# Service Dog vs Therapy vs Emotional Support



## TexasTom (Aug 6, 2016)

I spotted this graphic, which does a good job explaining the difference between Service Dogs vs. Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Animals.


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

This is great.... so many folks get confused and think a Pet Therapy dog has all the rights of a Service Dog.


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

I agree with 4goldengirls. Thanks for posting this! I often have people approach me when Gracie has on her therapy dog vest (which has therapy dog clearly written on it) and ask me what sort of disability she helps with. When I explain that Gracie goes to nursing homes to visit people and offer companionship and also to schools to be a reading buddy but is not trained as a service dog for an individual I am astonished at the number of people who then ask me when she will finish her training so she can finally be a service dog. Apparently there are a lot of people who think therapy dogs 
are working their way up a career ladder to being service dog.


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## ArchersMom (May 22, 2013)

There's so much confusion about this in the general public. Especially regarding ESA. I have a coworker with an ESA, I won't judge if it's legitimate or not, and even she thought that the dog was allowed into any business or restaurant! I'm starting to see lots of internet ads for ESA's for people trying to find a loophole around no pet housing. I've also seen confusion between ESA's and Psychiatric service animals, like those for people with PTSD.


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

G-bear said:


> I agree with 4goldengirls. Thanks for posting this! I often have people approach me when Gracie has on her therapy dog vest (which has therapy dog clearly written on it) and ask me what sort of disability she helps with. When I explain that Gracie goes to nursing homes to visit people and offer companionship and also to schools to be a reading buddy but is not trained as a service dog for an individual I am astonished at the number of people who then ask me when she will finish her training so she can finally be a service dog. Apparently there are a lot of people who think therapy dogs
> are working their way up a career ladder to being service dog.




Lol!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## 4goldengirls (Jun 10, 2014)

I respect all Service Dogs and folks that legitimately need Service Dogs. What I don't respect are the folks that go on-line and purchase a patch or a "kit" that says a dog is a Service Dog in order for their dogs to accompany them just about anywhere. This is a horrible disservice to the folks that truly need their dogs. There should be something legally enacted to prevent such fraud. I


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## Panama Rob (Nov 26, 2015)

If I am not mistaken it is a felony here to fake a service dog. The problem comes in trying to prove that it is a fake.


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## Karen519 (Aug 21, 2006)

*Texas Tom*

Thanks for posting this, Texas Tom!


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## deltatherapygal (Mar 16, 2018)

Where can the public get a copy of this chart showing the differences? I am a member of Pet Partners, a national therapy organization, and I would really like to have this to show to people who truly don't know the differences. Most people are very open to learning the differences and I think this can help with problems of some dogs being misrepresented.


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

deltatherapygal said:


> Where can the public get a copy of this chart showing the differences? I am a member of Pet Partners, a national therapy organization, and I would really like to have this to show to people who truly don't know the differences. Most people are very open to learning the differences and I think this can help with problems of some dogs being misrepresented.


You can find it here:

Service Dog Definitions - Service Dog IQ


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