ASSISTANCE ANIMALS VS. SERVICE ANIMALS: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL No formal training is required in order for a dog to be called an emotional support animal. Their role is simply to provide comfort and unconditional love to their owner. This is helpful for those who suffer depression, anxiety, etc. Emotional support animals can be any breed of dog, at any age. THERAPY DOG Therapy dogs provide comfort and affection to people in long-term care, hospitals, retirement homes, schools, mental health institutions, and other stressful situations. Their training is typically comprised of obedience training and socialization training. Therapy dogs obtain their certification by passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and the Therapy Dog Evaluation (TDU) test. Therapy dogs work in animal-assisted activities and therapies, and are commonly owned by the person who is handling them. Typically, a dog must be at least 12 months of age in order to take the CGC test. Training hours necessary to pass the tests vary with the individual dog. SEIZURE ALERT DOGS/MOBILITY DOGS/DOGS THAT PERFORM OTHER SPECIFIC TASKS FOR A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY Training typically lasts 18-24 months, and will vary depending upon the complexity of the task or tasks being performed and the speed with which the dog masters that task. These dogs tend to be similar in breed to guide dogs (see below) but some trainers will also train other breeds depending upon the type of task being taught and the individual needs of the handler. GUIDE DOGS (DOGS THAT ASSIST THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED, DEAF & HEARING IMPAIRED) Guide dogs receive two years of training under the supervision of an accredited and licensed guide dog school. The first year of socialization and obedience training is under the direction of a volunteer puppy raiser. The second year of training takes place at the school facility under the direction of a certified professional. Guide dogs are fitted with a harness that makes them instantly recognizable as a service animal. Guide Dogs in Training often wear red kerchiefs and other identifying accessories, which are earned as they work their way through the program. Only the following breeds are trained as guide dogs: Purebred Golden Retriever, Purebred German Shepherd, Purebred Labrador Retriever, 50/50 mix of Retriever and Labrador. HOW IS A SERVICE ANIMAL DEFINED? As of March 15, 2011, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) limited the definition of a “service animal” to dogs. A “service animal” is now defined as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. (e.g. people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Only a person who has been officially designated as “disabled” as defined by the ADA can qualify to own a service dog. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task the dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA . In the United States, people qualify to use a service animal when they meet either federal or state legal definitions of "disability." This definition varies from state to state and is usually found in the state's human rights code. The most commonly referenced definition, related to the use of service animals, is that of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This is the definition: Title 42, Chapter 126, Sec. 12102. Definitions As used in this chapter: (2) Disability The term "disability" means, with respect to an individual (A) a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (B) a record of such an impairment; or (C) being regarded as having such impairment. Only the first "prong," section 12101(2)(A), applies when considering whether a person has protections under the ADA to be accompanied by a service animal. This definition has been expanded upon and refined by several court cases, including some important decisions of the United States Supreme Court. In Sutton v United Airlines, the Court found that when a person is evaluated for disability, that evaluation must be made in the corrected state, with regard for mitigating factors. For example, if a person is legally blind, but glasses restore their vision to within "normal" levels, then that person is not disabled for purposes of the ADA. “a person whose physical or mental impairment is corrected by medication or other measures does not have an impairment that presently ‘substantially limits’ a major life activity.” EXAMPLES OF SERVICE DOGS INCLUDE: Guide Dog Mobility Aid Dog Seizure Alert Dog PTSD Service Dog Hearing Alert Dog Diabetes Alert Dog Migraine Alert Dog Narcolepsy Alert Dog Seizure Response Dog Psychiatric Service Dog Narcolepsy Response Dog .