A while ago, I spent time at the Children’s hospital with my son’s service dog (Charlie) and some of the children/teenagers there.
I sat down amongst them with Charlie. First, the smaller kids came over and started loving on him. It was heaven for Charlie because touch is a major love language for him.
The “cool” teenagers started wandering over to check him out. Even the most sullen teenagers made their way over and started loving on Charlie. The change in their demeanor was remarkable. Charlie lives with us. I see the changes he has made in our lives. Often though, I forget how a little time with an animal can turn things around.
My Son took his service dog with him to school previously. Due to his difficulties, he’s been unable to take him with him for the past year. Charlie has been spending the school day with me instead.
I deal with anxiety and sometimes depression. Charlie has been sensing that my anxiety levels have been high. So he has spent a lot of time by my side. I’ve been impressed all over again just how much a difference he can make. Being able to rub his silky soft ears brings my anxiety levels down several levels. When things get really bad, he lays on top of me to provide deep pressure to calm me down.
Charlie is a trained service dog and as such is protected by a Federal Law called Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He is trained to perform various services for my son whom he works for. Because of this, he is allowed to go anywhere my son goes unless it is somewhere like an operating theatre that has to be sterile.
The way in which I was utilizing Charlie on that particular day, was as an Emotional Support Dog for the other children.
Emotional Support Animals do not have the same privileges under the law as a Service Dog. Emotional Support Dogs (or other animals) are not trained to perform specific tasks like a Service Dog. Instead, they are there to provide emotional support as in this instance.
One of the few protections by law that an Emotional Support Dog has is in the realm of housing and traveling. If you have an Emotional Support Animal and you are renting a house or an apartment, landlords are required to not discriminate against you and allow you to have your Emotional Support Animal in your home even if the property doesn’t allow animals. Airlines are required to allow you to have your Emotional Support Animal on board the flight in the cabin with you. Both Emotional Support Animals and Service Dogs require a Doctor’s prescription to make them legal.
Thanks for explaining the difference. I didn’t know those things.
Thanks for stopping in and reading about them.
My poodles always helped out at family daycare, dogs are just a part of growing up. They do bring calm and love to a home. The Hebrew word for dog is kelev, where we get the name Caleb or faithful, but just lev is heart. God made them to be close to our heart, we have to take good care of them and teach children to because they hold such a special place in our hearts and Gods.
Ah! I love the background of the name for dog in Hebrew!
I love every kind of dog! Yours is gorgeous and special. Thanks for linking up at NanaHood.com
Thank you. We love him a lot.
I never knew there were official ‘Emotional support dogs’. Interesting.
Oh yes. And interestingly, pretty much any animal can be deemed an emotional support animal. But dogs and miniature horses are the only ones that can be service animals in the U.S.
????? Any advice – WHere did you get a service animal. We got a dog for our daughter, and it is deemed an emotional support dog. She is training it but it is a slow go, and it seems the dog has some medical issues. We are thinking about getting a service dog for her but don’t know where to begin Is it better to get a trained adult dog or train it?
Where do we start?
Absolutely! I started my research online. As I didn’t have a lot of time I knew I didn’t want to self train. You have to be very dedicated to do it yourself and I had too much going on with my children to be able to dedicate that much time.
If you’ll put service dog into the search box on the right hand side of my blog, it should bring up the 4 or 5 posts that I have written about service dogs. That should help.
I can tell you to do research, not all agencies are the same. Generally, the cheapest are around $10,000. 4 Paws 4 Service is a good place to get them from but there may be places closer to you.
I like your post, But I don’t look whether it emotional or service I just love it
Dogs are wonderful creatures.
Since I am both; a parent of a sped child and I work with people that experience disabilities; my animals can honestly be my saving sanity at the end of a long day. It is pleasing to see such a positive outlook at the “job” that a service and a emotional support animal can and does do. As a side note; it is also good to know that as long as you as you have a doctor’s script; that you can’t be denied housing; based on the animal.
Yes! It is one of the few rights that emotional support dogs have.
It’s so sweet you took him to the children’s hospital for him to bring other children comfort as well. It sounds like Charlie is servicing your whole family. 🙂 Your son and yourself. Dogs are so special, aren’t they? I used to work at a busy ER and the last year I was there they started bringing in emotional support dogs. They would walk them down the hall, visit patients, and visit the staff. Staff needs emotional support from sweet doggies too. Lol! Thank you for sharing with us at #LiveLifeWell.
I’m getting ready to take a class on caring for the caregiver next quarter. It didn’t occur to me until recently how caregivers in professional situations need care too.
Thank you for this information, it is really good to know. I am so thankful for animals and the wonderful help that they provide for others. God surely had a great plan when he made dogs! They are such amazing animals!
Thanks for linking up @LiveLifeWell!
Blessings,
Amy
Whoever coined the term, “man’s best friend” got it right when it comes to dogs.
Your neighbor at Faith on Fire link up. It is amazing how a pet or in your case an Emotional Support Animal can affect our emotions. I have seen it happen in nursing homes and assisted living facilities also. Smiles come to peoples faces and you can just see them relax as they stroke the pet. Animals can be so accepting and unconditoonal in their love. Thank for sharing this informative post.
Thank you for stopping by and reading it. I appreciate it.
Thank you for helping us to know the difference between a service dog and an Emotional Support Animal. I never knew the difference. I learned something new today!
Good! That was the point of the post