The 3 Types of Dog Helpers

Did you know there are different types of helper dogs?

Three to be exact and they all serve a different purpose.  Emotional Support Animal (ESA), Therapy Dog and Service Animal. Let me help you understand them, because it’s important to know how to use the right terms.

Did you know that an Emotional Support Animal or ESA for short does not have public access rights?

Yep, it’s true. Although some people will argue about this, the fact is simple, they don’t have the right to be in public and actually the laws back this up.  Emotional support animals can be a variety of different animals that don’t necessarily have any training and they help their people at home to be comforted and calm. An ESA is not protected under Americans with Disability Act (ADA) laws.

Did you know a Therapy Dog is a dog trained to help many different people in multiple settings?

This is where people get confused or confuse other people if they don’t use the right terms when talking about helper dogs, because a therapy dog is not a service dog. 

They are different.  A therapy dog typically is trained to provide comfort, bring happiness and calm to those they are around.  Therapy dogs are the dogs you see visiting people in hospitals, schools or nursing homes.  They usually live with their owner/handler and go out to visit others throughout the week.

Did you know a service animal is specifically trained to do certain tasks for one person to help that person with their disability?

That’s right, they are trained to do a specific task to help their person, tasks such as detecting low/high blood sugars, alerting to a seizure, deep pressure therapy, or even opening doors. Service animals have public access rights as long as they are trained, are not a nuisance, and don’t pose a risk to those around them.

There are only two types of animals that are recognized as service animals; dogs and miniature horses. There is also no certification for service animals. So, if someone tells you their dog is a certified service animal, they are very wrong and misinformed. Service animals are also protected under ADA laws

A service animal is not a therapy dog and a therapy dog is not a service dog.  Likewise, an emotional support animal is not a service animal. This is where people get confused or confuse others.

Please try to use the right terminology so we can stop spreading misinformation.

People who try to pass off their pet as a service animal make it harder and unsafe for those who actually have a service animal to live their life in the community.

My plea is simple:

Please do not pass your pet off as a service animal, it’s dangerous and against the law.  If you do have a service animal, please make sure they are properly trained before bringing them into public.

I am only one person trying to educate others.  You can help me by sharing this with people you know.  When we know better, we can do better.

Written by Kayla King of Adventures of Charlie and Sunny