​Service Dog vs ESA vs Therapy Dog

There are a lot of misconceptions about what each of these titles mean, let's clear them up!

Service Dogs
  • The only ones who have public access rights and ADA (American with Disabilities Act) protection
  • From the ADA website:
    • A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Service animals are working animals, not 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 ADA.
  • ADA FAQs​:
    • There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.
    • Are service-animals-in-training considered service animals under the ADA?
      • ​No. Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. 
    • What can my staff do when a service animal is being disruptive?
      • If a service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises.
​Emotional Support Animals



Therapy Dogs