Service Dogs Vs Emotional Support Animals

The Difference Between Service Dogs Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Dogs.

Service dogs vs emotional support animals. When do you need an ESA and when a service dog. Most important facts that should be taken into consideration. Under Title II and Title III of the ADA a service animal means 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.

While it may seem that the terms emotional support animal therapy dog and service dog are interchangeable make no mistake these dogs have very different training and certification. Just as private establishments reserve the rights to limit access to emotional support dogs bus services have the same. Its not something that is often an issue but its one that those with service dogs rarely need to face.

This means that service dogs can go into restaurants schools libraries public transport and all other public places. ESAs offer emotional support and companionship to their owners sometimes helping with symptoms such as anxiety depression and several kinds of phobias. The distinction between a service dog and an emotional support animal seems very clear-cut to members of the service dog community.

Emotional support dogs do not have access to all public areas. However given recent events including an incident where an emotional support dog mauled a passenger on a Delta flight it has become quite clear that this distinction is not as obvious to the general public. Service dogs are considered working dogs while emotional support animals are considered being just pets.

So while there are some key differences between a service dog and an emotional support animal there are certain rights that owners of each are entitled to. Housing authorities may request a physicians letter because some have abused the use of emotional support dogs over the years. Emotional support animals do not have the same level of access as service dogs and are only allowed in planes for travel and in homes that normally do not allow pets.

While Emotional Support Animals are often included as part of a medical treatment plant or are used as therapy dogs they cannot be classified as service animals. But they do qualify for no-pet housing. What are emotional support animals.