Quick Differences Between SD, TD, & ESA

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Service dogs, Therapy Dogs, Police K9 dogs, Military Working dogs, Detection dogs, Search & Rescue  dogs are all types of working dogs. They undergo lots of training that is specialized to their needed job, work for most of their life, and have to meet certain requirements to be able to do their job. 

Service dogs are the only type of working dog who accompany their handler into the general public on a routine basis, because they are needed to mitigate their handler's disability. To be clear, the handler holds the rights and protection of law, not the dog. 

Therapy dogs, Police K9s, Detection Dogs, and Search & Rescue Dogs are only permitted into select public spaces while performing their job. When off-duty, or on-duty but not actively working, they can only go to pet-friendly spaces. 

Emotional support animals/dogs and their owners can only ever go to pet-friendly spaces. ESAs are not considered to be a type of working dog. While what they provide their owner is immensely beneficial to their owner's well-being, it is  not a trained job. Select mental health professionals might allow the dog to be at sessions, or write  note allowing for the animal to live in non-pet-friendly housing, but that's it. 

For more information or if you have questions about this, send me an email at [email protected]!