The difference between a service animal and emotional support animal

Everyone who owns a pet loves them and probably wants to be with them all the time.

There is a small group who’s animals are more than just pets but life-saving companions.

Sometimes taking your pet may put people with real disabilities at risk.

Doctor Darla J. Faraday assists children with disabilities and is able to help them receive an emotional support animal or service animal.

She says there is a difference.

“A service animal is a specific dog, usually it’s a dog,” Dr. Faraday said. “It’s used to meditate a disability. An emotional support animal is more for psychotic support and this is a dog that may not necessarily have public access but they would be available at the home to help provide that emotional help, for say anxiety or depression.”

There is a growing stigma against service dogs right now and it’s because people with emotional support animals who are abusing the system.

“We have these individuals who think they have this really cute pet, I just want to bring it to a restaurant and they go through these online certifications and the problem is the dog itself does not go through the proper certification or training and is not equated to handle public situations so we have a ligament guide dog like myself, so if I’m not allowed to have her in public that is going to impact my ability to be independent,” one person who has a service dog said.

“I have walked into different stores and was basically attacked immediately and told we need to make sure this is a real service dog,” said Steven Mortenson, who has a service dog.

It’s not just the people who own service animals who are upset, but emotional pet owners are frustrated too.

“By you abusing the system and treating your pets like service animals where they are not properly trained,” said Isabella Douglas, who has an emotional support pet. “Like if they poop on the floor somewhere. What you are doing is ruining it for people who actually need a service animal to go to public places and ruining the image of emotional pet owners.”

Unless your pet is an official service animal the best option is to leave your pet at home.

Legitimate service animals typically go through years of training.

There are many laws that justify what considers a legitimate service animal to an emotional support pet.

To find a list of those laws, you can find them here.