sourcing - https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ ill link more eventually this is just where i find most of my information because it is the official website of the ada (americans with disabilities act) rambling time! so. after multiple months of knowing a lot about service animals. i think it spiraled into a special interest. i think this started because i realized i will need a service animal in the future because my vision is slowly deteriorating and has been since the age of five or six EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS ARENT A TYPE OF SERVICE DOG they are not a type of service dog they are for SUPPORT not to help you with something . ... you can get a psychiatric service dog if you like genuinely need emotional help due to a disorder or mental condition but emotional support dogs are not service dogs it makes me mad when people say theyre a service dog. quote from the ada - "Service animals are not: Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person's disability." "Service animals are not: Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person's disability." (-ADA's website) emotional support dogs are NOT service animals!!!!!! you can not bring them into non pet friendly stores and they can cause even worse stereotypes for handlers of ACTUAL service dogs !!!!!!!!!! service animals are allowed to be removed from establishments IF they are disrupting others. "If a service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises." also, obviously they must be trained, but they can absolutely be owner trained and not professionally trained!! oh and also! service animals are not required to wear any sort of identification that they are a service animal. its simply handler preference. they arent required under the ada to wear vests, collars, id tag or harnesses.. and its also i think not allowed for workers to require or ask for identification (in response to a question- "what tasks can most service dogs perform?") the tasks must directly relate to the handler's disability, but the most commonly known type of service dog is a guide dog and they are trained typically to guide their handlers around obstacles, stairs, etc. they can also be trained to lead their handler to like doors and such in their homes *i didnt say this in the original comment, but common tasks multiple types of service animals perform include, but are not limited to: -retrieving items (such as keys, phones, etc) -alerting handler of medical emergencies -guiding -deep pressure therapy (in response to a question- "How exactly do they help? I'm curious.") they can help people with disabilities (physical or neurological, this can range from requiring a wheelchair to autism) perform day-to-day life! every service dog is individually trained to accommodate their handlers needs specifically and they can be trained either BY their handler or by a professional . in general, the most common type is guide dogs, which help vision impaired people simply move around in general (in response to a question- "are there different types of service animals?") there are !! there are service animals for physical disabilities and psychiatric disabilities.. guide dogs, ptsd support dogs, seizure alert dogs, etc! did you know that miniature horses can also be service animals? "In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department’s ADA regulations have a separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities." https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/ (in response to- "yap about your special interests/hyperfixations!!! i want to hear!!!") MEOW ueumumm service animals are not required to wear any vest or harness or collar or identification that they are a service animal ! its just handler preference.. also, other people such as employees and such are not allowed to ask for ids or anything under the ada ,.. "You are not allowed to: Request any documentation that the dog is registered, licensed, or certified as a service animal.." !!!! workers can also only ask a handler two questions about their service animal !! those two questions being "Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?" and "What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?" ... also ,, misinformation time ,, service animals ARE allowed to be removed from buildings if they can fundamentally alter it ... such as in an operating room, they could compromise how sterile the environment is, and therefore they need to be out of the room . also if the dog is not housebroken or out of control!
