4 Things Veterans Should Consider Before Getting a Service Dog or Emotional Support Animal

Research has shown that Veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and people with other mental and physical diagnoses can benefit from the assistance of service dogs, which can be trained to prevent injuries from falls and stabilize the care of those with depression.

But caring for a service dog or another furry companion can be a complex — and costly —undertaking. Consider these four factors before determining if a service animal would be a fit for you and your family:

1. Understand how different animals are categorized. How does a service dog differ from an emotional support animal? Quite a lot where the law is concerned, according to a journal article published in the November-December 2021 issue of Missouri Medicine and guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Americans for Disabilities Act (ADA) specifically defines a service dog as one individually trained to perform certain tasks if you have a disability, the journal article authors write. DOJ notes that “disability” can include mental health diagnoses such as PTSD, panic attacks or anxiety. The law also protects your right as the handler to take your service dog with you to most public places. ADA protection limits your need to show the service dog’s documentation or to demonstrate what services he or she performs, according to the journal article. And under the ADA, miniature horses, which often live more than twice as long as canines, can also be considered service animals, the journal article states.

Emotional support animals, defined by DOJ as providing you with “comfort” that is not related to your disability, are not protected by the ADA: https://rly.pt/3spqVIV. However, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ruled Jan. 28, 2020, that service animals and emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act: https://rly.pt/34uyndN

Details: Review the Missouri Medicine journal article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8672946. Review more on service dogs and the ADA at https://beta.ada.gov/topics/service-animals.

2. Know which training issues are involved. DOJ notes that the ADA does not require you or your service dog to undergo professional service dog training — if you are a person with a disability, you can train your service dog yourself. However, this type of training is required to obtain service dog veterinary health insurance benefits available from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), described below. Details: https://rly.pt/3oxIN3e

3. Explore VA benefits. Service dogs and Veterans trained by an accredited service or guide dog organization such as Assistance Dogs International or the International Guide Dog Federation can receive benefits under VA’s Service Dog Veterinary Health Benefit program. If you’re enrolled in VA care, you may be prescribed a service or guide dog for assistance with a visual, hearing, “substantial mobility impairment” or mental health mobility issue, according to VA.

To apply for the benefit, you first meet with your VA clinical care or mental health provider, who starts the process for applying for service dog benefits. If approved, you’re referred to an accredited service dog training organization. Approved benefits cover service dog-related expenses such as comprehensive veterinary care and equipment, urgent care and prescription medications. Details: https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/ServiceAndGuideDogs.asp.

4. See if therapy dog visitation is an option. Therapy dogs are another option in animal-assisted companionship. According to the Missouri Medicine journal article, therapy dogs are often registered and certified by national or local organizations and brought by volunteers into settings like hospitals, including VA facilities caring for Veterans.

In 2019, VA teamed up with Pet Partners, a national organization that promotes the benefits of animal-assisted therapy, activities and education, with the goal of connecting more Veterans with animal therapies and related volunteer opportunities. The partnership also sought to standardize such care at VA medical centers and encourage more VA facilities to integrate these services. Pet Partners offers a training course for therapy dog handlers interested in working with Veterans. The course covers topics such as previsitation tasks, Veteran-specific health conditions, and how best to support and interact with Veterans on pet therapy visits.

Details: Read more about the VA partnership at https://rly.pt/365MIOp and https://rly.pt/3GQuGfL Explore the availability of Pet Partners in your community and request facility toolkits at https://petpartners.org/learn/pet-partners-at-your-facility.

Learn more

America’s VetDogs: https://www.vetdogs.org/Default.aspx

Assistance Dogs International: https://assistancedogsinternational.org

International Guide Dog Federation: https://www.igdf.org.uk

VA’s Service Dog Veterinary Health Benefit main page: https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/ServiceAndGuideDogs.asp

VA’s frequently asked questions about guide vs. service dogs: https://www.va.gov/MS/Veterans/benefits/Guide_and_Service_Dogs.asp