapy dogs, provide comfort and support TO THEIR OWNER (who has a diagnosis of mental illness) and are NOT covered by the ADA. In the US, ESDs are granted housing rights by the Fair Housing Act (FHA). This means that if an apartment, hotel, or dormitory does not allow animals, reasonable accommodations must be made for ESDs.
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As a therapy dog, I provide support to many people in many different settings. When I am working, I must be identifiable as a therapy dog and my momma must have her Id as well. People often say, “Oh, I love Archer! I want a therapy dog!” when what they really mean is that they want their own Emotional Support Dog that they can bring everywhere – which isn’t permitted by the ADA.
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Some unscrupulous humans will get a fake diagnosis of anxiety and fake papers and a vest for their dog so they can travel on airplanes and go into restaurants and stores. The joke’s on them, though, because if the manager of the store or restaurant is educated, they’ll know that emotional support dogs do not have public access and are not allowed in their establishments. Unfortunately bad behavior by “fake” ESDs makes it difficult for real service dog teams.