Animals as Pets Review

Animals and humans have worked together for centuries. From accompanying hunters to assisting farmers with livestock, therefore we call dogs a man’s best friend. Animals have been trained to assist people with many responsibilities, in addition to providing companionship. In recent years, however, animals have been taught to serve mankind in new and different ways. Animal-assisted therapy is a new form of therapy, this has become popular in more recent years and has created a new role for animals in this day and age. While assistance and therapy animals are common today, they have not always been as widely accepted, and their use in treatment, while well documented, is sometimes questioned. Although as long as humans have had animals as pets, domesticated animals have provided companionship to people of all ages.

The most common dogs used as a service dog is a Labrador and Golden retriever. “Approximately 60-70% of all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors.” This breed of dog is used due to how smart they are, they want to work to please you, and they are big enough to fit in public places. When it comes to Emotional Support dogs, there is usually a list of dogs that would be best fit for the job. Many of which are small lap dogs and have to be very affectionate, because they need to be good for cuddling and consoling the owner. For therapy dogs, they also have a list of breeds best suited. However usually the same breeds are used for all three areas of service. The animal really just need to apply to the specific laws of the service animal world and be trained with a professional.

Service Animals are significant for some person’s everyday life, generally for those with disabilities. The disabilities somebody might typically associate service animals with, would be hearing impairments and blindness. However they can be used for many additional disabilities, like those with diabetes, severe allergies, autism, seizures, mobility issues and psychiatric disabilities. There are three kinds of Animal groups, service animals, emotional support animals and therapy animals. These animal groups provide numerous positive health and daily benefits for people who use them. An example of this is, having service dogs at school with students with disabilities can provide a encouraging impact on the students education.

I believe the US Service Animal organization and those who train, breed, and use the service animals would be very supportive in backing up this proposal. These groups will gain the acknowledgement they deserve and the chance to expand the positivity of the animal’s and persons stories. These groups work very closely to the animals and get to see the influence it can have on the people involved. I think there are some people who don’t comprehend the importance of these animals and the effects they can have on the human’s health. Which is why it is a good idea to give proof to those who don’t support the idea, and to gain more attention on this important topic.

I choose this topic to let others know about the animals that provide help to people on a daily basis. I want to share the knowledge that people may not know, or don’t have an understanding of it. People should know of the physical and mental health benefits that come from working with these animals. Service Animals have different types of support they can offer. Such as a therapy dog that is being taken to a school or college for a day to offer stress relieving cuddles. Even having them in the workplace can prove to relieve stress where middle-age employees spend their long days at work. Another way the service dogs make an impact is on the groups of people who suffer from PTSD. Over 300,000 veterans have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. They suffer from symptoms, such as, fear, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. They often feel isolated and withdrawn. They turn away from the friends and family and turn to substance abuse to cope. Organizations like, Paws for Purple Hearts, have been created to help veterans who are afflicted by PTSD. Researchers are finding that relationships with animals creates biological effects, like elevated levels of the hormone oxytocin. This hormone improves the ability to trust, recognize facial expressions and to overcome paranoia. It has been found that suffering from PTSD has been reduced when the patient has an animal by 82%. There are also programs that assist vets with finding the perfect companion that are free of charge. Many of the animals that are provided are from rescue facilities. These animals provide the veterans with, “…benefits included improvements in sleep, increased community participation and physical activity, protection from suicidal thinking and behavior, and decreased reliance on medications for mental and physical health” (Yarborough). They are also trained to provide deep-pressure therapy while laying on top of the person who could be suffering from PTSD. Having service dogs specifically trained for the needs of a disabled veteran is an amazing treatment idea. The mere presence of the animal had a beneficial effect on heart function, and stroking and talking to a pet reduced blood pressure and stress. They can also be helpful if the veteran’s PTSD is triggered by other people. I also want to show to others that they can have many other animals to use as emotional support. I honestly believe if the animal follows laws about non-aggression and is legal to have as a pet, then it could be used for at least an emotional support animal.

Those who have autism can also have great experiences with service dogs. Due to sensory issues that children with autism suffer from, it is super important that the child is acquainted with the right dog. If the child is sensitive to loud noises then the family would want to make sure that the dog does not bark unless it is to alert the parents or care giver. If a child is sensitive to smell then the smell of a dog could be overwhelming. Service dogs for autistic children can also be very expensive and around the amount of $10,000. Children with autism can benefit from a service dog to help calm them when they are put in a situation that overloads their sense. It can also alert the child’s parents when a child is suffering physically. Many dogs have alerted a child’s parents when they child is having a seizure or has stopped breathing. It has also been shown that when an autistic child bonds with a service dog it makes it easier for them to bond with human’s later in life. Dogs are believed to have positive influences to children in the areas of arousal and sensory stimulation.

Another thing that many people don’t see a real big difference in regular pets and emotional support animals. There has been a rise in emotional support animals in college students and requests to bring them into workplaces. However many don’t know how to handle the rise, “… few court decisions to guide attorneys, business owners, and human resource professionals on how to handle the recent, emerging phenomenon of ESAs in the workplace. Employers are left wondering how to deal with the influx of reasonable accommodation requests by employees to bring their ESAs to work” (Burden). It is grown to a point where the situations need to be analyzed depending on each of the cases.

Therapy dogs are meant to provide a comfortable space for a person, and can be used for many different situations. It has been revealed that animals are able to heal patients that suffer mentally and physically. Although Therapy Animals are not legally defined by the federal law, but some states have laws describing therapy animals. They provide people with contact to animals, however are not limited to working with people who have disabilities. Pet therapy, known as animal assisted therapy, is recognized as helping with treating depression and mood disorders. “The primary purpose of a therapy animal is to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties” (ADA). So basically the animal is meant to make a safe environment both physically and mentally, for the person they are with. Therapy dogs provide two main physical benefits, which is lowering blood pressure and increasing oxytocin levels. Dogs can help a person who is stressed, reduce anxiety and boost happiness. They are also there to help with the person’s movement, “A physical therapist might use a therapy dog during a treatment session to encourage a patient to move and improve motor skills” (Levey).

Many service dog owners can get a lot of backlash. They can receive resistance when interacting with other people. It is common for retail and restaurant owners to be wary of service dogs since so many people have used “fake” service dogs as a way to take their pets into public places. I am sure some people will also disagree with the argument and that these animals should not be permitted in community areas due to food violations and possible allergies, there are even circumstances where people will misuse the name “service animal”. However allergies and fear of the animal are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to those with service animals. The service animal is also allowed in areas that sell or prepare food, even if the health codes prohibit it. Hotels that normally charge guests for damage that animals cause, may also charge those with service animals. Staff is also not responsible for providing care or food for the animal.

Although there are other ways around the issues of allergy or fear. It is to use animals other than a dog, like a miniature horse or a capuchin monkey. The miniature horse can be trained by a professional from six months to a year and have a lifespan of thirty to forty years. They can be used to guide the blind, pull wheelchairs or to care for a person suffering with Parkinson’s disease. While using the miniature horse, they can be considered by those with allergies, religion where dogs are seen as unclean, and those with phobias. The monkey is called, “Helper Monkey”, and is considered an assistance animal. They are acquainted with humans as infants and they can serve twenty-five to thirty years long. They are generally trained in school of private organizations, and take approximately seven years to train. They then can help in daily activities for those with severe spinal cord injuries, quadriplegia, or any other mobility issues.

However the animals are protected under the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). These animals have become a critical part to people’s lives, and therefore are allowed where ever the owner is. They, being service and therapy animals, shall not be treated as a regular “pet” by business owners. A person cannot be asked to remove their service animal from the area. Unless it is out of control and there is not action from the owner or is the animal is not housebroken. However “Service dogs in training (SDITs) are not covered by federal law, but many states mandate that SDITs are afforded the same protection as their fully trained counterparts” (Maynard). Emotional support animals are protected and allowed to fly without pet fees as well as special accommodation opportunities.

There has been a recent rise of fake “Service Animals” and it’s where people are just buying a vest that a real dog would have or also faking the dog to have a free ride on an airplane. Although service dogs are not always required to wear a vest. Then these people are just putting it on their untrained dog and taking then to public areas where dogs are not usually allowed. Then the dog will be exposed when a real service animal walks by, because normal dogs will bark. If real, these trained dogs know not to freak out on another dog, because they are working. Therefore if they had been a proper service dog, they would not to do this. The fake dogs are abusing the law and cause disturbances. The only dogs that are allowed in places dogs are normally allowed in, are service dogs and therapy dogs. The therapy dogs will however have to make arrangements beforehand. Although they aren’t normally seen outside of schools, businesses and therapy rooms.

There is significant lack of knowledge surrounded by the public regarding the rights of the disabled. Many people believe that without a “Service Dog” vest or tag, a dog cannot be a legitimate service animal, and there are several disreputable companies that profit by this ignorance. They sell these forms of identification without requiring proper proof of the level of training a dog has had, nor medical documentation of a person’s disability. Although whenever it’s not obvious what the service is, staff is allowed to ask two questions. First is to ask about why they are required, and then what task they have been trained to perform. They are not allowed to ask what disability the person has, or require any medical or training documentation. The Minimum Standards for Service Dogs, were developed by a team of service dog trainers, animal behaviorists, people with disabilities, and veterinarians to guide the development of the Service Dog Education System. The minimum requirements includes only specific suggested characteristics and minimum behaviors required of all service dogs. The characteristics and specialized behaviors required of individual dogs should vary, based on the individual disability requirements of the person for whom the dog is trained. Any dog can be a service animal, however they must be non-aggressive, housetrained, willing to please, alert, socialized, and to go through professional training.

Other service dogs have different actions other than the standard requirements. Such as guide dogs which have been used for the blind for nearly two centuries. They must be able to help avoid obstacles, signal changes in surroundings, locating persons or objects, and carrying items. Hearing dogs must be altering to the presence of other objects or people, retrieve items, carrying messages, and warning to approaching vehicles. Service dogs should learn how to open and close things, turn on and off lights, help person getting dressed, assist in sitting up, prevent falls, call 911, identify symptoms and alert, find help or places to bring to safety, provide deep pressure, detect allergens and low and high blood sugar levels. Disability related services include guiding the blind, alerting deaf to noises, pulling a wheelchair, getting items, alerting to attacks, remind person to take medication, and calming those with PTSD. However on special occasions the dogs are taught to disobey and order if it will lead their owner into a dangerous situation. A hearing dog may wear an orange collar and leash or a vest. A variety of breeds are used a hearing dogs, since intelligence and trainability are more important than strength and size.

For a person to be eligible to have a service animal, they must meet these requirements. They must have a disability of some kind, whether physical or mental. Most common reasons include Asthma, blindness, hearing issues, mobility issues, seizures, speech problems, and also diabetes. Although is it not limited to these few disabilities. For emotional support animals you can also have similar issues, although to be eligible for this type of assistance you can have less of an issue and have more mental issues. Such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, panic disorder, separation anxiety disorder, sleep disorder, multiple personality disorder, etc. Many of the requirements are mostly similar for each type of assistance needed. It really just depends on the person and what they need from an animal.

The intention for this paper is to bring enlightenment to how important pets are to our healing, both emotionally and physically. I want for others to understand the full picture of why people use the animals on a daily basis. Many people are isolated due to their injuries or disabilities, and they can often feel alone, angry, frustrated or isolated. Therefore with the help of service animal’s humans have been shown how to cope with everyday stresses and have often been able to get rid of medications. Those who have suffered from physical handicaps have been able to lead a more normal life, by having an animal to help them with the slightest tasks while also providing a trusting, loving and loyal companion. Therefore whenever a human is suffering and isolates themselves form everyone they can always depend on their pet to provide consoling. I want others to know that there are more ways someone can get assistance from an animal. I want others to see how great these animals can be and to show the general public that they can make a massive difference in someone’s life. I want to provide this knowledge for those thinking about getting an emotional support animal, or if they just need access to certain laws and regulations that come with these animals. I want to help companies and employers recognize that they have specific actions and laws they have to maintain. As well as working through certain steps when permitting their employee(s) to come into work with their service, therapy or emotional support animal. Although, “…there are many different disabilities or disorders that can be treated with the use of a service animal. Obviously, these animals can’t provide a cure, but they can help make everyday life a little more bearable” (US Service Animals), therefore these animals are very important to many people and they can really make a difference in someone’s life.

With the assistance of the general people and those who are intertwined with service animals, as well as animals in general, I would like to spread the idea and the importance my research could have. I have confidence in those who have experienced the positive results of the animals first hand. They would be a great network, for supporting and distribution of the information. I think they would financially support the proposal, especially since they understand the prominence and benefits the animals offer. This is crucial in spreading the word, so that we are all well informed of the service animal’s significance. The more others recognize and appreciate the system of the animals, then the further they will support, rather than discriminate against. It is important for these animals to be acknowledged in society due to them being sheltered by the law, as well as being necessary to human life. Patients who have access to animals have better chance of re-entering society and living a normal enjoyable life. An animal companion can bring someone back from the brink of despair and can sometimes present when they feel they have nowhere to turn. The animal can provide the patience, love, understanding and support to a person suffering emotionally or physically in need. With a better understanding of how animals can heal the human soul, more programs could be put into place to assist patients in getting an animal to assist them. As well as more people understanding an appreciating the usage of the service animal. 

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