What is a Service Dog?
A service dog is a dog that has been individually trained to help mitigate its handler's disability. Technically speaking, the term "service dog" is used to describe a dog that is assisting its handler in areas other than hearing and vision. The terms "hearing dog" and "guide dog" are used to describe these.
The ADA defines a service animal as:
"Any animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Tasks typically performed by service animals include guiding people with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to the presence of intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or retrieving dropped items."
While it is true that the ADA is currently attempting to change the law so that it includes only dogs, as of right now, any animal can be a service animal.
For the purposes of this article, we are going to discuss dogs, however the rules are the same whether the animal is a monkey, cat or miniature horse.
In order for a service dog to meet the ADA's definition, the dog must be individually trained to perform at least 3 tasks that help to mitigate the individual's disability. The service dog does not need to be trained by an accredited organization. An individual can obtain and train a service dog himself, but this requires handling experience, patience, and commitment.
Identifying a Service Dog
Some, but not all service dogs will wear a harness, patch, vest, or other identifying equipment that labels them as a service dog. The ADA does not require that a service dog be properly identified while out in public, but most people find access easiest when their working dog is wearing some sort of identification. While state laws may mandate that a service dog be properly ID'd while in public, federal law does not, and since federal law supersedes state law, things can get complicated very quickly.
As a general rule of thumb, if you see a dog in
a place of public accommodation where dogs are not typically permitted
to go, you are most likely observing a service dog. Pets are not
allowed in grocery stores, movie theatres, or malls. Service dogs are
NOT pets. They do enjoy a special quality of life with their handlers,
but their primary task is to help mitigate disability.
If you are a store or business owner and an individual enters your establishment with a service dog, you may ask them 3 questions:
- Is this a service dog?
- Are you disabled?
- What tasks has the dog been trained to do for you?
Sadly, there are some people who try to pass
off pets as service dogs in order to be allowed to bring their dog with
them into places of public accommodation. This is both a state and
federal crime and can result in large fines and prosecution. It also
makes access difficult for those who have a real service dog.
Just
because a dog is a service dog, does not give it access rights. PEOPLE
have access rights, dogs do not. A service dog that is not with its
disabled handler is not working and does not have access rights into places
of public accommodation. The exception to this is when the service dog
is in training and with its trainer. Access laws for service dogs in
training vary from state to state.
What to do if you see a service dog team
It
is not every day that you encounter a service dog team. Millions of
people love dogs and have their own, or know someone who does. Dogs are
cute, intelligent, and let's face it - you would love to run up and pet
that service dog! Please don't. As any dog lover knows, dogs are easily
distracted, and while a service dog has been trained to ignore
distractions, why make its job harder? Some service dog handlers have
the time to stop and chat about their dog and yours (or your friend's,
or your family's, or that cute Golden Retriever down the street...),
but it is also important to remember that a disabled handler is going
about his or her daily life and must accomplish tasks just as you
must.
The best thing to do if you see a service dog team is to
recognize that the person is disabled and carry on with your own
personal business. Calling to the dog, whistling at it, stopping to pet
it or making a fuss over the dog will distract it from its work.
What does a service dog do?
A
service dog can be trained to perform a variety of tasks. Millions of
people live with "invisible disabilities". Just because a person
doesn't "look" or appear to be disabled, does not mean that they are
not. Think about what our society has established as stereotypes for
identifying different groups of people and try to push past that. What
DOES a blind person look like? A deaf person? A person with Multiple
Sclerosis? You may not see the disability, but it doesn't mean it's not
there!
Blind/Visually impaired:
Most
people are familiar with this type of working dog, often referred to as
a "guide dog" or "seeing eye dog". This type of dog is trained to lead
a person around obstacles, find curbs and doors, navigate through
crowds and on uneven surfaces. A person who is blind or visually
impaired often finds that navigating with a dog is much faster and more
naturally paced than navigating with a cane. A cane does not respond to
visual stimuli! Keep in mind that there are degrees of visual
impairment and using a guide dog is a personal choice and the right of
the individual.
Deaf/Hard of hearing:
"Hearing
ear dogs" can alert their handler to a variety of environmental sounds
such as the doorbell, door knock, timers, smoke alarms, horns,
emergency vehicles, a baby crying, a person calling to the handler,
etc. Some people choose to have their dog work sounds for them inside
the home only, while others choose to have their dog work sounds for
them both inside and outside of the home. Keep in mind that there are
degrees of hearing loss and deafness and that having a hearing ear dog
is a personal choice and the right of the individual.
Mobility (service dogs):
Assistance
dogs that are used to mitigate disabilities other than hearing and
visual impairments are referred to as "service dogs". A service dog can be
used to help with mobility (ie: walking, balance support, bracing to
stand or sit or go up stairs without falling), medical alert (ie: alert
to an oncoming seizure, migraine, panic attack or low/high blood sugar
levels), retrieving objects, pulling a wheelchair or opening and
closing heavy doors or cabinets. A service dog can also be taught how
to respond in a situation that requires attention be paid to its
handler (ie: using a special phone to call 911, retrieving help from
a bystander or family member, or even retrieving medications). There is
no limit to the tasks a service dog can be taught to do as long as they
help mitigate the handler's disability.
Psychiatric service dogs:
Psychiatric service dogs are a fairly new concept. A psychiatric service dog is NOT an emotional support animal (ESA). A psychiatric service dog may provide comfort to its handler, but this alone does not qualify it as a service dog. This kind of dog may alert to panic attacks, retrieve medication, urge its handler out of bed, prevent strangers from coming too close while out in public, or turn on lights and check for intruders in the home of a PTSD or other trauma survivor. Just like other types of service dogs, psychiatric service dogs must mitigate their handler's mental disability by performing at least 3 trained tasks.
Autism service dogs:
Also a relatively new concept, service dogs for
individuals with autism have become increasingly more popular with
autistic children. These types of service dogs help increase the
child's and family's mobility and socialization within the community.
The dog can be taught to keep the child in a specific location,
encourage socialization and development of communication skills, and
help a child with autism work to decrease ritualized behaviors
typically associated with the disorder. Not every child or individual
with autism will benefit from a service dog.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals (otherwise referred to as ESAs) do NOT have access rights under the ADA. The individual may be disabled, but an ESA is not an animal that has been individually trained to provide assistance to mitigate the handler's disability or condition. Emotional Support Animals provide love and comfort to their owners and are allowed in 'no pet' housing under the Fair Housing Act with appropriate documentation (such as a letter from a healthcare professional). To read more about Emotional Support Animals and owner's rights to keep them in 'no pet' housing, please click HERE.
