Information About Service, Emotional Support and Therapy Dogs
"E. Schlaiker has given a wonderful description of this touching submission... I know no animal which, in its sentiments and sympathies is so tender and intimate as the dog,
or one whose moral characteristics are so strongly developed that one must in this respect indeed rank him higher than humanity. There are few among us who can surpass him in
fidelity and unconditional readiness to sacrifice himself. How often has he not risked his life, not only for that of his master and his master's relatives, but even for strangers.
When he sees a loved one grieve, he grieves with him and knows how to express his sympathy in the most tender and tactful way. Nothing can be more touching than the dog when he
gazes with grief-stricken eyes upon his grief-stricken master, and tries to comfort him with a most gentle stroking of his paw..." - Max von Stephanitz - Founder of the German Shepherd Breed
Why You Can't Pet Service Dogs
Study Shows Service Dogs are Associated with Lower PTSD Symptoms Among War Veterans
Laws exist for a reason and when it comes to Service Dogs and Service Dog Federal and State laws, too many people view them more as “guidelines.” Unfortunately,
some people
commit outright fraud
regarding their animals. Whether
it’s someone desiring to take their dog everywhere, or someone who
has chosen to break the law by presenting their pet as a fake Service Dog;
both actions cause damage and harm to the Service Dog and Disability Community.
This problem has even caused American
Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Division to publish a
Whitepaper on this issue.
Read More
Information...
Service Dogs
We often donate, (not sell) Service Dogs for people with disabilities having proper medical documentation meeting our criteria and vetting (usually through established non-profit organization), and for disabled veterans exclusively through the SEAL Dog Foundation. Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include: guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties.
"The more we emphasize the social and civil importance of Service Dog breeding, the easier it will be for all true friends of the breed to keep it sound...
it will then be stripped of all which has grown through Indifference, Ignorance, Vanity, the Obsession for "sport" and a Greed for Money."
- Max von Stephanitz - Founder of the German Shepherd Breed
Service animals are working animals, not simply pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).
Emotional Support Dogs
We occasionally donate, (not sell) Emotional Support Dogs or Emotional Support Animals (ESA) for people with disabilities having proper medical documentation meeting our criteria and vetting; and for disabled veterans. Unlike service animals, ESA’s are not required to be trained to perform a service for their handlers or owners. If you have an emotional disability, you can legally qualify for an ESA, short for Emotional Support Animal. You must be certified as "emotionally disabled" by a psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist or other duly-licensed and/or certified mental health professional. Any other kind of doctor – a cardiologist, for instance – does not quality as a mental health professional because unlike a psychiatrist, other medical doctors are not specialists in mental health. To qualify, these disabilities are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders Version IV or V.
Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs travel with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, assisted living communities and nursing homes. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind, or a dog who assists someone who has a physical disability. Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as on planes, restaurants, etc.. Therapy dogs, the dogs who will be earning the AKC Therapy Dog™ title, or Therapy Dog International Certification do not have the same special access as Service Dogs. Read Therapy Dogs International's study of The Impact of Therapy Dogs in Facilities.
Therapy Dogs At Unity Point
Mercy's Pet Visitation Program
U.S. Department of Justice - Civil Rights Division - Disability Rights Section
Service and
Emotional Support Animals
Service Animals In Places Of Business
French's German Shepherds proudly donates dogs and provides support for the non-profit
Seal Dog Foundation.
Fun Fact: “I knew she was going to be my Declaration of Independence,” said Morris Frank, describing the first Seeing Eye Dog,
female German Shepherd Dog named "Buddy" in the 1920's. "Buddy's" success in guiding Frank gave birth to the service-dog movement in America.
Today Service Dogs offer the “Divine Gift of Freedom,” as Morris Frank defined it, to people with many types of disabilities.