Top 10 Myths About Assistance Animals

The use of assistance animals can be a great help to individuals with disabilities. Many people, however, don’t fully understand everything about the designations, including how they differ from one another. Here, Guidance Teletherapy will address the top 10 myths about assistance animals.

Myth #1 All assistant animals are the same.

This is simply not true. While a service animal, an emotional support animal, and a therapy animal serve similar purposes,  they are used for very different reasons. Because of these differing functions, the rights of their owners are not the same according to the law.

• Service Dogs are specifically trained to perform certain tasks that aid their owners’ disabilities, allowing them to live an independent lifestyle. For example, if the owner has seizures, their dog may be trained to activate a life alert.

• Emotional Support Animals can be any animal that is used to provide their owner emotional comfort. They do not require special training. For example: for an individual who suffers from depression, their dog may be giving the person a feeling of purpose and something to live for.

• Therapy Dogs are often found in areas where a variety of therapy services can be applied; ranging from care homes to physical rehabilitation centers. Their roles vary significantly, as their handlers are often mental health professionals who utilize the animals to assist others being treated.. They may aid a child to confidently read out loud from a book, for example. Unfortunately, therapy dogs do not receive the same legal protections that other assistance animals have.

Myth #2 I can bring my ESA into hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores.

No – only ADA accredited Service Dogs may accompany their owners into public areas, as they will have been adequately trained and certified to behave appropriately. The tasks they have been trained for are key to their owners’ functionality in public areas (think again of the individual with a seizure disorder). However, there are some exceptions. When adequate documentation has been presented, ESAs may live with their owners in their dwellings (bypassing “no pet” policies), and travel inside the cabin of an aircraft on commercial airlines. Only animals that have received a Service Dog Certification are granted automatic public access rights. A therapy dog has none of these rights.

Myth #3 Therapy dogs have the same exact rights as ESA or Service Animal.

Therapy animals do not benefit from similar access rights as services animals and ESAs. When a therapy dog goes into a hospital, library, and or nursing facility, they are granted access by a prior agreement made with the owner. Service animals are legally permitted to accompany their owners in all public areas, and ESAs have protections for housing and travel.

Myth #4 All service dogs must wear a vest.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a legal requirement that service dogs wear a vest. Many service dog owners do choose to have their dog wear a vest, for their and their dog’s safety. Some have vests that instruct how the public should act around the dog, including not petting them or giving them treats.

Myth #5 Your doctor has to provide a note for your service dog.

A note from your doctor is not legally required for a service dog. When entering public places, it’s only necessary to verbally inform staff of your service dog if they ask. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that staff can only ask two specific questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?

2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Service dog owners may choose to order an ID card, to prevent the embarrassment of discussing the need of the service dog. ESAs, however, do require that an ESA certification letter from a licensed mental health professional be presented to a landlord or airline  (again they are not allowed in public places like service animals).

Myth #6 Each state has different laws for service dogs.

Service dogs are protected by Federal Law under the ADA. That being said, they are subject to certain state-specific regulations. For example, in the state of Connecticut, the law recommends service dogs wear a harness or an orange-colored collar and leash when accompanying their owner in public.

Myth #7 Getting an ESA letter online is illegal.

Wrong. In fact, the opposite is true. Telehealth uses technology to collection information, in order to provide clinical health care. It enhances the education and care of  patients because it is easily accessible, and increases anonymity (especially to individuals in rural areas who may see their providers outside of the clinical setting). Laws differ from state to state, so ensure that the telehealth provider you are working with can legally assess you in your state.

Myth #8 All online sites that have ESA letter referrals are the same.

There is a broad range of referral sites, ranging from mental health professionals who offer the assessment process for ESA letters as a part of their service, to dedicated letter mills. You can detect the sites that are the latter by reading their statement for “qualification.” If they state that “everyone qualifies,” there is a high chance that they are not a legitimate service. If they have mental health professionals who are trained in animal-human bonding, they are most likely legitimate.

Myth #9 Landlords can reject ESAs, service dogs, and therapy dogs if they belief the potential tenant doesn’t have a disability.

Under the Fair Housing Act of 1988, landlords are required to accept tenants with ESAs and service animals, regardless of any pet-free policies they have. The tenant simply needs to provide the landlord with appropriate documentation for an ESA (the ESA letter) or answer the two questions allowed (is the animal required because of a disability and what tasks does the animal perform) in the case of a service animal. Therapy dogs can be denied, because though they have training, they are not needed for the owner to function independently in their dwelling. If a landlord does not accept your ESA or service animal, you should file a claim with HUD (US Department of Housing and Urban Development) who will assist you for discrimination.

Myth #10 Only visually or mobility impaired people people have service dogs, every other one is fake.

The most well-known tasks performed by service dogs are guiding and pulling. This does not mean, however, that these are the only tasks a service dog can be trained to perform. Service dogs can be trained to assist with both physical and mental disabilities, including:

• Blindness or visual impairment

• Deaf or hard of hearing

• Mental illnesses such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic depression

• Seizure disorder

• Mobility impairment

• Diabetes

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