SERVICE DOGS

SERVICE vs. THERAPY ANIMALS

IF YOU ARE SEEKING INFORMATION ABOUT SERVICE OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT ANGEL PAWS FOR INFORMATION. THE RESOURCES BELOW ARE ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER AS WE DO NOT WORK WITH SERVICE OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS. The distinctions between Service, Medical Alert, Emotional Support and Therapy Animals are very important ones to understand. Although Angel Paws works with Volunteer Visiting Therapy Animals rather than Service, Medical Alert or Emotional Support Animals we have provided the resources below to help those who seek this information. Good luck!

DEFINITIONS

SERVES ONE PERSON/OWNER

SERVICE ANIMALS - Service Animals are legally defined by the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990 and are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have disabilities. Federal laws protect the rights of individuals with disabilities to be accompanied by their service animals in public places. Service animals are not considered 'pets'. Both Medical Alert Animals & Psychiatric Service Animals fall under the definition of Service Animal.

'SOCIAL/THERAPY" OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS have no legal definition. They often are animals that did not complete service animal or service dog training (sometimes called "release dogs") due to health, disposition, trainability, or other factors, and are made available as pets for people who may or may not have a disability. These animals might or might not meet the definition of service animals. Emotional Support animals are no longer protected under the ADA but often are protected under Fair Housing and Transportation entities.

VOLUNTEERS WITH OWNER/HANDLER
TO SERVE MANY

THERAPY ANIMALS - Therapy Animals are NOT legally defined by federal law, but some states have laws defining therapy animals. They provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working with people who have disabilities. They are usually the personal pets of their handlers, and work with their volunteer handlers to provide therapeutic benefits to others in a variety of settings. Federal laws have no provisions for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places of public accommodation that have "no pets" policies but are often invited to participate in organized visitation programs even where there may be a "no pets" policy. Therapy animals usually are not service animals but sometimes have a duel role as both Service & Therapy animal.

Photo compliments of NEADS Canines for Combat Veterans (see link below)

TRAINING FOR SOCIAL/THERAPY" OR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS (see definition above) If you are planning to either adopt a dog from a shelter or purchase a puppy from a breeder to train yourself please contact one of our Recommended Trainers & review the information listed at https://angelpawstherapy.org/recommended-dog-trainers.html for help with choosing the right trainer & dog for you - BEFORE YOU ADOPT! There is ample opportunity to make mistakes that would not serve either your family or be fair to the dog and could actually be disastrous for all! Any dog trained for Service, Therapy or Emotional support should be trained using Force Free Positive Reinforcement methods - Click Here to learn why.

HOUSING & TRANSPORTATION FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS - Although Emotional Support Animals are not protected under the ADA for public access there is legal protection for housing and transportation. "The Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act protect the right of people with disabilities to keep emotional support animals, even when a landlord's policy explicitly prohibits pets. Because emotional support and service animals are not "pets," but rather are considered to be more like assistive aids such as wheelchairs, the law will generally require the landlord to make an exception to its "no pet" policy so that a tenant with a disability can fully use and enjoy his or her dwelling. In most housing complexes, so long as the tenant has a letter or prescription from an appropriate professional, such as a therapist or physician, and meets the definition of a person with a disability, he or she is entitled to a reasonable accommodation that would allow an emotional support animal in the apartment." - Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Click HERE for more information for Right to Emotional Support Animals in "No Pet" Housing

Click HERE for more legal FAQs about Emotional Support Animals from Michigan State University College of Law's Animal Legal & Historical Center

Click HERE for Michigan State University College of Law Animal Legal & Historical Center's Emotional Support Animal's in Rental Housing How To Guide

For Transportation issues please see Barrier Free Travel with Emotional Support Dogs

RESOURCES

Disability Rights Ohio / Service Dogs

Many people with disabilities require the use of a service animal throughout their daily lives.

Fortunately, both federal and state laws offer protections for the use of service animals in various situations, including places of public accommodation, employment, housing, education, transportation and air travel, and state and local governments. This fact sheet provides an overview of a person's rights and responsibilities under certain state and federal laws.

http://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/service-animals

Healing Companions, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Oberlin Ohio committed to increasing awareness of and providing access to psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) as a form of treatment for mental illness. In order to qualify for a PSD from Healing Companions, you must be 18 or older, a resident of northeast Ohio, and fit the criteria under the Americans with Disabilities Act as severely limited in your ability to function due to your mental illness.

http://healing-companions.org

Assistance Dogs International

Setting the standards for the Assistance Dogs Industry since 1987 The purpose of ADI is to improve the areas of training, placement, and utilization of assistance dogs, staff and volunteer education, as well as educating the public about assistance dogs, and advocating for the legal rights of people with disabilities partnered with assistance dogs.
http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/

Canine Companions for Independence

CCI is a non-profit organization that enhances the lives of people with disabilities by providing highly trained assistance dogs and ongoing support to ensure quality partnerships. The North Central Regional Center of Canine Companions for Independence®, located in Delaware, Ohio, provides highly trained assistance dogs to adults and children with disabilities in 14 states including Ohio, western Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
www.cci.org

VETERANS - http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.4011033/k.D44E/Veterans.htm

Release Dog Coordinator in Delaware, OH is , (740)833-3704

A helpful news and educational online magazine for Service and Working Dog owners, trainers and breeders of all levels, for their friends and families — and for anyone who may be fans of Service or Working Dogs or are looking to learn more about them. Informative, positive and inspiring. See sample articles below right. www.anythingpawsable.com

NEADS

Dogs for Deaf & Disabled Americans - Canines for Combat Veterans

www.neads.org

Service Dogs Central also provides numerous pages of information and resources including "Emotional Support Dogs" (ESA's) in housing

Barrier Free Travel with Emotional Support Dogs

American's With Disabilities Act - Service Animals

American's with Disabilities Act (ADA)
2010 Revised Requirements for Service Animals

Click HERE to open document on ADA site

Pet Partners Service Dogs Facts Brochure

PP_service_animals_broch.pdf
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service_animals_2010.pdf
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click on image to read article

"Rules exist for a reason and when it comes to Service Dogs and Service Dog law, too many people have come to view them more as “guidelines.” Whether it’s someone who wishes they could take their dog everywhere or someone who has chosen to break the law by presenting their pet as a fake Service Dog, both actions cause damage and harm to the Service Dog and disabled community."

click on image to read article

"When it comes to Service Dogs or Service Dogs in Training with public access, there are definite things Service Dogs in public should and should not do. Learn more about how well-trained Service Dogs should appear and what U.S. Service Dog law says about dogs who don’t quite possess the skills necessary to safely work in public."

click on image to read article

Many people have a vague sense of awareness that Service Dogs “help” their person and that they’re allowed to be in public, but there’s a lot more to Service Dog handlers and teams than meets the eye. To help fill in the holes, here are the top 10 things Service Dog handlers want every member of the public to know and understand.