# Discussion Topic -- PSDs and ESDs



## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Is there a difference between a Psychiatric Service Dog and an Emotional Support Dog? 

Is there a difference in how they are used?

Is there a legal difference?

Should PSDs be considered a SD when we talk about Public Access?


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

my knowledge and experience is a PSD is basically a therapy dog who is taken to hospitals and such while an emotional support dog is someones pet. An emotional support dog is where things get tricky because many people assume an ESD is the same as a SD when they're not. An ESD is generally "prescribed" for those who suffer from depression and medication hasnt helped or they cant take the medication prescribed for some reason. They arent trained for anything specific other than just providing emotional support and comfort for the person at home. They cant legally go anywhere public where pets are not allowed whereas a SD, say for example plays the part of an emotional support dog say for example for someone who has asbergers syndrome they have trouble coping with general cues and understanding what you or i would consider normal. Like someone jokes, they have trouble picking up on it. They stress easily in social situations or new situations and their dog is trained to not only calm but place themselves either in between their handler and the stresser or encourage their handler to remove themselves from the situation. They're often taught to retrieve medications as well. Myself, the other thread i'm assuming this one stems from, i would consider that boys dog to be a service dog as she provides a necessary, possibly life saving service in sensing an oncoming seizure and providing comfort IE staying with her handler or barking and alert for help and using that magnet in her collar to help ease the seizure itself. Just like i would consider the border collie i saw in walmart the other day to be a service dog. She was a diabetic service dog. She wears a pack that carries insulin and emergency information for her owner, who to contact in the event of an emergency and such. She provides a possible life saving service. I know there are many who consider a PSD and an ESD to be one and the same. It really depends on who you ask which makes the question so difficult to understand and answer


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

It varies by state whether or not an ESD is allowed access to businesses. In Washington, an ESD would be classified as a companion animal and would be allowed access only if the owner has a disability. However, since businesses are prohibited from requiring proof of disability, some counties recommend that businesses allow all companion animals.

Krystal, I would not personally consider the border collie to be a service dog, since the owner could easily carry the the insulin and emergency information him/herself.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

paulag1955 said:


> It varies by state whether or not an ESD is allowed access to businesses. In Washington, an ESD would be classified as a companion animal and would be allowed access only if the owner has a disability. However, since businesses are prohibited from requiring proof of disability, some counties recommend that businesses allow all companion animals.
> 
> Krystal, I would not personally consider the border collie to be a service dog, since the owner could easily carry the the insulin and emergency information him/herself.


 
i apologize Paula, i should have gone into deeper detail on that one. The border collie was trained to alert when her blood sugar got too low too quickly. I know a Diabetic detection dog would benefit my grandma as she has hit bottom before she realized her sugar had dropped so much. I see her often at walmart. The dog is usually calm and cool and collected but the one time i saw the dog react, it was swift and to the point like an arrow. She started getting aggitated and pretty forceful in her alert nosing of the woman's hand and then the woman just kind of slid to the floor like she'd melted it was that quick. 

I know one of our neighbors and good friend back home, his two dogs are registered as companion animals. Mocha is a catahoula mix and she's trained to bring medication (recently trained) and get ice packs from the freezer when needed. Heaven (they adopted her from us) is working on public access training and retrieving various objects because Paul is slightly immoblie due to a construction accident about 15 years ago. He can legally have Mocha live anywhere with him without having to pay a pet deposit or pet rent but Heaven he'll be able to take her anywhere and everywhere. Only reason he cant do that with Mocha is because she's possessive with her owners. Heaven is friendly all around but being a puppy all she wants to do is play but she's mellowing out.


Edit: I've seen the border collie with this woman a couple more times the last few days. She's a very nice lady and had recently lost her last diabetic alert dog which would explain my recent confusion of this new dog. Sorry. Lack of sleep equals brain not fully functioning. Her new dog is named Vanessa, Nessa for short. Her LAST dog was the one i've seen alert intensely when she collapsed.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> my knowledge and experience is a PSD is basically a therapy dog who is taken to hospitals and such





> the other thread i'm assuming this one stems from, i would consider that boys dog to be a service dog as she provides a necessary, possibly life saving service in sensing an oncoming seizure and providing comfort


No, this thread is not based on another. It is a discussion thread that I like to do to find out what people know about SDs thereby hopefully we can share knowledge and possibly assist those who would like to become more educated on the subject of SDs.



> It really depends on who you ask which makes the question so difficult to understand and answer


This is why education on the subject of SDs so important so that people understand what a SD really is and they don't confuse one type of working dog with another.

And remember, for the sake of this particular discussion I brought up *Psychiatric Service Dog* and *Emotional Support Dog* not Medical Alert / Response Dog or Therapy Dog. 

But whatever you answer right now is OK as I want people to honestly say what they believe is the answer. Then by the end of this thread the goal is to explain and make more clear the answers.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> It varies by state whether or not an ESD is allowed access to businesses. In Washington, an ESD would be classified as a companion animal and would be allowed access only if the owner has a disability. However, since businesses are prohibited from requiring proof of disability, some counties recommend that businesses allow all companion animals.


Do you have any links where Washington State allow ESDs access into a business. The only two places that I have heard this is allowed is several locations in California - and somewhere in New York State - I believe it was New York City. 

I doubt I'm wrong here but I have never heard of any county in the U.S. recommending that businesses allow all companion animals. But if you have a link to such a recommendation I would really appreciate being able to read it. 



> his two dogs are registered as companion animals.


_** Not part of this topic but I'm getting confused now. What type of registration for a companion animal?_ _Are you talking about registration with the county for a rabies tag?_ **


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

ILGHAUS said:


> Do you have any links where Washington State allow ESDs access into a business. The only two places that I have heard this is allowed is several locations in California - and somewhere in New York State - I believe it was New York City.
> 
> I doubt I'm wrong here but I have never heard of any county in the U.S. recommending that businesses allow all companion animals. But if you have a link to such a recommendation I would really appreciate being able to read it.
> 
> ...


 
yes i'm sorry. I'm failing at elaborating today. I really should go to bed. He has to have it shown on the rabies tag they're a companion animal so it can then be shown on the lease to his apartment. If he doesnt have proof of rabies with a sidenote stating companion animal, the complex wont allow the dog as anything other than a pet in which pet deposit and pet rent must be paid.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

ILGHAUS said:


> No, this thread is not based on another. It is a discussion thread that I like to do to find out what people know about SDs thereby hopefully we can share knowledge and possibly assist those who would like to become more educated on the subject of SDs.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
k dokie. makes sense. cant wait to see where it goes!


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

I have recently read more up on PSD dogs there is a good book that talks about them called Healing Hands.

To have a service dog you have to be impaired a mental illness is an impairment if this person can not function on a minimal level because of their illness. 

Emotional support dogs are dogs that provide companionship,affection, comfort and are not trained to in task work. They do not have the public access that PSD dogs to under the ADA. They are well trained pets that are emotionally in tuned to their owners but from what I have read to have benefits vs a pet dog. 

"However, their owners are afforded privileges through a Federal grant which allows them to keep the dog in most types of housing, even when there is a “no pets” policy. The Air Carrier Access Act provides policies that permit a person with a disability to travel with a prescribed emotional support animal so long as they have appropriate documentation and the animal is not a danger to or interferes with others."
Emotional Support Dog

As for PSD dogs they are trained to work and perform a task for the person. There are various tasks that they can perform either be in at home or in the public situation. These dogs have the public service hours training and can work in a public situation comfortably and reliably. Tasks that a PSD dog can provide stability if a person gets dizzy or after an episode, waking a person up if need be, blocking a person from danger, if they become disoriented in public leading them to a designated person or safe zone, before an episode occurs they can interupt the person before it happens. 

It is interesting when you read about PSD dogs because they do different tasks that a guide dog can do (guiding the person or blocking them from danger), some things a hearing dog can do (alerting or signaling the person if they are sleeping heavily because of the meds they are on), what a mobility dog can do (bracing a person or stability support) etc..

When you look at the difference between Emotional Support Dog and a PSD dog you are looking for trained behaviors vs natural behaviors.

Upon reading about the difference I found an interesting statement and it said this is what the courts will ask.

1. is the behavior the dog is doing trained or natural
2. it must migrate the person's disability
3. it must be needed by that handler 

After reading different websites and books this is where I am at with the differences.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> Emotional support dogs are dogs that provide companionship,affection, comfort and are not trained to in task work. ... They are well trained pets


Do they need to be certified by anyone in obedience? What level of obedience?



> "However, their owners are afforded privileges through a Federal grant which allows them to keep the dog in most types of housing, even when there is a “no pets” policy.


A Federal grant? As in someone fills out a grant form and submits it to be chosen by a grant committee? Do you have a link to a website where you found this?


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Some clarification on this thread:

When I ask a question I am not saying that I believe that you are correct or on the flip side that I don't agree with your opinion. 

I am asking for clarification on a statement because maybe (1) I may fully agree and I want others to be able to go to an original document to read for themself, (2) you have given some info that I am confused on what you are trying to share, or (3) the info that you have given is not following a Fed. or State law.

*Remember this thread is to be an educational tool.* Our final goal is to clear up common misconceptions and to find knowledge while sharing correct facts. 

In a discussion:
~ A statement always carrys more weight if when someone asks, you are able to give *a reputable source* that they themself can check. 
~ An opinion is something that you post that you believe but it may not have *a reputable reference* that you can give.
~ When giving information based on something that someone posts on a website or a forum or write in a book, it may be a fact that they have given a reputable source for or it may be their opinion. 

In this discussion thread, I want people to give facts that they have a source for AND their opinions that they believe to be true. As a facilitator of a discussion, it helps me to know what people believe and to be able to search for information that can either reinforce or to correct.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

Emotional Support Dogs from what I see are not certified just like SD are not required certification in the U.S. They can be trained by an agency or a trainer. There is one by us that trains mobility dogs and ESD. I am going to assume though if you want a Federal Grant or rent with your dog you will have to show as with a SD that the dog has been through training to be an ESD along with a MD order that the person needs the dog for emotional support. 

As for the Federal Grant statement I did put the link on it after the statement. I can do more research. I know I read it in another site also.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

ILGHAUS said:


> Some clarification on this thread:
> 
> When I ask a question I am not saying that I believe that you are correct or on the flip side that I don't agree with your opinion.
> 
> ...


I did leave a source in the original thread after I copy and pasted the statement. I believe that a source should be given also to back what you are saying especially if it is about grants.  My opinion, statements are from what I have been learning through my own readings. I also left a good book to read too called in the original thread.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> However, their owners are afforded privileges through a Federal grant which allows them to keep the dog in most types of housing, even when there is a “no pets” policy.


OK, I went back and saw the link to the website - I had just overlooked it during my reading of your post. Thank you.

Now honestly here I have no idea what they are refering to when they mention a Fed. grant. I am going to look further ...

****
A Federal Grant is an award of financial assistance from a Federal agency to a recipient out of the general federal revenue to carry out a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by a law of the United States. A grant is not used to acquire property or services for the Federal government's direct benefit. Twenty-six Federal agencies annually offer over 1,000 grant programs in various subject areas.
http://www.federalgrantswire.com/what-are-federal-grants.html

****

I have gone to various areas of the website that you supplied and still see nothing to explain that one sentence they made.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

*Here are some statements I think are interesting and it helps decifer more the difference and in my original post and gotten some information*


Here are some quotes from US Department of Justice (DOJ) officials on the subject of emotional support animals vs service animals. Note that the DOJ is the federal agency responsible for enforcing title III of the ADA (which is what gives public access rights to persons using service animals). 

*_The way we look at it is what the regulation says is that a service animal is an animal that's trained to provide services for a person. So something that is just a pet is not, and we try to be broad, because there could be a whole range of services that an animal can be trained to provide, but it has to be trained to do it and it has to be doing services. Because there has been a great deal of misunderstanding and we are told by a number of guide dog users around the country of abuses that are occurring and a backlash that's happening to people with service animals because of it. When we do the regulations that I'm talking about in the fall, we're going to ask questions about this issue and be specific about this. Should emotional support animals be covered by the ADA? Should they be required to be in restaurants? Should they be required to be in public transportation? In our view, they're not covered now unless they are providing a service to the person._** 



John Wodatch, Chief, Disability Rights Section, Office of Civil 
Rights, U.S. Department of Justice 
(from July 17, 2001 conference) 

"An emotional support animal is not going to be a service animal under the ADA unless it does meet the task training requirement." 



Phillip L. Breen, Special Legal Counsel, Disability Rights Section, 
Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice 
(from April 16, 2002 conference) 

"Generally speaking, if we're talking about therapy, comfort, emotional support animals -- and I think those typically are used interchangeably. Those are not going to be service animals under the ADA because they haven't been trained to -- remember that three-part -- that definition, they haven't been trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Typically, comfort, emotional support animals by their very presence certainly performs a valuable service, but it's an innate ability. It's their mere presence. It doesn't reach the level of having been trained to do work or perform tasks." 



Sally Conway, Disability Rights Section, Office of Civil Rights, U.S. 
Department of Justice (from April 29, 2004 conference) 

Here is the link to the above (scroll down on the page)
Psychiatric Service Dogs / ESA vs PSD

....next

*Here is information that I found about the statement including the Federal Housing Grant.*

Emotional support animal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
with this source when you scroll down you will find their sources
along with the Fair Housing Act of 1988 (amendment)

Another good read http://www.bazelon.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mHq8GV0FI4c%3d&tabid=245
in this article because emotional support and service animals are not "pets," but rather are considered to be more like assistive aids such as wheelchair" saying I am sure there is a Federal Grant for the disabled person that will help cover the costs of assistive aids and the dog maybe be covered under this terminology. 

Here is a court dock and they sued the mangement company and won on the basis of having a ESD if you scroll down to the bottom you will see the conclusion along with more of a summary.
http://www.justice.gov/crt/housing/documents/goldmark_amicus_11-2-10.pdf

http://www.ada.gov/newsltr0409.pdf
Scroll down to the article PA Housing Authority

I found these 2 links and more articles at USDOJ Search:emotional support dogs


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

*Going back to what you originally asked *

Is there a difference between a Psychiatric Service Dog and an Emotional Support Dog? Yes

Is there a difference in how they are used? Yes

Is there a legal difference? Yes but not in housing or in airlines

Should PSDs be considered a SD when we talk about Public Access? Yes, because they are service dogs under the ADA as long as they follow the threefold points under the ADA.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

Editing my Is there a Legal Difference: 
Yes - SD have full public access and ESD do not
From what I see the only thing the same is housing (under the Fair Housing Act not the ADA) a landlord can not discriminate if you have a SD or a ESD as for the airlines I haven't found information on that yet. You do have to have to be disabled to have either dog with documentation from your MD.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> *Here are some statements I think are interesting and it helps decifer more the difference and in my original post and gotten some information*


It is a small world -- as I was reading I was thinking "Hey this sounds familiar" so I went back and looked at who submitted that article.

 *.... I'm a contributing member (research and mod) of the group that was used as the source for the article of your first link. *

But I'm impressed with the amount of work you have put into this discussion so far. Good for you ... 


I came back to say that I just read another of the links that you gave -- the Wikipedia artical -- *and yes it too gives credit to SDC as its source of reference. *


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

elly1210 said:


> Editing my Is there a Legal Difference:
> Yes - SD have full public access and ESD do not
> From what I see the only thing the same is housing (under the Fair Housing Act not the ADA) a landlord can not discriminate if you have a SD or a ESD as for the airlines I haven't found information on that yet. You do have to have to be disabled to have either dog with documentation from your MD.


To say your dog is an ESD you have to have documation from your doctor stating that this dog is needed for your health and that would be all that is needed for approval. If the landlord denies or tries to charge extra deposit for the dog you can contest it and take it to court if need be. 

Remember the ESD dog is not covered by the ADA only the PSD (SD) the Fair Housing Act is what covers the ESD under a rental/lease agreement.

Lastly: Airlines do have to allow PSD (SD) or ESD on the Airline per the The Air Carrier Access Act of 1986 http://www.nsarco.com/acaa.html to file a complaint http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/
Here the ACAA directly regulates along with the ADA http://www.nsarco.com/acaa.html

Flying with your ESD http://www.nsarco.com/emotionalsupportanimals.html


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

Flying with your ESD http://www.nsarco.com/emotionalsupportanimals.html
here it goes over what to expect, if you need to contact the airlines in advance, what documenation you will need it is different for a ESD dog vs a SD. You will be required to produce a formal letter of prescription for a service dog or ESA from a *licensed mental health professional*

*There is also different information when you fly to HI.*
A handler can easily fly to Hawaii, but they will NOT be allowed beyond the Airport Animal Quarantine Holding Facility unless they are able to present reinforcing documentation that their service animal has conformed to a long list of stringent requirements. Emotional Support Animals are NOT recognized as service animals by Hawaiian authorities. The following information is from the state of Hawaii Dept. of Agriculture website

If you continue on this website it continues on to the UK etc.... http://nsarco.com/airlines.html


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

paulag1955 said:


> It varies by state whether or not an ESD is allowed access to businesses. In Washington, an ESD would be classified as a companion animal and would be allowed access only if the owner has a disability. However, since businesses are prohibited from requiring proof of disability, some counties recommend that businesses allow all companion animals.
> 
> Krystal, I would not personally consider the border collie to be a service dog, since the owner could easily carry the the insulin and emergency information him/herself.


*I did find the information about WA but it is only certain towns (cities) this is this closest thing I found I didn't find anything directly on the cities website*

*DOJ's Proposal and Rationale for Allowing Psychiatric Service Animals (dogs only) : Culture Dish*
*scroll down to post 8 *

In Tacoma, Washington Emotional Support Dogs are allowed in these places and they have to let them in that is their rules.
All public buses let them on just like you would if you had a service dog. As long as the ESD had all basic training and is potty trained. And also so does not bark or jump and people or other Service Dogs and ESD. And can also tuck tail.
Same goes for the public Half Price Book Store. Grocery store but ESD can't be in a shopping cart they must walk in a heel by cart no matter what size the dog is.
Also all Starbucks Coffee Shops will let Emotional Support Dogs in as well, as long as they can lay and stay, no barking or going up to people.
Tacoma public libaray will let Emotional Support Dogs in as will if they are trained right only.
And the light rail in Tacoma, WA will as well.
So please check out what town and city you live in before taking the ESD out in public.


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

ILGHAUS said:


> Do you have any links where Washington State allow ESDs access into a business. The only two places that I have heard this is allowed is several locations in California - and somewhere in New York State - I believe it was New York City.
> 
> I doubt I'm wrong here but I have never heard of any county in the U.S. recommending that businesses allow all companion animals. But if you have a link to such a recommendation I would really appreciate being able to read it.
> 
> I'm basing this off my understanding of an ESD and assuming this is what we would call a companion animal. Here's the search I used to find the King County document, click on the first article, then look at the second paragraph under #3. Not only does this document recommend that businesses allow all companion animals, I personally witnessed a woman carry a small, shivering, unhealthy looking dog, wrapped in a blanket into a restaurant in King County and place the dog on a table. When the owner asked her to remove the dog, she produced a document on some kind of letterhead saying the dog was a certified companion animal and should be treated as a service animal - or something to that effect (I'm sorry, I was close enough to see a logo on the paper and overhear the heated discussion, but not close enough to see what the logo was.)


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

There are a lot of links posted here and a lot of info to read and digest. 

Now maybe it is time to start putting some of these items in a format that we can start discussing. 

Don't forget the questions that I posted at the beginning of this topic.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

To begin with to start clearing up --

*Companion Dog:* Not a Federal Legal Term. Most people or entities use the term *Companion Dog* to mean a pet dog therefore *Companion Animal* would be an animal that is a pet. These animals only include common domestic pets.

When speaking about companion animals in the field of Emergency Services (ie. FEMA, Office of Emergency Management) we use the term companion animals to encompass those animals that we allow into emergency pet-friendly shelters, that is: dogs, cats, ferrets, birds, rabbits, and small pocket animals such as hamsters.

Some organizations use the term *Companion Dog* to mean a dog that has been tested to have a good temperament to be safe around children. These dogs are not legally Service Dogs nor are they Emotional Support Dogs and the owners can not take them anywhere that any well-behaved dog can not go. They are trained basic obedience and possibly some helpful task and maybe even a couple of tricks for fun. They are many times given to a disabled child to have use of in the home when the child is too young to handle a Service Dog. Sometimes they are given to children that have been through a major trauma and need a loving fuzzy friend to make them feel more safe in life.

So we can see by this companion animals/dogs do not fit into the questions or topic of this thread. But they would make a good topic on another thread. I'm not saying we can not touch on them at all as this is an open discussion, but we really need to try to keep the discussion mainly focussed on the topic.

**********************************


> she produced a document on some kind of letterhead saying the dog was a certified companion animal and should be treated as a service animal - or something to that effect


After glancing at the post about the woman showing a letter with a logo stating her dog is a *certified companion animal* the owner of the business should have told her to remove the animal from the table and the restaurant or he was calling the police. While her dog may have been certified by some agency as a companion animal it is also well-known that such certifications can be purchased via numerous sources on the Internet and are worthless. Anyone with a decent computer at home can do such a letter themself. The woman was in violation of Health Codes. Again certified companion animals are not allowed anywhere that any other pet animal is not allowed. *And even if the dog was a Service Dog it would not be allowed on the table. Service Dogs should not even be placed on chairs or benches of an eating establishment nor should they be allowed to eat or drink using the restaurant dishes.*


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

TJ, I'm sorry, I neglected to include the link (senior moment).

king county companion animal - Google Search

If you look at this document, you'll see that King County, at least, is ascribing a function to a companion animal that is much closer to that of an ESD than a family pet, federal legal term notwithstanding.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

A point to keep in mind when discussing law is to remember what level the law is at and if it violates a law over it. You must also remember to check and see the location where the law has authority.

Federal Law - All 50 states

State Law - Covers that one particular state

County Law - Covers that one particular county

City/Town Law - Covers that one particular city/town

So if a town say somewhere in CA says all Emotional Support Animals registered in their town may ride city buses then it means that all ESAs following procedure may get on a city bus with their owner. BUT, this same owner and animal do not have the same option in the next town over. This particular law only would cover an ESA inside that particular city limit. 

As long as the town doesn't pass a law in direct violation of their county, state, or a federal law then they can with the permission of their community pass as many of these laws as they wish.


*CALLING A COMPUTER GEEK -- Why is that little smilie guy up in the upper left corner of my post? I didn't put him there. Is someone trying to tell me something?*


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

> ​Also, a companion or therapy animal may be considered a service animal, dependent upon whether the individual qualifies as a person with a disability under state law (see 2). Because King County cannot ask for proof of disability, generally, we recommend you treat companion animals as you would other service animals.


I have to say that I have never seen anything like this before as they seem to have their own meanings to various terms. And the laws seem to be a lot more lax than Fed. Law or even State Law. I hope that people who reside in this county understand that this same law does not change the law in other counties. Also, the State Health Dept. may not fully agree with the county so there may be some grey areas say if someone took a therapy dog into a restaurant while a health inspector was there. 

Recently in the State of MO, there was a woman who took her pet monkey, Richard, into stores and restaurants. Some towns would allow it and some would not. She made the mistake to bring attention to the matter via a special shown on the Animal Channel and by complaining against those stores not allowing her monkey. It all came to a head when the Health Dept. stepped in and the legal system. She is now basically not able to take her monkey off her porperty except to a vet who works with monkeys.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

*Emotional Support Animal: *A common domestic animal that provides theraputic support to someone with a disabling mental illness through companionship. The determination is made by a doctor that their patient would benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal and enters such into the patient's medical file. The doctor will then need to write a letter requesting accomodation by made so that the patient be allowed to keep the ESA in "no pets" housing. By law ESAs may also travel with their owner in-cabin on a commercial flight.

The only benefits to having a pet designated as an Emotional Support Animal is if the owner lives in no-pet housing or travels by air. If the patient owns their own home or lives where pets are allowed and travels by car then there is no benefit in having their animal claimed as an ESA. 

There is legally no requirement for any special training for an animal to be considered an ESA. But there are things they can not do: such as doing damage to the property of the landlord (the owner is responsible to clean up after the animal relieves itself and to repair any damge the animal may do). The animal may not disturb the other people living in the building by barking. The animal may not bother others by jumping on them, barking at them, or approaching them if it is unwanted.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Would anyone else like to try to answer any or all of these questions?

Is there a difference between a Psychiatric Service Dog and an Emotional Support Dog? 

Is there a difference in how they are used?

Is there a legal difference?

Should PSDs be considered a SD when we talk about Public Access?


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

I already answered the questions but I went and read the King County document.
It is a bit gray...

#2 is gray in that is a medical certification needed by a medical doctor if not couldn't anyone say hey I have a disablity and then get away with doing #3 and saying my dog is a companion animal

I hope people would not do that but they do I am sure.


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## elly1210 (Jan 4, 2009)

Thinking now anyone can do that because a disabled person doesn't need to provide proof...so that can be thrown out.

*Here is the KEY word in this statement MAY*

_Also, a companion or therapy animal* may* be considered a service animal, dependent upon whether the individual qualifies as a person with a disability under state law _

(How can a business owner know or protect themselves? How how can they prove that the person qualifies? and what is the qualification a medical certification from a medical doctor? many elderly people look disabled but are not say they walk slower etc... How is the establishment going to know? They really have to let the person stay with the dog or have a chance of being sued (if it is a legit))

As with the Health Dept. I would assume they would know this information don't you think? If they go to inspect they have to see the guidelines? I don't know what they do when they inspect a facility. I see where you are coming from though because they would use the ADA law. 


Interesting and I know this is *off topic* is that SDIT are not allowed unless with the disabled person too bad it is that way in OH a SDIT is allowed with the handler and with proof the dog is in training. This is very benefical if you are the puppy raiser.

Another good topic is really is how do business protect themselves from people claiming they have a SD or ESD (if allowed) vs a pet. That is off topic and for another post I am sure. I have a feeling that over the next several years there will be more restrictions and demands in place for people with service dogs (certifications, training proof etc..) because of the people who decide it is OK to take advantage of the law.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

*Is there a difference between a Psychiatric Service Dog and an Emotional Support Dog? Is there a difference in how they are used?*

Yes. A Psychiatric Service Dog is a dog that is individually trained to perform specific tasks for its disabled handler - for example, fetch medication, remind its handler to take medication, turn lights on/off, etc. I know they use PTSD dogs to turn on lights and go to the handler if the handler is experiencing nightmares, for example, or nudge the handler if the handler is experiencing flashbacks.

An ESA (Emotional Support Animal) is a pet that may be needed to provide comfort and companionship to a person, but it is not a trained Service Animal who has been taught to do specific, demonstrable tasks. A doctor *can* prescribe an ESA to a person and there are special accommodations made in housing and, I believe, for travel on planes, for people with ESAs, but they don't have public access.

*Is there a legal difference?*
Yes. Because ESA's don't meet the definition of "Service Dog" in that they are not trained to do specific tasks to mitigate a disability, they do not have public access to stores, restaurants, etc. Although there are special considerations for them in housing (they are allowed in "no pet" housing, according to the Fair Housing Act) and, AFAIK, also on flights. A Service Dog, on the other hand, can access any store, restaurant, etc. with his disabled handler.

*Should PSDs be considered a SD when we talk about Public Access? *
Yes. Psychiatric Service Dogs are individually trained to mitigate a (psychiatric) disability, so they are every bit as much a Service Dog as dogs that provide mobility assistance or other services to their disabled handlers.


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