|
What is the difference between an assistance dog and a therapy
dog?
Assistance
Dogs are trained to meet the disability-related needs of their handlers who have
disabilities. The law protects the rights of individuals with disabilities to
be accompanied by their assistance animal in public places. To have the right
of access with the animal to otherwise “no pets/animals” areas open to the
public, the person must meet the definition of having a disability and the
animal must meet the definition of an Assistance Dog. Assistance dogs are not
considered “pets”.
Therapy
animals provide people with contact to animals, but are not limited to working
with people who have disabilities. They are usually the personal pets of their
handlers, and work with their handlers to provide services to others. The law
provides no provision for people to be accompanied by therapy animals in places
of public accommodation that have “no pets” policies. Therapy animals usually
are not
service animals.
|
