g l o s s a r y
courthouse companion dogs
Courthouse Companion Dogs are specialized facility dogs who are trained to work with children (or adults) in a courtroom while they’re giving difficult or painful testimony. these dogs work to lower tension, provide distraction and to give support during the difficult moments of deposition, testimony and any other time they’re needed.
Courthouse Companion Dogs are a little new on the scene, but their success is amazing and for the kids who use their services, there’s nothing better to help them begin to heal and grow again. they are not trained to meet the specific needs of a particular person and are not Service Dogs.
crisis response dogs
Crisis Response Dogs, also referred to as Comfort Dogs, are specific types of therapy dogs that assist people affected by crisis, trauma, or disaster. they are trained to handle stressful, crowded situations so that they can help people remain calm, relieve suffering, and aid in recovery. these certified dog/handler teams are generally deployed by local or national agencies.
the events in which a Crisis Response Dog is needed can range from dramatic to intensely personal. for example, Crisis Response Dogs assist people struggling with the aftermath of natural disasters — such as wildfires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and epidemics. as well as those caused by human hands, including the fall-out from school shootings, a student’s suicide, or helping communities recover from acts of terrorism. more personal examples may include:
for a homeless teenager, the CRT is there to connect her/him with caring people at a cold-weather shelter.
for the woman beaten and shamed by her abuser, the CRT is there to offer support without judgement as a domestic violence counselor helps her form a safe escape plan.
emotional support animals
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) work with individuals who need comfort and emotional support. requirements are determined by Federal law and ESA animals require no specialized training, and generally have no public access, and can be any species. Federal and California law protect an owner’s right to reside with their Emotional Support Animal in accommodations that don’t allow pets, and with proper documentation, a person can fly with their ESA (depends on the airline and has been changing due to complaints and incidents). ESAs are distinct from Service Dogs primarily in that ESAs do not require individual and specialized training.
facility dogs
Facility Dogs are highly specialized therapy dogs who come in two flavors: dogs who provide extensive animal-assisted therapy and dogs who live (or work extensively) on-site to provide comfort to residents, patients, or visitors.
Facility Dogs who provide extensive animal-assisted therapy can often be found in physical therapist’s offices, counselor’s offices or anywhere else a healthcare professional provides a specialized service. Facility Dogs may help with the process of rehabilitation, provide practice for a physical therapy patient, or help a wounded child learn to trust again. anytime a specifically-trained dog does work for a professional’s clients or residents, he’s probably a Facility Dog.
dogs who live on-site as a resident therapy dog are also Facility Dogs, and these dogs can be found at nursing homes, residential facilities, group homes, fire stations, or at many businesses. if a therapy dog is a “familiar face” at a business, he’s probably a Facility Dog. Facility Dogs do not have any public access outside of the office or building where they work, and do not meet the legal definition of a Service Dog.
therapy dogs
Therapy Dogs do a valuable job by providing unconditional love, emotional support and an understanding, listening ear anywhere they’re needed. many people are familiar with Therapy Dogs visiting hospitals, schools, universities group homes and libraries, but Therapy Dogs also provide a valuable service at funerals, disaster sites or anywhere else emotions, grief, and tension may run high.
Therapy Dogs are typically well-trained, sweet-natured, friendly dogs who are, first and foremost, pets. their family trains them and has them certified via a therapy organization, and therapy dog teams are most often volunteers. Therapy Dogs do NOT have public access, with or without their handler, and they may only enter buildings (that don’t allow all pets to enter) only with a direct invitation to the dog and handler or to the therapy dog organization.
service dogs
when it comes to what is and what is not a Service Dog, federal law is very clear. a Service Dog, as defined in the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations is any dog who is specifically trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability as defined by the American’s with Disability Act (ADA). the ADA defines a disability as a medical or psychiatric condition that limits an individual’s ability to perform any essential life function.
Service Dogs generally enjoy complete public access and may go with their disabled handler to almost any place non-disabled members of the public may go including housing and employment. Service Dogs may travel and live with their disabled handler free of charge and it is illegal for places of business or for public accommodations to deny a Service Dog team access.
businesses or public accommodations are not permitted to ask an individual for information about their disability; however, they are permitted to ask the individual what specific tasks the dog has been trained to perform. Psychiatric Service Dogs are a sub-set of Service Dogs that are specially trained to assist an individual with a psychiatric disability such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
in order to be a Service Dog with public access, a dog MUST meet three points of law:
be specifically trained to perform work or tasks that mitigate the handler’s disability
be accompanied by a person with a physical, mental, developmental or other disability as defined by the ADA.
be house trained, under the control of the handler, and not create undue disruption or difficulties for others.
there is no specific documentation required by federal law (no medical documentation or proof of training, for a dog to be a Service Dog) and it’s quite simple: if a dog is NOT task-trained, working directly for an individual with a disability and under the direct control of the handler, it is NOT a Service Dog.
certain states, including California, require Service Dogs display special dog licenses. in addition, a number of states, including California have recently passed laws that penalize individuals that misrepresent the status of their dogs as Service Dogs.