Service Dog vs Pet Comfort Permit?

Question

My friend is disable. His disability is not physical but mental. His attachment to his pet is what keeps him focused, stable. Is there a way to make/have this dog categorized as a service dog?

Answer 1

A service dog is individually trained to assist a person with a disability. If your friend takes their dog through obedience classes (or trains his dog himself) and trains the dog to behave PROPERLY in public as well as teaching the dog one or two tasks (they do NOT have to be physical tasks because the law does not specify that they must be physical) or to do work for him (leading the blind and a dog helping with balance issues is considered "work" not tasks, and helping your friend stay focused falls into the same category), then his dog is legally considered a service dog whether it is certified or not.

If registration/certification is something he wants (he does not have to have it), he can get a card from Service Animal Registry of America for about $35 or he can make his own. It's perfectly legal to do it that way. There isn't any government standards for certifying a dog or for WHO can certify a dog. Certification through an organization or individual person simply means the dog passes THEIR standards for a service dog. My dog is certified through the state of Maryland and all I had to do was provide proof of training, proof I use a service dog (doctor's note), and proof of rabies vaccine.

Answer 2

Although I am not 100% sure on this, my immediate reaction is yes. I had to fly with my cat (who I am very attached to) at a rather unstable time. The flight attendant wanted me to put him in the over-head compartment for take-off and landing becuase the approved-sized crate didn't fit in the aisle seat foot well. Well, there was no way that was happening! She was really heckling me. A representative from the airline was onboard and spoke with her. He told me to say that the animal was a comfort pet and that at that point I could even take him out of the crate if I wanted.

By the American Disability Acts, it would be my assumption that with proper documentation and professional proof/opinion that this animal acted like a service animal that it could be classified as such. I would think that you'd need documentation about his type of disability, why the dog is necessary for his normal functioning, professional opinions stating such, and that the dog is current on his necessary vaccines and has not attacked anyone. It would help if this dog was typically one associates with service animals, too, I would think... :/

Have you tried checking online? While I don't know the age, if it is appropriate, perhaps you could check with the school district? Workplace?

Remember that the ADA is a very powerful piece of legislation.

Good luck

Answer 3

Yes, there are people who have seizures but otherwise healthy. You need to contact a service dog organization and find out what needs to be done. I do have a physical disability but, there were dogs for MR people too. Mental Illness is on the rise and many dogs are being trained for emotional support. My dog came from Top Dog in Phoenix AZ. Perhaps you can look them up and ask about their programs and trainings? Good Luck!

Answer 4

If your daughter has a service dog I bet she has access to some resources that have printouts on the law. I think service animals are covered under Americans with Disability Act and if SHE can visit overnight, the dog can. But I would check with an organization or government agency that deals with special abilities, or the agency that provided the dog. And I would think Los Angeles would be one of the places that would have laws more friendly to the disabled, but in any case do not just take the word of the first person at the apartment who accosts you. The issue of another tenant with allergies does present the biggest problem, because you are then dealing with competing medical issues. But there may be laws dealing with service animals that override leases, find it in print before taking anyone's word for it, you may need it in print to give to your landlord.

Answer 5

I think you can only prohibit comfort animals. Service animals are trained to perform a function for a disabled person. There is no certification for comfort animals. Anyone can claim any animal is comforting. They do prohibit pets here where I live. It is top notch housing. Service pets haven't become a question yet. They would prohibit comfort animals since there is no certification or standard.

Answer 6

Contact the local SPCA and ask them. If they don't have the answer maybe they know where you can find out.
I know that a service dog, by definition, must be trained from a puppy to perform it's job. It is not an easy designation to just apply to a dog. I think I understand that you want for your friend to have constant contact with his dog like service dogs are allowed. I don't think you have a chance to get this dog certified. But! Your friend is very lucky to have found this solace and can train his dog to wait for him outside of businesses. This is a close as you can get I'm afraid. But extreme caution leaving a well trained, good looking dog where he could be stolen.
Your friend could apply to get a service dog and I think has a chance to get one with lots of paperwork etc. Good luck.

Answer 7

The short answer is "That depends." The details behind that answer can be found at the wonderful website of the Psychiatric Service Dog Society. www.psychdog.org

Yes, indeed, there are service dogs for persons with serious mental illness. I have one myself :) I have bipolar disorder, and Zoe is my PSD (Psychiatric Service Dog). It takes a special dog with excellent socialization to work in public as a service dog (for any type of disability).

Service dogs must have excellent public access skills and need to be individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of the disabled person. Some pets may be able to be trained to this standard, but many pets do not have the required temperament.

Emotional support dogs, on the other hand, are not legally defined as service dogs. They are pets who provide companionship, and are not trained as required by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

When it comes to airlines, both service dogs and emotional support animals (ESA) have access. However, special documentation is required for ESAs, but not for service dogs. Additionally, with a few exceptions, emotional support animals also must be permitted in rental housing. For an excellent publication on access to housing with ESAs, see the listing for Friends For Life at the Doris Day Animal League website.
www.ddal.org

The service dog lifestyle is not for everyone. Although it sounds wonderful on the surface to "take your dog everywhere," it takes a lot of committment and work. The dogs must be clean, well-groomed, and appropriately outfitted (e.g. might need special boots in very hot and/or very cold conditions). The dogs must be specially trained (by a program, a private trainer, or by the owner themselves), and must behave in ways that deny some of their natural instincts (e.g. no sniffing) while working in public. The human partner must be prepared to provide excellent care for the dog and meet the dog's needs for excercise, high quality food, veterinary care, socialization, and down time. The service dog handler needs to be able to deal effectively with access challenges, when a gatekeeper says, "Hey, you can't bring a dog in here."

Again, I highly reccomend the PSDS website: www.psychdog.org

Best wishes, Karen and Zoe

Answer 8

doctors generaly will make it like a presciption, it is not a service dog as it does not actually do physicall things for him like for a blind person, but it is like a prescription

i learned this when researching landlord/tenant laws as when i must allow a pet in my apartments - i can deny pets but not service animals or doctor prescribed companions

i am not positive wether or not the animal needs to be professional trained or not