Service, Therapy and Emotional Support Dogs

What is the difference between Service, Therapy, and Emotional Support Dogs?

Service, therapy, and emotional support dogs differ primarily in two ways:

Who they help –

• Service dogs assist one individual with a disability.
• Therapy dogs provide comfort to many people, often in hospitals or schools.
• Emotional support dogs offer comfort to their owner but don’t need to assist with a specific disability.

 Training –

• Service dogs receive extensive, specialized training for specific tasks.
• Therapy dogs are trained to be calm and well-behaved in public.
• Emotional support dogs require no formal training but should exhibit acceptable behaviors in public.

Service Dogs

A service animal is dog specially trained to perform tasks for a person with a documented disability, such as physical, sensory, or psychiatric conditions. Protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), they are legally allowed in public places like restaurants and stores. Common examples include seeing-eye dogs, seizure alert dogs, and dogs that assist with PTSD or anxiety.

There is no nationally accepted registry for service animals. 

The Humane Society of Broward County does not endorse these organizations nor are we affiliated with these organizations in any manner. The below organizations have Service Dog information, resources and connections for people inquiring about this type of information.

People who are seeking a Service Dog or have questions relating to Service Dogs for people with disabilities, as well as their friends and family who are considering obtaining a Service Dog should contact one of the resources below for further information.

For information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Service Animals, please see below.

• ADA Service Animals
• Canine Companions for Independence –  1.800.572.BARK (2275)

Therapy Dogs

A therapy dog is trained to provide comfort and support to many people in various settings, such as schools, hospitals, or disaster sites. They are friendly, calm, and work closely with their handler as a team. Therapy dogs are not protected under federal law and can only enter places where they are invited. Some are trained for specific environments like hospitals or crisis situations, and many teams are certified through national organizations. They work closely with their handler and function as part of a team.

Some therapy dogs are specially trained to work with a handler in a facility setting and are called facility dogs. They work in settings such a hospital, school, or courthouse, to provide comfort and support to multiple people.

In most cases for your dog to work as a therapy dog, it should be certified through a known organization which will provide the handler with liability insurance and continuing therapy dog handler education. Some therapy dogs are utilized by a health care provider in their own practice. In these cases, the handler/practitioner must provide their own therapy pet liability insurance. 

Emotional Support Dogs

An emotional support dog offers comfort to one person with a mental or emotional disability, like anxiety or depression. Unlike service dogs, they are not trained to perform specific tasks and have no public access rights under federal law. They may be allowed in housing that doesn’t permit pets if the owner has documentation from a licensed mental health provider that the animal is an emotional support animal.

These animals help with emotional well-being but do not require special training, and emotional support animals can be other species, not just dogs.

There is no nationally accepted registry for Emotional Support Animals. Other than a letter from a licensed mental health provider, emotional support dogs/animals do not need to be registered. 

Information above has been provided by the following references:

Darling, N. (2023, January 23). Don’t confuse service, therapy, and emotional support dogs. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/thinking-about-kids/202301/dont-confuse-service-therapy-and-emotional-support-dogs#:~:text=An%20emotional%20support%20dog%20provides,our%20Do%20I%20Need%20Therapy?