Service Animals

From the Fall of 2022, there are an estimated 500,00 service dogs in the United States of America. There are, most likely, more active service dogs within the United States today due to this data being a year old. Given this information, people do not know fully what a service dog or animal is for, how to obtain one, how much they cost, how long training can take, and the rights that individuals with disabilities have when it comes to having a service animal. According to the ADA, “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” Usually people are able to tell which animal is a service animal based on the uniform that they wear. However, there are varying different types and subtypes of working animals that people may not be aware of or can get confused by.

Types of working animals:

§  Service Animal: Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. (ADA Website).

§  Emotional Support Animal: any animal that provides emotional support alleviating one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. 

§  Comfort Animal: animals that work during active crises. They offer a calming distraction to those impacted by an active disaster or emergency.

§  Therapy Animal: animals provide people with healing contact, typically in an institutional or clinical setting (Hospitals, mental health institutions, hospices, and schools), to improve their physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.

Individuals with a disability may use and interact with working animals for a variety of reasons. However, only dogs who have received specialized training to perform a specific task or tasks for an individual with a disability are considered service animals.  This is the key difference between a service animal and all other types of working animals, including therapy animals, comfort animals, and emotional support animals. Unlike emotional support animals (which are a wide range of animals like cats, horses, dogs, pigs, rabbits, etc.), the only legal service animal is a canine or a miniature horse. There is no limit on breed or size for a service dog. However, some breeds are more common due to their” general characteristics.” For example, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are commonly seen as having calm temperaments and typically get along with other animals and people nicely, and German Shepard, Poodles, Pomeranians, and Collies have been seen to be loyal, friendly, and enjoy working. Although these breeds are the most common, there is no laws or much research that prevent or say that any other breeds are not capable of being trained to be service animal. There are many different skills that service dogs can be trained to do, and each service dog is trained to assist with their owner’s needs.

Types of Service Dogs:

§  Allergy Detection Dogs: These dogs are specially trained to detect and alert to the odor of allergens, such as peanuts, gluten, or eggs.

§  Autism Service Dogs (Sensory Signal Dogs): Frequently paired with children, autism service dogs are trained to help people navigate social settings. Dogs make for the perfect icebreaker and can provide a sense of predictability and comfort for people with autism. Autism service dogs are trained to keep children with autism from running away and can also track them if they do run off. They can also interrupt harmful behavior or alert the parents of a child with autism to a potentially dangerous situation. They also can help with those who have difficulty sleeping.

§  Diabetic Alert Dogs: These service dogs are specifically trained to alert their person to potentially deadly blood sugar highs (hyperglycemia) and lows (hypoglycemia).

§  Guide Dogs: Perhaps the most commonly known type of service dogs, guide dogs help blind and low-vision individuals navigate the world. These dogs typically wear a special harness with a handle for their owner to grasp, rather than a vest.

§  Hearing Dogs: hearing dogs are trained to assist their deaf and hard-of-hearing partners. When the dog hears a particular cue, they alert their owner and lead them towards the noise. These cues include smoke or fire alarms, doorbells, door knocking, phones, alarm clocks, and even the person’s name.

§  Seizure Alert Dogs: These service dogs assist individuals before, during, and after seizures. This includes:

§  Finding help for their person or calling 911 with a K-9 alert phone.

§  Helping their partner regain consciousness after a seizure.

§  Physically moving their person if they have a seizure in an unsafe place.

§  Using deep pressure stimulation to end their partner’s seizure early.

§  Bringing medicine to their person as they come out of a seizure.

§  Psychiatric Service Dogs: These companion dogs are specifically trained to help individuals who suffer from things like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They’re able to sense a change in their owner when they’re about to experience negative symptoms, such as an anxiety attack or a flashback.

§  Owning a service dog can force people with depression and/or anxiety to take care of themselves and get out into the world.

§   Psychiatric service dogs can serve as a physical barrier between their owner and other people, helping to preserve their personal space.

§  Mobility Assistance Dogs: Many people with disabilities rely on mobility assistance dogs to help them perform everyday tasks. This includes retrieving objects, opening doors, pressing automatic door buttons, and turning on lights. Mobility support dogs are typically partnered with people who have things like:

§  Spinal cord injuries

§  Brain injuries

§  Muscular dystrophy

§  Arthritis

§  Cerebral palsy

Obtaining a service animal can be a very long and expensive process. Many people may feel they would benefit from having a service dog either for themselves or for a loved one, but do not know how to begin the process or are concerned with being able to afford it. Some places where individuals can get a service animal would be from a Non-Profit Organization, Service Dog Trainers, training a service dog yourself, or adopting a failed service dog (“career change dogs”). The National Service Animal Registry estimates that a service dog costs a minimum of $17,000. Many service dogs cost upward of $20,000 to fully train. Some of the most expensive service dogs cost $50,000 to train. Some non-profit organizations are able to give dogs away for free, but they often have long waiting lists because of this. Other charitable organizations may not be able to give dogs away for free, but they do provide service dogs at a reduced cost. It’s not unusual to be charged $8,000 – $10,000 for such a dog. Professional dog trainers who specialize in service animals charge between $150-$250 per hour (depending on your area), and their fees may vary based on the different services they need to teach the dog.

Affordable Options for service animals:

§  Insurance

§  Unfortunately, health insurance plans almost never cover the cost (or even part of the cost) of getting a service dog. However, if you have a flexible spending account (FSA), then you may be able to use it toward a service animal, but you will need a letter of medical necessity from your doctor to do so.

§  Grants

§  Grants are funds that you do not have to pay back. There are many non-profit organizations that offer grants to people with disabilities who are looking to get a service dog. The grant may not always cover the entire price of the dog, but it can definitely help offset the overall cost.

§  Fundraising

§  Fundraisers are one of the oldest methods of raising money for a cause. Thanks to the internet, fundraisers can reach an even wider audience.

§  Not only are there platforms like GoFundMe designed for collecting donations, but social media is a great way to spread the word about a fundraiser. Even if people aren’t able to donate, they can still help by clicking “share.”

§  Aside from online fundraisers, you can host fundraisers locally. Try reaching out to churches, businesses (especially employee-owned or small businesses), or other community organizations to see if they’d be willing to help.

§  Oftentimes, businesses will pick a day to promote your fundraiser, and a percentage of their earnings for that day will go toward your cause. Churches can ask for donations on your behalf during service.

§  Personal Loans

§  If you’re struggling to afford a service dog, a personal loan can be very helpful. The downside of loans, of course, is not only that you have to pay them back but also that they will accrue interest. If possible, getting a grant or doing some fundraising can help reduce the amount you have to borrow.

It is very important to know what legal rights that individuals with service dogs have. Not only is it beneficial for the owners to know, but also for society to ensure that those with a disability can remain protected. Below are a few important facts to ensure the well-being, safety, and privacy are not being violated for those with a disability and who own a service dog.

§  When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions:

§  (1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?

§  (2) What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

§  Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

§  A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove their service animal from the premises unless:

§  (1) The dog is out of control, and the handler does not take effective action to control it.

§  (2) The dog is not housebroken.

§  When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.

 Written By: Vita Lindquist