History of Animals Assisting Veterans The use of service dogs for veterans dates back to World War II when a stray Yorkshire terrier named Smoky got adopted by the community of soldiers and helped accompany doctors and nurses in military hospitals. Smoky is regarded as one of the first therapy dogs to serve American soldiers. [...]
Dogs are amazing creatures, and they give their owners so much more than just companionship. Training enables them to perform a number of tasks to make their owners’ lives easier. They can even learn life-saving skills to help in an emergency. In fact, you have likely heard of emotional support dogs, service dogs, and therapy [...]
Service Dog Certification or ESA Letter? Which one is best suited for me? Dogs have been working with humans for thousands of years. Their loyalty, unconditional love and willingness to serve have brought the canine species into many areas of our lives. This includes helping those with both physical, mental and emotional disabilities. There are [...]
Emotional support animal (ESA) have special rights under federal and state laws. Emotional support animals help their owners cope with a wide range of health conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, autism, and phobias. While many pets provide similar emotional and mental health benefits, an animal companion can only qualify as an ESA if the owner [...]
In the state of California, way too many animals have a life that is way too short. These loving souls are found abandoned, abused, and alone. For many, the next step is a shelter and a short walk to the end of the line. But, there are places trying to change that and give these [...]
Can a person have more than one emotional support animal? Can a person with a disability have more than one ESA at home? Can a person have two dogs, a cat and several birds in their home as emotional support pets? This is a reality for some people suffering from a disability, but does this have any legal implications? [...]
What is the difference between an Emotional Support Animal, Service Dog and Therapy Dog? Emotional support animals or emotional support dogs do not have any special training and it is not required by law. Their primary role is to provide emotional comfort, companionship, friendship and affection to their owner. The idea around having an emotional support animal is that [...]
Service animals are particularly trained animals that help people with everyday activities, especially people with disabilities. In general, service animals are independently trained to perform functions to assist persons who are qualified individuals with a disability. According to ADA Requirements (2011), only dogs are considered to be service animals; while other animals such as miniature [...]