A Dog by Any Other Name:
An Emotional Support, Therapy, Comfort or Companion Animal is not the same as a Service Animal or Service Dog. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person.
Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task to assist their handler, they do not qualify as Service Animals under the ADA, and can be refused public access.
The ADA makes a distinction between Psychiatric Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a Service Animal. Trained would mean it is a definable, repeatable task, not simply a natural behavior. However, if the dog's mere presence provides comfort, that would not be considered a service animal under the ADA.
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