Obviously, every handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If their service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity does not have to allow the animal onto its premises. Don't we wish that rule also applied to unruly children. Repeated barking, pulling away from the handler, or sniffing and jumping on other people, are examples of unacceptable behavior for a service animal. A business has the right to ask the handler to remove his dog and deny future access to a dog tha ..read more

With new laws being put into place by the Department of Transportation regarding flying with Emotional Support Animals, there is no better time to go over the differences between an Emotional Support Animal and Psychiatric / PTSD Service Animal. Emotional Support Animals provide support and companionship to help with anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues. ESAs are prescribed by a mental health professional to help ease mental illnesses. There is no specialized training required for ESAs as they are primarily for companionship, however they do need behavioral training. Emotional S ..read more

According to the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP), a Service and assistance dog should meet the following training standards: An assistance dog should be given a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of schooling over a period of Six Months or more. At least thirty (30) hours should be devoted to outings that will prepare the dog to work obediently and unobtrusively in public places. The 120 hours of schooling includes the time invested in homework training sessions between obedience classes or lessons from an experienced dog trainer. A dog must master the basic ..read more

We get a lot of questions about people wanting their Working Animal to be classified as a Service Animal, but not being able to afford a professional trainer. So does a Service Animal have to be professionally trained? The simple answer to that question is that no. That is not to say that a Service Animal doesn’t require training at all. If you can’t afford to pay for a professional trainer, or you prefer, you can train your Service Animal on your own. According to the American Kennel Club, a Service Animal should be calm, especially if they are in an unfamiliar setting, alert, focused on it’s ..read more

Allergies to dogs are caused by a reaction to certain proteins found in oils secreted from a dog’s skin and in their saliva - it is not the hair itself that causes allergies. When a dog sheds hair, or its skin flakes off, these proteins are carried into the immediate environment where they may cause an allergic reaction. Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. As service dog handlers, we often get asked “What do you do about people with dog allergies, or who are afraid of dogs?”. If the allergy or fear is disablin ..read more

My faithful service dog, Pasha recently had to be put down after many months of treatment for cancer to the spine. The cost of his care during those 6 months was more than $10,000.00. When I was discussing this year’s medical expenses to deduct from my taxes, I mentioned that my service dog had more medical expenses that we did. While I never gave it though, it turns out a service dog is a medial aid just as a wheelchair or other medical devises, which are tax deductible. You can include in the medical expenses the costs of buying, training, and maintaining a guide dog or other service animal ..read more

First, your service or emotional support dog is not a pet. The Fair Housing Act (FHA) protects a person with a disability from discrimination in obtaining housing. This includes property you own that may be governed by a condo or homeowner’s association. Under this law, a landlord, condo or homeowner’s association must provide reasonable accommodation to people with disabilities so that they have an equal opportunity to enjoy and use a dwelling. Emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals under the ADA may nevertheless qualify as reasonable accommodations under the FHAct. In ca ..read more

Federal and State Laws prohibit employment discrimination because of a disability. If an employee needed a wheelchair to get around, we expect all businesses would accommodate the chair, but what happens when the accommodation is a dog? Employers are required to provide reasonable assistance but what is reasonable. Allowing an individual with a disability to have a service animal or an emotional support animal accompany them to work should be considered an accommodation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces the employment provisions of the ADA (Title I), does not ..read more

The Public Access Test developed by Assistance Dogs International evaluates the dog's obedience and manners and the handler's skills in a variety of situations. Any properly trained Service or Assistance dog and its handler should be able to pass a few ability items steps,which include: [if !supportLists]A. [endif]The handler's abilities to: [if !supportLists] 1. [endif]safely load and unload the dog from a vehicle; [if !supportLists] 2. [endif]enter a public place without losing control of the dog; [if !supportLists] 3. [endif]to recover the leash if accidentally dropped, and [if !supportList ..read more