Animals have become a major asset in the field of mental health. There are various kinds of mental health and disability support animals that fill different roles. Misinformation and scams have made discerning these roles from one another confusing for many. Today we will go over the three main types of animals utilized in mental health services. 

Service Animals

From opening doors for someone in a wheelchair to alerting their person of an imminent seizure, service animals are trained to perform specific duties to aid their handler with disabilities. Seeing-eye dogs are perhaps one of the most well known types of service animal. However, service animals also are used to help those with debilitating mental and neurological conditions as well. Dogs can alert someone with epilepsy that they are about to have a seizure so that the individual can get themselves to a safe place before it happens. PTSD service animals can help ground their handler to reality during a flashback. The animals are often trained to retrieve medication bottles for their handler as well. Many organizations specialize in training animals to handle specific conditions but individuals may train their own service animal as well. 

Service animals retain the most rights and responsibilities of any type of support animal. Because they perform important tasks for people with debilitating disabilities, they have the right to enter most public spaces and businesses. The animals may wear a vest but are not required to. There is no paperwork that has to be shown to demonstrate the legitimacy of a service animal, but a business owner may ask the handler if they have a disability and what tasks the animal performs. All animals are expected to be well behaved and businesses reserve the right to remove any animal that is disruptive to their property or operations. It is important to remember that if you see a service animal in public, do not pet or distract them which may put their handler at risk. For more details on the rights and responsibilities of service animals, please see the Americans with Disabilities Act website linked below.

Therapy Animals

Therapy animals and their handlers go through training to support others in therapeutic settings. Animals are assessed to make sure they are sociable and have the right temperament for this kind of work. The handlers receive training on basic mental health intervention skills and learn to  read their animal’s emotional state. In these positions, the animal’s job is to simply be there for a person in distress. Individuals receiving support may find comfort in petting or being near the animal. The animal does not need to perform specific physical duties like a service animal.

Therapy animals can be seen in group therapy sessions, hospitals, or other settings in which some type of mental health support is being administered. They are not typically allowed in spaces where animals are prohibited but receive special privileges to enter their specific place of work. There are official organizations and training programs which provide certification for therapy animals and their handlers, such as the Equine Therapy Registry for therapy horses. The American Kennel Club also has a list of reputable organizations for therapy dog training.

Emotional Support Animals

Emotional support animals are the most easily acquired support animal but are often confused with service animals. Also called emotional support pets or ESAs, these animals simply provide emotional support for individuals with mental health complications. They do not require any training. Any animal that provides stress relief to an individual living with anxiety, depression, or another form of chronic stress may become an emotional support animal. All that is needed is a note from a mental health provider asserting that the handler would benefit from an ESA. 

ESAs do not reserve any of the public rights provided to the previous working animals we discussed. The only rights that separate them from ordinary pets are special housing rights. Those with ESAs and service animals do not need to pay pet rent or standard pet fees when living in apartments. That being said, handlers are still liable for any damages caused by their animals. It is also important to note that both ESAs and service dogs are immune from breed bans. 

Scams and Suspected Fake Service Animals

Many scams involving registration of support animals exist. The most common scams involve ESA registration but beware that there are scams involving therapy and service training as well. There is no federal registration for any type of support animal. Any site that is charging to add you to “the federal registry” is a scam. Some states have registries to make it easier for organizations working with therapy dogs to verify training, but this is not required in most. Information on this would be found through your state’s website. It is always important to research organizations to make sure they are legitimate. For ESAs, it is simply best to ask your mental health provider for the process of obtaining a note. 

While fake service animals do exist, it is important not to assume that is the case every time. As we discussed, service animals are not required to wear a vest and handlers are not required to show documentation. Additionally, many service animals assist those with invisible disabilities or mental health complications. It is unfair to judge an individual based on their perceived ableness. If you are concerned about an animal acting aggressively or being disruptive in a business, report the incident to the business owner. It is not your job to interrogate individuals on the legitimacy of their service animal. Business owners are expected to understand and adhere to ADA guidelines in these cases.

Mental health support animals play an important role in the individual care of those with mental health complications. Service animals, therapy animals, and emotional support animals all serve in different capacities and have different rights. Understanding these differences is crucial to those deciding to get a support animal, business owners and landlords who serve individuals with disabilities, and disability rights activists.

For more information on the various types of support animals, rights and responsibilities, and organizations providing training please visit the following resources…

AKC Recognized Therapy Dog Organizations (American Kennel Club)

Equine-Assisted Therapy Registry

Service Animals (Americans with Disabilities Act)

Service, Emotional Support, and Therapy Animals (American Veterinary Medical Association)