Service
animals are animals that assist people with disabilities. The animals
are trained to perform tasks that their handlers cannot do for
themselves. A service animal allows a person with a serious
disability to be more independent and to live a fuller life.
It
should be noted that, according to the U.S. Department of Justice,
animals that provide comfort or companionship for their owners but
that are not trained to perform any specific tasks are not considered
service animals under federal law. For instance, a person with
depression or an anxiety disorder may have a pet and that pet may
help the person relax, but that does not mean the pet is a service
animal.
Dogs
The
most popular service animal is a dog. Everyone is familiar with the
image of a blind person walking down the street with a guide dog, but
dogs are used as service animals for people with many other
disabilities, as well. Dogs let deaf people know when doorbells ring,
when alarms go off and when babies cry. Dogs pick up items for people
with physical disabilities, open doors for them and turn on lights.
Dogs can be trained to perform services for people with mental
disabilities, too.
With
the exception of miniature horses in certain cases, dogs are the only
service animals recognized under the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA), which gives disabled people that rely on service animals the
right to take their dogs with them into most public places, even if
pets are typically not allowed there. The reason dogs are preferred
as service animals is because it has been proven that they can be
trained well enough to do their jobs consistently and safely.
Miniature
Horses
Some
people advocate the use of miniature horses as an alternative to
guide dogs for the blind. Miniature horses live longer than dogs,
about 25 to 35 years, according to the Guide Horse Foundation. Since
it takes quite a bit of training to prepare a service animal for
duty, a longer lifespan is a significant benefit. Miniature horses
may also be good service animals for visually impaired people that
need help with balance, since the horses are able to bear more weight
than dogs.
The
National Federation of the Blind discourages the use of guide horses
for the blind, however. Horses are more easily startled by loud
noises or other unexpected things than dogs, despite extensive
training. Miniature horses are too large to travel with their
handlers by car or taxi, and they cannot curl up discretely under a
chair or table as a service dog does in a restaurant.
Monkeys
Monkeys
are sometimes placed in the home as service animals for those with
severe physical disabilities, such as people with quadriplegia
(paralysis from the neck down). Capuchin monkeys are commonly used,
though other types of monkeys are sometimes used, as well. The ADA
does not require businesses to allow disabled people with service
monkeys to bring their monkeys into public places because monkeys are
not domesticated the way dogs are and it is possible for a service
monkey to injure someone. It may be more difficult to train monkeys
to cope with the noise and commotion in public places, as well.
In
the home, however, monkeys can provide many services other animals,
including dogs, could not provide. They can open drinks, hold drinks
for their handlers to sip, put CD’s on the stereo or DVD’s in the
DVD player, scratch itchy noses, adjust blankets and pillows, and
perform other tasks requiring manual dexterity. Of course, they
provide companionship, as well.
Other
Animals
While
federal law does not allow people with disabilities to take other
types of animals into public places that typically ban pets, people
have claimed that they use numerous other species of animals as
service animals and expressed outrage when told they could not bring
their animals into public places like restaurants. Unusual animals
claimed to be service animals have included snakes, parrots, goats,
pigs, cats, hedgehogs, ferrets and rats. These animals cannot be
adequately trained to behave appropriately in a public setting and in
some cases pose risks to the public. Of course, they are also very
limited in the tasks they can perform.
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