At Hearts of Gold, we're dedicated to improving lives and committed to spreading awareness and understanding about the crucial differences among assistance dogs. These incredible canines play diverse yet equally essential roles in the lives of individuals needing assistance.
Service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support dogs each play distinct roles in supporting individuals, but their functions and training vary significantly. Hearts of Gold dogs are evaluated and recommended for our training program. Dogs must pass an AKC-approved Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test and be at least one (1) year old prior to attending the class. Our training includes real-life situations such as working in assisted living and nursing homes, library/literacy Events, special community events, TSA airport security drills, elevator/stair drills, airport comfort, interacting with first responders, and much more…
You may find additional information on Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals here.
Service Dogs
Service dogs undergo rigorous training tailored to assist individuals with disabilities. These dogs are specifically trained to perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disabilities, such as guiding individuals with visual impairments, alerting to seizures, or providing mobility assistance. Hearts of Gold dogs are trained only for mobility and/or psychiatric disabilities, not for disabilities related to visual, hearing, or for medical alert, such as seizures or diabetes.They work as a team with their partners, helping their handler attain safety and independence.
They are legally permitted to accompany their handlers in public places and are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ensuring access to various locations and services. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires three things for a dog to be a service dog. First, the service dog handler must have a life-limiting disability. Second, the dog must be trained to mitigate the handler’s disability by doing either work or tasks. Third, the dog must not cause a disruption in public.
Therapy Dogs
In contrast,therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort, affection, and support to individuals in therapeutic settings like hospitals, schools, or nursing homes. Their primary role involves offering emotional support, reducing stress, and enhancing the overall well-being of the people they interact with. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are not granted the same legal access rights and are usually invited into facilities by healthcare or educational professionals for specific sessions or programs.
Visitation Therapy Dogs
Visitation therapy dogs provide comfort to the people they are visiting. These dogs visit patients in a hospital, nursing home, school, etc, and are not providing therapy as guided by a professional - they are visiting people to spread joy. Currently at West Virginia University, Hearts of Gold has visitation therapy dogs that brighten the lives of students and staff on campus.
Emotional Support Dogs (ESA’s)
Emotional support dogs, on the other hand, offer comfort and companionship to individuals dealing with emotional or psychological conditions. An emotional support dog serves as a companion, or pet, for the owner. While they don't require specific training like service dogs, they provide a sense of calm and stability to their owners and may be prescribed by mental health professionals to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other emotional challenges. Emotional support dogs do not have public access protections under the ADA; however, they are typically allowed in housing under the Fair Housing Act and may accompany their owners during air travel with appropriate documentation.
Example:
A dog calms someone when having an anxiety attack. Service or ESA? It depends. The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and takes a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog’s mere presence provides comfort, the ADA would not consider the dog to be a service animal.
| Types of Assistance Animals | Assistance Related to Disability | Typical Level of Dog Skills | Assists Public Service, Military, or Health Professional | Certification or Standards Available | Scope of Current Access Protections |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Animal | Service Animals - yes | Advanced | Service Animals - No | Service Animals - yes | Broad* |
| Public Service Animal | Public Service Animals - No | Advanced | Public service or military | Public Service Animals - yes | Limited† |
| Therapy Animal | Varies | Varies | Health or allied health | Therapy Animals - yes | None |
| Visitation Animal | Visitation Animals - No | Basic | Visitation Animals - No | Visitation Animals - yes | None |
| Sporting, Recreational, or Agricultural Animal | Sporting, Recreational, or Agricultural Animals - No | Varies | Sporting, Recreational, or Agricultural Animals - No | Sporting, Recreational, or Agricultural Animals - yes | None |
| Emotional Support Animal | Support Animals - yes | Varies | Support Animals - No | Support Animals - No | Limited‡
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*Access to public locations is protected by Americans with Disabilities Act with some exceptions.
†Access for public service or military animals is limited in most states to locations where handler and animal are on duty and otherwise legally present; in some states, broad access is protected regardless of duty status.
‡Support animals have protection under Federal regulations to reside in both public and private housing (Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988; Pet Ownership for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities, 2008). Resident is required to verify that animal is needed to assist with physical, psychiatric, or emotional need.
Parenti, L., Foreman, A., Meade, B. J., & Wirth, O. (2013). A revised taxonomy of assistance animals. Journal of rehabilitation research and development, 50(6), 745.