Why Can’t I Call a Therapy or Companion Animal a Service Animal?
Well here we awe wiff pawrt 2 of meez series ‘bout “Working Animals”. We told you da definition of a Service Animal yesfurday, and ifin yous missed it you can click here to read it. So today me wants to tell you ‘bout Therapy and Companion Animals. We did weceive a comment yesfurday dat maybe we shuld have addwessed in our posty but sincce we planned on writin’ more ‘bout Service cats we didn’t cover everyfin’. We just gave a bwoad overview. But me wuld like to add dat Certification and/or Licensing IS NOT required fur Service Animals. There awe weputable agencies dat do certify them. This is sumfin’ dat be completely voluntary on da pawrt of da handler. Da benefit to certificatiion is dat you have an agency behind you dat offen has lawyers dat will help you fur furee ifin yous have difficulties wiff accessibility or such. wiff yous Service animal. So dat bein sed let’s move on today.
Weez been weferred to as Therapy cats and even Companion animals fwum time to time, and altho’ weez not get angwy we do correct peeps. But what zactly is a Therapy animal mommy? Will yous tell everypawdy what da definition and qualifications awe?
I sure will Dezi. A Therapy animal is different from a Service animal in the duties they perform and should not be confused with or called a Service animal. A Therapy animal is one that is TRAINED to provide comfort and affection to people in long term care, hospitals, retirement homes, schools, mental health institutions and other stressful situations to include disaster areas. They provide people with comforting animal contact whether they have a disability or not. The person who brings the animal to these places is called a handler and is most often the owner of the animal. Therapy animals and their handlers DO NOT have the same rights as a Service animal and it’s handler. It is important to remember that it’s the person with disabilities that have rights under the rules of the ADA and not the Service animal itself. Since the Therapy animal is most often owned by a non disabled person, the Therapy animal is not allowed to accompany their handler into places that don’t allow pets/animals such as restaurants, grocery stores, etc..
Yes it is Dezi. And that’s why we correct people when they call you and Lexi Therapy cats. You and Lexi perform trained duties related to my disability. Whereas a Therapy animal has no such training. They are wonderful animals and are chosen for training because of their gentle and outgoing disposition and ability to remain calm around people with all kinds of illnesses like your friend Sophie from Kitty Cat Chronicles pictured above.
We do luv Sophie and all hers furmily. Can you tell everypawdy what a Companion Animal is mommy? Cuz me knows they awe weally diffewent than Service animals and Therapy animals.
Yes they are Dezi, and I would be happy to explain the differences. A companion animal is any PET that provides health benefits to a person. They may help to relieve stress. But their main “job” is to provide company, amusement and psychological help just to name a few. NO specific TRAINING is required. In my opinion ALL pets can be considered Companion Animals. After all most people get a pet because they want the love and affection an animal can give. Your friend Buddy in the photo below is a perfect example of a Companion Animal. His daddy is alone and needed the company. And Buddy provides him with hours of entertainment and lots of love. He kind of gives mr. W a purpose.
Me agwees mommy. And we have a few furiends dat be Companion animals fur sure. We even have sum furiends who awe trained Therapy animals. And me finks they do a gweat job and a good fing to help ease udders stwess and fears. And we have a few furiends dat be Trained Service animals too.
Y’all sure do Dezi. And they are all wonderful. And even tho’ you and Lexi have been trained to work and I think y’all are very special, that doesn’t mean that y’all are any better than any of your friends. You are all special in your own way.
Me agwees again mommy. All our furiends awe special and beluvved by their hoomans and us. Me weally purreciates you helpin’ me define da diffewent types of “working animals” fur our furiends. We do hope you all have learned a bit fwum these definitions. And me hopes you all have enjoyed learnin’ ‘bout da diffewences in “working animals”. We will be tellin’ sum twainin’ stowries fur you all to read, enjoy and maybe even laff at. And one of our dear furiends, da Kitties Blue asked ifin we had fawt ‘bout makin’ these definitions available all da time usin’ da menu, so weez gunna be addin’ this to our menu options soon. (furst mommy has to member how to add it-mol) And we wanted to give you a little update on sis Lexi. She be feelin’ much better now dat she be gettin’ antibiotics. We still have a big fank you to send out but mommy fell asleep at da puter again yesfurday. She sez she weally needs to get sum sleep, but we do fank all of you dat helped make gettin’ sissy medicine pawssible. One she gets well, weez’ll only have da CKD to manage.
And this be da last day to enter to win dat pawsum Pagoda Fountain fwum PetSafe. So ifin yous not entered yet, click here to do so.
And don’t furget to enter fur yous chance to win a case of da pawsum Weruva noms by clickin’ here.
Why Can’t I call a Therapy Animal or Companion Animal a Service Animal?
Three words, three diffewent meanings. And yet so many peeps still use these terms interchangeably. But they’re not. Interchangeable me means. They mean 3 diffewent things and descwibe 3 diffewent types of animals wiff diffewent twainin’ levels and skills. It sumtimes hurts our feelings to be called therapy or companion kitties but we know peeps awe usually sayin’ it cuz they don’t know da diffewence. Mommy on da udder hand gets weally uptight ‘bout it. She sez there’s a big diffewence and it shows diswespect to those who have worked so hawd to twain to be Service animals. And dat peeps takin’ advantage of da old ADA rule by passin’ off therapy and companion animals and even pets as Service animals is what caused da ADA to change da definitions and exclude sum species, like us kitties. Altho’ we do still enjoy sum benefits, weez not as purrtected unnew da law as we once was. Isn’t dat wight mommmy?
Yes dear that’s right.
Mommy wuld you give everypawdy da definitions of a Service, Therapy and Companion Animal?
I would be happy to Dezi. Why don’t we start with Service Animals. According to the ADA website, on March 15, 2011 ONLY dogs are recognized as Service Animals under titles 2 and 3 of the ADA (Americans with Disablity Act). The rules used to read: A Service Animal is an animal(dog)that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities. After 2011 it replaces the word animal with dog. The ADA recognizes that Service animals are not PETS, but working animals. However they now only recognize dogs as such animals. The work the animal (dog) is trained to perform must be directly related to the persons disability. Animals (dogs) whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support DO NOT qualify as Service Animals under the ADA. It goes further to say: This definition does NOT affect or limit the broader definition of “Assistance Animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “Service Animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act. Some State and local laws have broader definitions regarding Service Animals. You should check with your local government and ordinances if you have questions with regards to accessibility or other protections and rights afforded you under the laws of your state.
Dat’s why we be called Service Animals isn’t it mommy? Cuz weez been TRAINED to purrfurm duties diwectly welated to yous disability?
Yes it is sweety. And before 2011 Lexi and those who came before her were certified. You were tested, certified and recognized as a highly trained Service Animal as well, but the ADA dusn’t recognize you as one. We are still protected under the law and benefit from certain rules and regulations, but there are some benefits we can no longer receive. You and sis Lexi can no longer apply to be sponsored as Service animals. There are companies that sponsor Service animals for one thing. And a Sponsorship means they provide the animal with food, supplies, toys and pay all medical expenses for them. Since people with disabilities are usually on a fixed income, sponsorship is a great benefit and help.
It’s gweat to be a Service animal mommy. Meez purroud me can help you even ifin da ADA dusn’t wecognize me.
I know baby and I really do appreciate you and your sister. Y’all are a great help to me. And I love you both very much.
Oh mommy we luv you too. Me finks we might shuld cover da udder workin’ animals in anudder posty mommy? Me finks this might be a lot to digest and me dusn’t want anypawdy to be confused ‘bout da diffewences. What do yous fink mommy?
I think you’re absolutely right Dezi. I think we shuld let everypawdy absorb this. It is a lot of information but we do hope to clear things up for people by the end of this series. Why don’t you list a few of the “jobs” you and Lexi perform for me so that our friends will know what kinds of things are considered “trained behaviors that qualify y’all as Service Animals”.
Oh me wuld luv to mommy. Lexi and me have been trained to drive mommys wheelchair, dial 911 fur help, give her massages, and our biggy is dat we alert mommy afur she passes out so she can get sumwhere safe and not dwop all da way to da floor and get hurt. We do hope dat yous all enjoy our series on Working animals and will keep coming back to read da whole series. Weez will cover Therapy and Companion Animals and tell sum trainin’ stowries of our own as pawrt of this series.
And ifin yous haven’t alweady entered, we have 2 pawsum give aways goin’ on wight now.
You can enter to win yous choice of PetSafe’s Pagoda fountain here.
And you can enter to win yous choice of a case of Weruva TruLuxe canned food here.
These pawsum give aways awe pawrt of our series on hydwation and weez very gwateful to da sponsors fur allowin’ us to offer you all a chance to twy their purroducts fur yous selff. And stay tuned, we have more pawsum give aways comin’ up this mumff. And just to clear up one thing, ifin yous alweady follow meez bloggy by email, then yous not have to do it again.
Me wanted to share sumfin’ special wiff yous all today. We have a facebook awnty who is also a poet. Afur we met her online she was just anudder stwanger to us. But like so many of our pawsum innewnet furiends, today she is pawrt of our furmily. She lives “over da pond”. Fur those of ya’ dat not have a clue what we mean, she lives in Europe. She’s originally fwum Afwica. And she’s not had a easy life. She be an Agoraphobic. Now yous all askin’ yous selff what dat means awen’t ya’? She’s fwaid to go outside and be in da public. She be getting’ help now wiff hers fears and all, and weez purray fur hers daily, but she writes as a method of coping and expwessin’ hers emotions.
Well she sent us her book last year and mommy wuld read us a poem or two every night. Then a while back she decided to write anudder poetwy book and she included a poem fwum/about Lexi and me dat she wrote fur mommy. Sumhow pawently sum peeps kuld get access to it via a web linky, but not us. We don’t know ifin it didn’t work or ifin mommy was just too tech challenged to unnewstand how it worked. Anyways, she sent us da new book. We got it wight afur BlogPaws so we hadn’t had a chance to look at it till this week. Mommy sez it was so stwange to see our names written in a book. But this won’t be da last time, cuz mommy be workin’ on our very own book. We awe honored she wrote a poem fur us. So today me wants to share it wiff you all. And we wanna say Fank you awnty Petal, yous just pawsum.
Well we hope yous enjoyed readin’ ‘bout how one of our facebook awnties sees us. We fink she did a gweat job pointing out all we do fur mommy in a short one page poem. Specially since we be so long winded. MOL So weez hope yous enjoy yous Furiday. And OMC me almost furgot. Weez joinin’ wiff Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Pawade.
Do you have innernet furiends dat have become like furmily?
Meowllo everypawdy weez twyin’ to hurry and get meez posty out afur da next big funderboomers followed by da lightin’ up of da sky. Now let’s see where did me leave off…Oh yeah me wanted a few more minutes of Zzzz’s So while mommy took care of meownin’ pawdee box business and sis Lexi played in da water me laid down in da shower chair and had a few. Sissy laid down on da vanity and meowed fur mommy to leave da water runnin’ till bwekky was weady so mommy woke me up to dwive her to da kitchen. Well of course me obliged, it is meez job after all. And it means me gets a few extwa licks of butter and/or ham spoon. Now weez not weally told ya’ what da ham spoon is so meez gunna tell ya’ today. Sissy told ya’ all da meds and supplements she be taking, and dat she gets ‘em in a tablespoon of ham and ham gwavy baby food. Well one of those supplements be fur UTI’s and can be used as a purrventative too. So after mommy mixes all of sissy’s medicines into da ham, she puts a little of dat D-Mannose on da spoon and mixes it up wiff hers finger and gives it to me. Oh da ham is divine. (looks off with a glint in her eyes)
Gimme da ham spoon mommy, it’s meez turn.
So anyways mommy and me headed fur da kitchen to fix bwekky. As me sed mommy be getting’ wound purretty slow these wet, rainy days, so it takes furever to make bwekky, so me stands watch. And sumtiimes me will have a good scwatch on da post, but me can still see and feel mommy so ifin she needs me it’s no purroblem. And sure nuff this meownin’ she needed me. Mommy was twyin’ to hurry and get our bwekky made and suddenly me felt dat sumfin’ wasn’t wight wiff mommy. So into da kitchen me went and pawed at hers ankles and meowed and twirled. See mommy likes to twy to stand up and fix our bwekky. She leans on da counter to stabilize her. But ifin she passes out, it dusn’t matter what she’s leanin’ on, she’s gunna fall. So after me danced a little me got da chair and bwought it over to her so she kuld sit down and finish makin’ bwekky. Bwekky all dun and me hopped up in hers lap to have me sum ham spoon and mommy hollered fur sissy to come eat.
Sissy came saunterin’ up and jumped on da table to have hers ham plate and canned noms and mommy took meez plate to da livin’ room where me eats. Mommy and me went back to da kitchen to get hers coffee and then we all settled in. Sissy and me stawrted eatin’ and mommy sat in hers sittin’ chair to have coffee, read emails and pass out. MOL Eventually mommy stawted getting’ wound a bit better as da day went on, but wiff all this rain and ole man awfur-itis hangin’ wound most of our days this mumff have been purretty much like this one. Mommy sez she wuld still be layin’ in bed ifin not fur Lexi and me and dat she be so fankfull to have us. We fink we be da lucky ones. So togedder we be a very gwatefull furmily.
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Me also wants to take a minute to fank our awnty Cindy and Maggie Meme fur sendin’ us a few pawsum boxes. Mommy got more coffee and fank catness cuz her was out and climbin’ da walls. She gladly came down off da ceilin’ to make her a fwesh cup and we gladly let her dwink it all. MOL We allso got sum more filter fur our fountain and sum kitty gwass. And she sent 2 bonus sets of sheets fur da bed. What dat bonus means is dat weally we got 4 sets of sheets. And then last night awnty Anonymous called mommy and wanted to give hers sumfin’ fur hers Meowday which be da day afur BlogPaws, da 27ff. So mommy got anudder Meowday purrezzy. Mommy sed she felt like a queen. We told her she’s always our queen, but a meowsy big fank you to all of ya’ fur makin’ mommy’s day.
And we was finally able to get online fur longer than a minute yesfurday and awnty Jennifer had left us a message and she’s gunna be sendin’ sissy a Meowday cawd and sumfin’ fur mommys Meowday too. We have da most pawsumest furiends ever. We have been so humbled by da generosity and love shown to us by so many. Fank you seems so inadequate to expwess our gwatitude, but we weally do fank you all. Hope you can hear us purrin’ our gwatitude.
And on anudder fwunt, weez be getting’ all packed up and weady to go to BlogPaws. We be so ‘cited we can’t hawdly stand da wait. We can’t wait to meet so many of you and finally put togedder da hoomans wiff da cats. Mommy knows all our kitty furiends names, but needs a cwash course in da hoomans. So purrlease furgive us ifin weez not recognize you wight off. Weez countin’ down da days. And we almost furgot, weez joinin’ up wiff Rascal and Rocco fur da Pet Pawade Blog Hop. It’s still stowrmin’ so meez gunna go check out da Cat twee and sissy’s gunna take a nap and mommy’s gunna fix anudder cup of coffee, weez’ll see y’all soon.
Service Cats U.S. 