At Canada House we understand having a service dog can make an impactful difference in the lives of those who are suffering.
Service dogs are independently trained to perform certain tasks in many different areas of their humans’ lives. They cover a variety of medical and psychiatric conditions such as seizures, life threatening medical problems, chronic pain, PTSD and more. They can range from very small to large, they must be at a size to mitigate their humans’ tasks safely and properly. The most common breeds trained to serve is Labrador retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepperd, Poodle, Border Collie, Great Dane, Bernese Mountain dogs, and Bloodhounds.
Through research it has been demonstrated having a service dog has improved human’s health through comfort, happiness, and overall standard of health. Significant reduction in symptoms of PTSD, depression and social anxiety were also noted.
Preparation for a service dog starts when they are very young. They are placed into exercises that challenge their reactions to stressful situations and routinely perform specialized tasks. The cost of the animal, training, care including veterinarian visits can be substantial. Costs are a responsibility of the owner. The Canada Revenue agency allows the use of Service dog training, animal care and maintenance costs as a medical expense for tax deductions. CRA must receive a doctor’s prescription and review prior to allowing food, vet bills, toys, etc to be covered as a medical expense.
Types of Service Dogs
PTSD
Guide Dog
Hearing Dog
Mobility Assistance
Diabetic Alert
Allergy Detection
Seizure Response
Psychiatric
Autism Support
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals (ESA) bring comfort, companionship, and support to those with an emotional, psychological, or mental disability. They do not require any specialized training or need to necessarily be a dog. The animal must help alleviate stress and anxieties to its owner, to be classified as a support animal. Service dogs and ESAs are not the same. The laws and regulations do vary between the two and ESAs are not restrictive to specific animals or breeds of dog. You have the freedom to decide which animal is best suited for you. ESAs are recognized as one of the most effective natural therapies for psychological treatment.
Therapy Animals
Therapy animals provide a formal, structured guided interaction between a trained animal and a human with physical or psychological conditions, also known as Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). AAT is utilized in many ways you can find them in long term care facilities, schools, doctor’s clinics and in everyday homes. Therapy animals require a physical examination, obedience training, instructional course for its trainer, temperament, and behavior examination. They can help with motivation, social interactions and social skills, verbal communication, self-esteem, blood pressure, stress reduction and more. The goal of AAT is to help alleviate or assist in coping with specific symptoms.
How to Find a Service Dog
There are various Service dog organizations across Canada. There are private and non-profit organizations availiable. There can be a long waiting period, if registering with a non-profit organization. Unfortunately, an ongoing issue, the demand for a service animal outweighs the availability. In private organizations it can be very costly, you would be financially responsible for all costs, and this could be up to $40,000 or more over the course of their working life.
To begin the process, you will need to obtain a letter from your Physician and Psychologist (if for mental health) outlining the requirement for a service dog for your medical condition. Non-profit or private, most applications for a service animal require this documentation during the registration process. You will also require this for any travel purposes. You will then go through a screening process including reference letters, criminal background check (for any handlers of the animal), in-home interview, dog to applicant meet, and more. It could take up to two years to receive a service dog, potentially faster if paying out of pocket.
Share your stories with us…..
Do you have a service, emotional or therapeutic animal? Send your photo with their name and description of their duties to jessica.dalziel@canadahouse.ca we will feature them in the month of August to recognize all their hard word and efforts.