How service dogs and emotional support animals differ — and resources in St. Louis area
The U.S. Congress is considering a bill that would provide $10 million per year to nonprofit groups that train service dogs for veterans with disabilities.
Service dogs are unique from emotional support animals, which are not afforded the same public access rights. But documentation is required for neither, although online scams claim to provide official paperwork and vests.
The Americans with Disabilities Act outlines no documentation or testing an animal must complete to be considered a service dog.
Under the ADA, staff at “covered entities” (businesses, nonprofit organizations and state and local governments) can ask only two questions when “it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal:”
Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Staff may not request documentation for the dog, require the dog to demonstrate its task or ask about the nature of the person’s disability under the ADA.
“There is no certification. The only certification or registry you can find for service dogs is a for-profit business online. It has no legal standing whatsoever,” Kevin Hill, executive director of Saint Louis Huggs, told the News-Democrat.
Saint Louis Huggs is a nonprofit organization focusing on providing public education about service dogs and assisting people with disabilities in training their own service dogs. The organization has been around for about 15 years, Hill said.
Here’s what to know about service dogs and how they differ from therapy dogs and emotional support animals.
Service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals
A dog is a service dog when a person has a documented disability and the dog has been specifically trained to do a task that directly mitigates the person’s disability, Hill said.
Because all people have a right to public access, government policy views service dogs as necessary medical equipment, Hill continued.
“So any place I can take my wheelchair, my oxygen mask, my cane, I can take my service dog, which gives me access to restaurants and pretty much anything that’s public access,” Hill said.
Therapy dogs, on the other hand, volunteer with their owners in public settings such as schools, hospitals or nursing homes. An owner must make arrangements and secure permission for their therapy dog to enter buildings like these that are not typically dog-friendly.
“Those dogs just can’t go into the restaurant next door. But they can be invited into places that dogs are normally not allowed; they’re given specific permission from the facility. They do not have access rights just to go into wherever,” Hill said.
Since they are not trained to provide a specific task to a person to mitigate their disability, “therapy dogs are not service dogs,” the American Kennel Club website reads.
Therapy dogs are not viewed as medical equipment like service dogs.
“It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog as a service dog for purposes such as flying on a plane or being admitted to a restaurant,” the AKC website continues.
An emotional support animal is prescribed by a licensed mental health professional to someone with a “disabling mental illness,” according to the AKC. The professional must determine the presence of an animal is necessary for the patient’s mental health.
ESAs do not have a right to access public buildings, though people who own them are provided accommodations under the Fair Housing Act. The act entitles ESA owners to live with their animal even if the housing does not typically allow pets, and they may have waived pet deposits or fees.
Federal regulations used to allow ESAs on planes, but as of January 2021, the Air Carrier Access Act no longer provides this right.
While they may sound similar, ESAa differ from psychiatric service dogs as the latter are trained to do a specific task related to a person’s disability. An ESA may comfort their owner by cuddling with them, while a psychiatric service dog might interrupt a panic attack to assist someone who has post-traumatic stress disorder, for example.
“When people who do not have a disability abuse the system by misrepresenting a pet as an ESA to obtain special accommodation, they undermine important accommodations for individuals with a legitimate need for this assistance,” the AKC website reads.
Knowingly misrepresenting a pet as a service dog to obtain accommodations is illegal in Missouri. Illinois legislators have introduced a similar bill, but it has not yet passed.
Although some people try to pass their pets off as service dogs to enjoy taking them out in public, Hill said it is important to remember many disabilities aren’t obvious to bystanders.
“My big thing is people don’t realize that there are a ton of invisible disabilities out there, so please do not judge someone that has a service dog, you think that they’re faking it or they just dressed up their pet,” Hill said.
How can you act appropriately around service dogs?
When you see a service dog in public, Hill said it is important to take common sense precautions like you would any dog: ask permission before approaching, make sure the dog is friendly and address the owner, not the dog.
Hill said he and other people he knows with service dogs have had multiple experiences where people pet their service animal without asking, which can be dangerous.
“They’re working. Any distraction you do to the dog could endanger the person. If you distract my guide dog when I’m out walking, I could trip and hurt myself. So it’s best just to not interact with the dog whatsoever,” Hill said.
Hill said he doesn’t personally mind when people politely ask him questions, but that it’s important to keep in mind people may be busy and you should not expect them to answer your questions.
“I’m huge on public education. So if you come up and have a service question, if I’m not super busy, I will take the time and talk to you. But I am the rarity,” Hill said. “Most people that have service dogs are on a mission, they’re stopping in and getting food before they go to work, or they’re on their way home, or they’re going shopping, and they don’t have time to stop and (answer) those kinds of questions.”
Service dog training in the St. Louis area
People with disabilities who are interested in training their dog to be a service dog or finding a dog to train to be their service dog can check out Saint Louis Huggs. The organization helps owners train their dogs to become service dogs through workbooks, group public outings and education.
A fully trained service dog can cost $25,000 or more, Hill said, but participating in the Saint Louis Huggs program costs about $2,000. A half-off scholarship is available for members of the military, veterans, first responders and teachers.
The fully volunteer-run program takes two years to complete and requires owners and prospective service dogs to participate in group classes outside of the program. Dogs will obtain the Canine Good Citizen and advanced Canine Good Citizen titles with the AKC.
Mixed-breed dogs, as well as purebreds, are welcome to participate in the program, as long as they meet these requirements:
Have an adult weight of at least 25 pounds
They must begin training before they turn 1 year old
The dog must be able to train in summer weather conditions in St. Louis. Brachycephalic breeds such as pugs, boxers, boston terriers and others may not be able to safely work in heat.
Depending on the tasks they must perform, additional size requirements may apply. Someone using a service dog for mobility may want a larger or taller dog.
With the exception of mobility dogs who may need family health histories, Hill said he has no preference between working with mixed-breed or purebred dogs.
“My first dog was literally dumped at a friend of mine’s house at three months of age and labeled ‘untrainable,’” Hill said.
Those who do not already have a dog to train with the program can work with Saint Louis Huggs to connect with a breeder or find a rescue dog that’s well-suited to service dog work, Hill said.
Service Dog Academy, located in Waterloo, is another option for St. Louis region residents looking for service dog training. Service Dog Academy allows participants to choose their own dog or get a puppy from one of the program’s litters.
The Waterloo academy offers group classes, online classes and board and train options for service dog training.
