Part 1 of the Service and Support Animals Post
Welcome to part three of our four part series that’s kinda turned into a five part series! The kinda part comes in where it’s still the original four topics, but, I’ve split this post into two parts for ease of reading (both will be posted today). Let’s call it a four and a half part series. As I’ve mentioned in past posts, I’m very excited about this topic of service and support animals. Service animals are becoming more widely used than ever before, which is amazing, but, unfortunately, many or most people do not know much about them, other than that they’re cute, furry, and allowed in grocery stores and restaurants. Want to know more about service dogs and other service and support animals? You’re in the right place, but, before we dive in, here’s a quick breakdown of the short series we’re in the middle of and a link back to the two previous articles in the series:
-Spoonie Life (“Spoonie” is code for those who live with chronic illness.)
-Service Animals *This is now a two part post! Part 2 can be found here.*
-Family….and how they’re affected by all of the above. Quick reminder that posts may contain affiliate links. For more on that, click here.
Now, where were we? Ah! Yes. Assistance animals! As with most things in life, there is a lot more to this topic than I will be able to fully address in one blog post without typing out something that resembles the entire set of the Encyclopedia Britannica. For real. There is so much to say about service animals and I won’t even pretend to know it all, but, it is a subject I am passionate about and, today, we will cover some of the more frequently asked questions and issues that are likely to arise in day to day Public Access (PA) and Public Access Training (PAT or PA Training) with service animals, but, it will be spread over two posts as a part one and a part two of the same topic. This first post will cover more of a “What are assistance animals?” and the second post will cover some very important information on actual service animals (vs. ESAs and Therapy Animals, which is an important distinction we will cover below). I cannot stress enough how strongly I encourage you to read the second post! I asked a friend to post in a group she is a part of to ask for a list of things service dog handlers wish the general public knew and that list has educated me and I hope it will do the same for you.
Before we dive in, it is important to note that the Americans with Disabilities Act is the legal guideline for all types of service and support animals. This is governed by the Department of Justice. Just like any other set of rules or laws, these are meant to protect not just the animals and their handlers, but, the general public, as well. I would encourage you to take
the time to peruse the ADA website for more information or to ask questions that are not answered in this brief look at service and support animals. Please be aware that it is not just trashy; it is illegal to attempt to pass a pet, ESA, or therapy animal off as a service animal and it puts real service animals and handlers in the position to look bad because of the offender’s bad acts. If you’re looking for tips on how to pass off a fake or to get a service animal when you do not need one, you can go ahead and click that little “X” on this browser tab, because, this is not the post for you. In my very firm opinion, since those who practice or support the use of a fake service animal are not only endangering the lives of the legitimate service animals and handlers they may encounter, but, the general public, they should be promptly turned in to face the fines as well as the federal and state charges they deserve.
One of the most commonly asked questions in reference to these animals is, are all of these types of animals the same? NO!!!! Absolutely not. There are multiple classes of animals who are helpful to people with various issues. NOT all of these help a person with a disability. This is a common enough question, though, that the ADA website has it listed as FAQ #3 and this is what they have to say about it:
"Q. Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA? A. No. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. However, some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places. You may check with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws."
Emotional Support Animals (ESA) can be used as part of a care plan and are great forkeeping their owner company and cuddling up with them for licks and pats after a rough day. They provide comfort, relief from loneliness, may help with depression or anxiety, and more, but, they are not qualified to be service animals. To some, they’re a step up from a pet in that their owner is required to have a letter from a doctor prescribing them an ESA to award the animal special rights with landlords and housing issues. They are, however, not required to be socialized or friendly toward others, which, is one of many distinctions between ESAs and other types of service and support animals.
Therapy dogs are another type of animal that provides a service, but, is not a service animal. Therapy dogs are becoming more and more popular at hospitals (especially children’s wings), funeral homes, therapists’ offices, and nursing homes. They’re very useful for lifting spirits and relieving stress. Therapy dogs have even begun to make appearances in courthouses, particularly for children whose testimony is required, but, taxing on the child. A therapy dog can play or sit quietly with the people they are helping and enjoy pets, treats (when approved by the owner), and other interactions that may prove enjoyable and therapeutic for the people involved. Therapy dogs are not limited to one person as the recipient of their services. There are many therapy dogs that greet dozens or even hundreds of people on any given day. After the Parkland shooting, this image of a team of
therapy dogs awaiting the return of students went viral, and for good reason. The dogs were a great way to make a very difficult return to school a much more positive experience for traumatized students and provided some furry therapy for students who may not have otherwise had help with the stress of returning to the school where they nearly died.
Finally, service animals (again, there will be much more information on this section in Part 2). Service animals are defined as “any dog (or miniature horse, as we are about to learn) that is trained to perform tasks for the benefit of an person with a disability This may include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other emotional disability.” While service dogs are, by far, the most popular and well-known service animals, they are not actually the only type of service animal. Miniature horses are also permitted to be service animals when a dog simply won’t do. Many folks roll their eyes at this idea, but, there are actually many instances when a miniature horse is better suited than a dog is for the position of service animal for some handlers. Some examples may include, but, most certainly are not limited to: a handler who is afraid of dogs or has a close or live-in family member who is afraid of dogs, a handler who needs their service animal to pull them in a wheelchair or cart, a handler who needs more help with heavier mobility tasks than a dog may be able to safely or comfortably perform, someone who works or lives in an environment where a dog may be more disruptive to their surroundings than a miniature horse (e.g. Service dogs are not allowed in some areas of zoos since dogs are natural predators of some animals and, even though the dog may not even notice the prey animal, the dog’s mere presence may cause animals in the exhibits undue stress, trauma, or injury from attempting to flee the area.). Now, before you get all tied up in knots picturing someone strolling into your local pancake house with their service Clydesdale in tow, you might find it interesting to know that miniature horses are actually right in line with the sizes of many service dogs. A miniature horse will be roughly 24-34 inches tall (Edit: This, apparently, varies by source. Some sources state that miniature horses may grow up to 38 inches, but, no miniature horse
should ever be ridden by anyone over 70 pounds [so, don’t expect to see someone riding around on their service miniature horse.]. Fun fact: the world’s smallest miniature horse stands only 17 inches tall and weighs 57 pounds.). For reference, a male Golden Retriever will easily pass 24 inches and a male Great Dane will have no trouble reaching 34 inches, so, a miniature horse should have no trouble at all tucking under the table just like a dog while their owner enjoys their breakfast of choice at their local eatery. Whether the service animal is a dog or a miniature horse, there are some very important guidelines for service animals. Service animals are trained to perform tasks for one person. Only one. Don’t expect your friend’s diabetes alert animal to start telling you if your blood sugar is high or low. That is not their job and distracting them from their job could cost their handler their safety and, in some cases, their life. Another very important thing for any service animal is to be socialized. That does not mean that they’re there for petting and partying. It means they need to be comfortable in a wide range of environments, from libraries to subway stations and from schools to grocery stores. Some service animals are even taken to concerts and festivals and never bat an eye at the noise and chaos around them. That being said, service animals are not robots. They make mistakes. If you witness one, be gracious. Even animals have bad days and them having a bad day can affect their handler, so, please don’t make the situation worse by drawing attention or distracting the working animal. Service animals must
also be non-aggressive. That means no growling or barking or lunging at people in the grocery store. When an animal is being evaluated to be a service animal, they will often be subjected to a variety of tests to determine whether or not their temperament is right. Some just plain can’t hack it. While there are no breed restrictions whatsoever, temperament is very important and can vary from animal to animal, even between litter mates. This means that someone could have a service Chihuahua, Pitbull, Doberman, Poodle, Great Dane, Bulldog, etc. While there is the stereotype that service dogs are Golden Retrievers or German Shepherds, it is highly inaccurate. A service dog can be whatever breed of dog or miniature horse best fits the handler’s needs.
I’m going to call this a good place for a pause and switch to Part 2. I hope you’ll click that link and pop on over for what I’d consider some of the most important information in this pair of posts.
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