This morning I opened a web news article that talked about service dogs helping out in the court system for juvenile victims of brutal crimes. What in the world could possibly be wrong with that? Certainly having an adorable canine companion to offer love and comfort while reliving something horrific such as these young people must do in the courtroom is amazing and a great use of a loving dog.
However, labeling these dogs as service dogs is incorrect. There seems to be a proliferation of misnomers in the press these days … the terms service dogs and therapy dogs are often used interchangeably and hence inaccurately. There are distinct differences between service and therapy dogs and while the general public might not understand the difference, it seems that the media should make the effort to be accurate and help educate.
A service dog has had extensive training to provide one or more specific tasks for an individual. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) guarantees the rights of these individuals to have their service dog accompany them wherever they go as long as the general public is also allowed. This includes restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theatres, concert halls, airline cabins, sports facilities and more. It doesn’t include, for example, the operating room or the restaurant kitchen. To deny access to someone with a service dog is not only discrimination of the highest order, it is also a federal offense. Many service dogs accompany individuals whose disabilities are invisible, yet who are in very real need of the support and tasks that a service dog provides.
On the other hand, a therapy dog most often gives its love in group settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, and schools (or to crime victims in court). Therapy dogs are well-mannered, have excellent obedience skills, and have typically passed a Canine Good Citizen test as well as a more inclusive test such as one offered by Therapy Dogs International or Pet Partners (formerly the Delta Society). Therapy dogs and their owners do not have federally granted access rights, and can only go places where they have been invited.
Whether we’re talking about a service or therapy dog, these wonderful animals can and do offer unconditional love, support, hope and an enhanced quality of life. But there is a difference between the two.
Don’t know where to turn to get your questions answered about service or therapy dogs, organizations or programs? Visit www.ServiceDog411.com today; it’s your first stop on the journey for help and information.
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"On the other hand, a therapy dog most often gives its love in group settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, and schools." I disagree with this one sentence. What you have described is Animal Assisted Activity, which is a limited purpose of a Therapy Dog. Then there's Animal Assisted Therapy, when there is a therapeutic goal established by a health care professional and the dog/handler team works to help a patient attain that goal.
ReplyDeleteThe difference really seems to be who the dog stays with. A Service Dog is trained to provide specific assistance to a person with a disability and lives with that person. A Therapy Dog is owned by someone who usually volunteers their time to work with health care professionals and their patients as well as clients in group settings.