A PSD (phychiatric service dog) is not to be confused with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA), therapy dog, or companion pet dog.  Training a PSD properly can take up to two years and tens of thousands of dollars.  Our service dog beneficiaries commit to completing a level of training with their dog that is appropriate for their diagnosis and individual needs.

There are clear differences between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals.  A PSD only qualifies as a service dog, and is therefore protected under the ADA, If the dog has been trained to perform specific tasks that prevent the child from emotional distress resulting from a medical diagnosis (example: PTSD) or self harm.  Read more

"To be eligible for a psychiatric service dog, a person must be diagnosed with a mental health condition that is debilitating. Service dogs for people with psychiatric disabilities are specially trained to perform tasks that mitigate a person’s disability. Providing comfort, while important, does not qualify the dog as a service dog."  Read more

"Examples of work or tasks that psychiatric service dogs perform include: providing safety checks or room searches for individuals with PTSD, blocking persons in dissociative episodes from wandering into danger (for example, traffic), and preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors, such as self-mutilation."  Read more