[nagdu] service vs therapy dog

[Ann Edie]

Hi, Bunny,

Your article is very timely.  Just the other day when I was at a shopping 
center, I was accausted by a woman who insisted that my guide *had* to have 
a patch on her chest in order to be allowed into businesses.  (And this was 
when I was just walking down the public sidewalk, not going into any store 
at all!)  The woman kept repeating that she had a golden retriever that is a 
therapy dog, and she knew that *all* therapy dogs must have the patch on 
their chests in order to go into places.

I tried to tell her that therapy dogs and service animals are not the same 
thing, and that no patch was required for a service animal for a person who 
has a disability.  But I don't think she got the point.

She also wanted to know what program trained my guide, and she was not very 
pleased when I told her that my guide was privately trained.

I think the therapy dog training programs should make the article you posted 
required reading for all prospective therapy dog handlers, and they should 
go further and point out the differences in law and regulation which result 
from the difference in definition between therapy and service animals.  And 
then the prospective therapy dog handlers should be made to take and pass a 
test on the material before they can get their patch or certificate or 
whatever.

Honestly, this woman was more annoying than any PETA member!  I would love 
to send her this article, but, unfortunately, I don't know her name or 
address.

Best,
Ann

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bunny Davidson" <bunnydavidson at live.com>
To: "service dog list" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2008 1:40 PM
Subject: [nagdu] service vs therapy dog




i came across this article defining "service dog" v. "therapy dog"

http://www.petjoyonline.com/Articles.asp?ID=132

I immediately thought of a couple folks whom i should send a copy of this 
to,
(folks with therapy dogs who think their dogs have privileges equal to that 
of service dog)

ignorance is most dangerous when it struts around as knowledge.Bunny
Different Types of Service Dogs (including the difference between a Service 
Dog and a Therapy Dog):

What is the difference between a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog?
It is important for us to let you know that Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs 
are NOT the same.  They are vastly different and the terms "Service Dog" and 
"Therapy Dog" should NOT be interchanged with one another.  Federal Law 
states that a Service Animal is NOT a pet.  According to the Americans with 
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a service animal is any animal that has been 
individually trained to provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit 
of a person with a physical or mental disability which substantially limits 
one or more major life functions. Additionally, many states have their own 
laws which follow up on the federal law in more detail.

A Therapy Animal (Therapy Dog) refers to a dog trained to provide affection 
and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, mental 
institutions, schools, and stressful situations such as disaster areas. 
Therapy Dogs provide animal contact to numerous individuals who may, or may 
not, have disabilities.  A Therapy Animal works in animal-assisted 
activities and animal-assisted therapy.  It is usually the personal pet of 
its handler, and typically works with its handler in attendance during 
sessions.  Visiting animal-handler teams are the most common source of 
therapy animals/therapy dogs.  The handlers of these visiting teams may be 
volunteers or health care professionals on the staff of the facility they 
visit.

Handlers of Therapy Dogs do NOT have the same rights as the handler of a 
Service Dog.  The handler of a Service Animal is protected under the ADA due 
to the individual's disability.  This is a VERY IMPORTANT distinction.  It 
should be understood that it is the DISABLED HANDLER that has rights under 
the ADA and not the dog.  The Service Dog is allowed access solely because 
of the rights of the individual.
Types of Service Animals
This is only a partial list of Service Animals and is not intended to be 
all-inclusive or authoritative:
Guide Dog or Dog Guide – This Service Dog/Service Animal would assist an 
individual that has vision loss; either fully or partial.
Mobility Dog – This Service Dog may retrieve items, open doors or even push 
buttons for its handler.  Also, this Service Animal may assist people with 
disabilities with walking, balance and transferring from place to place.
Hearing Alert Dog – This Service Dog will alert its handler with a hearing 
loss to sounds.
Seizure Alert Dog/Seizure Response Dog – Also known as Medical Alert Dog, 
this Service Dog alerts to oncoming seizures and is trained to respond to 
seizures such as "Get Help" or stay with the person until help arrives.
Medical Alert Dog/Medical Response Dog – This Service Dog is trained to 
alert to oncoming medical conditions, such as heart attack, stroke, 
diabetes, epilepsy, panic attack, anxiety attack and even post traumatic 
stress disorder.

Autism Service Dog – This Service Dog can alert its handler of certain 
behaviors so that the handler may keep these behaviors to a minimum.
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