They greet you at the door with an enthusiastic bark and a wagging tail. When you’re feeling down, they snuggle next to you with a wet nose and a warm cuddle. And when the doorbell rings … watch out! Their protective side comes out full swinging.
Who is this creature of devotion?
Why, It’s a dog, of course.
To many, their dog is a beloved member of the family. But to others, their dog is a literal lifeline.
This month is National Service Dog month, a time to raise awareness and show appreciation to the over 500,000 service dogs in our communities.
More Than Just Man’s Best Friend
For centuries dogs were used for work and to perform chores, such as hunting, herding, pulling carts, and for security. Eventually, dogs became companions, providing comfort and friendship.
Although there is some evidence that dogs were used in ancient times to aid the blind, it wasn’t until the 1920s that seeing-eye dogs began to appear in the United States and were offered some legal protections.
Passed in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legally recognized service animals “as any guide dog, signal dog or other animals individually trained to provide assistance to a person with a disability.”
What can service dogs do? And how can a service dog improve the quality of your life?
Service Dog, Therapy Dog, or Emotional Support Dog?
You may have heard several different terms used for dogs who provide assistive services.
Here’s a breakdown of the terms used and what each dog does:
Service Dog
Service Dogs are trained to help people with disabilities, such as visual impairments, mental illnesses, seizure disorders, diabetes, etc., and are protected under the ADA (Americans With Disabilities Act).
A service dog is not a pet. They must be specifically trained to perform tasks related to the disabled person’s specific disabilities. For example, if you are diabetic, you may have a dog who can detect when your blood sugar level is too low or high.
Service Dogs have to be allowed into businesses, and it is illegal for someone to ask about your disability. However, someone can ask if the pet is required due to a disability or what tasks your service dog is able to perform.
Therapy Dog
Therapy Dogs are trained to provide comfort and affection to people in hospice, disaster areas, retirement homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and more.
An example of how therapy dogs help us get through traumatic experiences is with the recent Uvalde school shooting. Therapy dogs provided unconditional affection to the children and other victims in the community through the vigil services and visits to the hospital.
Spending time with a therapy dog has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce anxiety. Therapy dogs do not have to be trained to perform specific tasks like service dogs.
Emotional Support Dog
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) provides comfort, a calming presence, and companionship to their owners.
Emotional Support Animals do not have the training required of Service Dogs, nor do they perform specific tasks to aid with disabilities. They do not have the legal protections given to a Service Dog nor do they have access to all public areas.
However, Emotional Support Dogs do qualify for no-pet housing with the proper letter from a physician.
Want to Live a Healthier Life? Get a Dog
Owning a dog can offer more than companionship and the ability to help with specific tasks. Studies show that a dog can vastly improve the quality of almost anyone’s life.
Dogs Can:
Help us feel less lonely. A national survey of pet owners and non-pet owners by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute found that 85 percent of respondents believe that interaction with pets reduces loneliness.
Reduce the chance of Cardiovascular Disease. Studies show that dog owners have lower blood pressure levels and improved responses to stress.
Help us get more exercise. Dog owners spend nearly 300 minutes a week walking their dogs.
They make us more social. Dog owners are more likely to make friends with neighbors and are seen as more approachable.
Help with cognitive function. Studies have shown that dogs improve the cognitive function of seniors with mental illness in long-term care, and help to decrease agitation in those with dementia.
They make us happy. Last but not least, dogs simply make us feel better. A 2009 Japanese study found that staring into your dog’s eyes raises your level of oxytocin, also known as the “love hormone.” Besides the general health benefits of owning a dog, they are natural mood boosters.
To find out more about service dogs and if you could benefit from one, visit Canine Companions for more information.
If you are in the process of filing for disability benefits or have filed and been denied, we’d like to help. Use the blue contact section NOW to call us, live chat with us, or message us using our confidential contact form.
At Tucker Disability Law we don’t settle for less. Neither should you.
