Frequently Asked Questions
Why is a Service Animal a better choice than an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
Service Animals are dogs that have been task trained to assist their owner. They need to be reasonably well behaved and potty trained. They are protected by law. They can fly for free, the personal medical information is HIPPA protected and the service animal can go anywhere the owner is goes. They actually directly help the owner.
An ESA is a pet dog that makes you feel better. There is no training. A letter from a therapist, psychologist are doctor is needed and your psychiatric/psychologic reason for needing the dog is public record. Because of the rampant fraud surrounding emotional support animals, they can no longer fly for free and are no longer allowed in many places including restaurants and many stores.
What makes you qualified to own a Service Animal?
To qualify for a service dog, you must have either a mental or physical disability that can interfere or does interferes with at least one aspect of your life. Having anxiety issues or surffereing from depression in the past qualifies you to have a service animal. You do not need an official diagnosis from a healthcare provider.
What are the qualifications for a Service Animal?
Under the ADA, Title II and III, a service animal must be a dog (or miniature horse) that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The dog must be reasonably well behaved and potty trained.
What questions can be asked to determine if a dog is a Service Animal?
Only two (2) questions can be asked:
(1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
(2) What task has the dog been trained to perform? —————They cannot ask to see it performed.
No one is allowed to request any documentation for the dog or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
Are Service Animals required to be trained by a professional?
No. Thanks to the Ninth Circuit Court oif Appeals (March 2021) and the ADA, people with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program. The decision was made because the extreme costs for service animal training prohibited normal people in need from being able to afford a service animal.
Do Service Animals have to wear a vest, patch, or harness identifying them as a Service Animal?
No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag or specific harness. Sometimes, it might make certain situations easier but is not required by law.
Do I need to certify, register, or get a license for my Service Animal?
The Ninth Circuit Court of appeals (March, 2021) clearly stated that no licensure, registration or certification is necessary for a service animal.
There are no official organizations that oversee service dogs, certifies, registers or licenses them. That is all interent fraud. The websites that use USA or American in their name are specifically designed to confuse you and force you to pay more moeny becausae of their fradulent claims and misrepresentations.
There are specific types of diabilities, the blind for example that might have certification bodies and different rules, but that is specific to the disease and not to service animals.
Can my apartment complex deny my Pitbull or German Shepard Service Animal?
Landlords cannot deny any service animal because of the breed, weight or size of the dog.
What happens if my Service Animal barks?
Service animals are dogs and not robots. It is a myth that a service animals cannot bark. It is, however, the responsibility of the owner to make sure the service animal is under control at all times. If the owner is unable to control his service animal then the owner should remove the animal from the activity or scene immediately. One or 2 barks is acceptable but any more than that the animal needs to be taken away from the scene and not return until the owner is in complete control.
What do I do if my Service Animal poops or pees
Service animals need to be potty trained, however accidents can happen. In our view, it is the responsibity of the owner to clean up after his/her service animal. If it happens repeatedly then the owner should work with the animal through some sort of remdial training to correct the problem.
Some Facts About Service Animals
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Just 1% of Our Target Audience Needs to Take Action To Help Us Achieve Our No-Kill-USA Goal
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of Patients with PTSD Report Decreased Serverity due to their Service Animal
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Nearly All Veterans with Service Animals Experience Reduced PTSD Severity
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