[Rach_73]

I was out at a restaurant with a friend the other day, and someone told them their emotional support animal wasn’t allowed inside. It got me wondering, what’s the actual difference between a service dog, a therapy dog, and an emotional support animal? I know they all help people in different ways, but how do their roles and rights really compare?

[Sally Jones]

Hi Rach,
Great question! The main difference between these animals involves their roles and legal rights. A service dog is specifically trained to assist a person with a disability, like guiding someone with visual impairments, alerting to medical conditions like seizures, or providing trained assistance for people suffering from PTSD. Certified service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), meaning they have the right to accompany their handler (owner) in almost all public places.

On the other hand, non-certified therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort and support to people in settings like hospitals or schools, but they’re not necessarily trained to perform specific tasks for an individual’s disability. While they’re incredibly helpful, they don’t have the same legal protections as service dogs and aren’t allowed in all public spaces. Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort to their owners, typically with mental health conditions like anxiety or depression, but like therapy dogs, they don’t have the same rights to access all public places unless specified by housing or travel regulations.

So, while all these animals play valuable roles, the key difference lies in their training, purpose, and the legal protections they have. See our article on Service Dogs vs. Therapy Dogs vs. ESA Dogs to learn much more about this confusing topic.

[Author]

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