Yes, i do believe that it differs from state to state. And yes, Psych. disabilities are recognized by the ADA. Every State has to follow the law under the ADA, that does not change. When asking a "service dog" it is typically reffered to as seeking resonable accomadations. It is all a matter of terminalogy .
A therapist does NOT have the qualifications to write a letter for a service animal legally. He or she can reccomend one, however, a Psychatrist is the one who does specialize in menatl health disabilites and is trained to treat them accordingly.. Has more authority and say so in what kind of treatment A patient needs. There is not a fee for a written letter from your Psych Doctor, however they need to approve of the treatment, and support the helpfullness of a Animal. Without that then it will be difficult for a person to have one. The person needs to be recieving treatment and under a Doctors care, AND the disability needs to be severe enough to warraent a service animal.
The animal can be trained by a professional of the individual. When it comes to the law, it is very specific , and it falls under the ADA. Anxiety can be quite serious in some people, which also may include panic attacks or panic disorder .
A lot of mental disorders have overlap into other disorders too. A person can have one, then many other things going on too. LIke i mentioned before the disorder needs to be severe enough to be treated and a Psychatrist needs to support the treatment.
It is a process , and it is something that just does not happen overnight , meaning a person can claim they have such and such, however, it is The Psychatrist to decide and what type of treatment the person needs. SUch as the Doctor needs to agree and diagnose.
Sometimes a person does not need a service dog because the disorder can be treated quicky or is not that serious. Not everybody needs a service animal and sometimes someone may think they do but don't.
the service animal vests and badges are nice because it idenifys the dog as working and therefore allowed in stores, and other establishments. Even getting those things you need to show proof that the animal is a service dog. It is against the law not to say the dog is one, and is not.
I'd reccomend the first thing for a person to do is to be in treatment by a Psychatrist for any mental health concern, establish an ongoing treatment plan, seeing the doctor regularly , following the plan, and let the psych doctor be the one to decide if a service animal is helpful. It is all a process.
I never even thought of a service animal until years later from treatment. Then was placed on perm. Disability through Social Security /getting SSDI. ANd in an out of Hospitals, Surgeries , medications , and even 5150'ed . The Psych doctor did not hesitate to write a professional letter for a service animal. i've had Suzi for 9 months now.

I just happened to look at this thread and up on the top in the ads was a link for Service Dogs......

U.S. Service Dogs

Interesting.............

i think they did a horrible job on their home page- they make it seem like something everyone can do "are you tired of not being able to bring your companion everywhere"- which is not what a service dog is about. However, the link to WHAT is a service dog says:

It is defined by the ADA as any physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity. Activities such as walking, bathing, caring for oneself (mentally and physically), and hearing are some examples of major life disabilities. Some disabilities may not be visible such as deafness, epilepsy, or psychological conditions. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) of 1996, an individual is not required to disclose any information about their health status or medical history.

which is also good to know.... very interesting website... they need to re think some of their wording i think...

What caught my attention was that same as you. It almost made it sound like you could buy the certifcate and be able to take your dog with you anywhere. Almost like ;);) if you spend $395 you can bring fluffy with you everywhere you go. I started to look at it a little more but makes me wonder what they are really trying to promote.:confused:

I totally agree- however if you pay that money you do get a consult with a doctor- psychiatrist maybe? which is good i guess- but i think they are out for the money for sure. AND when you try to "certify my dog" the only options are non visible disabiltie-s which are fine- but what if you have MS or are epileptic- that is not an option on this website apparently. I get the feeling like they are trying to tell you to "find" a mental issue and certify your dog for it... which is so mind baffling i'm shaking my head as i write this.....

Apartment Complex answer
 

My x husband was a property manager for 20 years, the paperwork the lady may require is called a reasonable accomodation, you can not establish a limit in size and or weight. Alot of people have won these cases in court due to descrimination acts. I believe if the woman with the large dog took you to court she would win, we were not even allowed to charge the normal pet fee of 25 dollars per month required by others who have pets.

Thank You~! This is the answer I was looking for~! I am aware that if you have the proper documentation (whatever it is since I have never seen it), that you need to allow that person with their dog of whatever size and/or breed. But all that depends on "if she is screened and has no outstanding credit, loans, etc that would exempt her". We charge more for pet fees than $25. You should see what a dog does when it tore the hardwood floors up and the cost to pay someone to refinish them again~!

"reasonable accomadation" is exactly what A tenant with an estabished disabilty is requesting. It is against the law for any manager/property owner to charge fee a tenantwho has a disabilty , to have a service animal... No Deposit, or a rent hike. ALso, it needs to be an established disabilty and proven docuements apply.
Also, the persmission is typically granted as long as the insurance is not affected , and the property does not have to make changes to the structure of the building.
If the requiremnents are met then , under the ADA , A service dog is granted in a no pet apartment complex.

Thanks for the info. I doubt she has a disability, but then again you can't see some disabilities. She does work and drive a car without the dog. I do know someone whom has a disability of which she needs to have the service dog at her side driving and etc all the time.

I have also heard that it is the right of the owner or manager not to allow A Pitbull, or Dobie, Rotie, in due to the animal being a possible danger to other tenants / which would make their insurance premiums go up. They can exclude those breeds.

I just saw this too, and was unimpressed:( The disabilities were few and the price was outrageous. :thumbdown I've seen better.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do that. I've even seen it suggested on here several times. :thumbdown All protected under the guise of course that 'the establishements cannot ask you any details.'. :rolleyes: That kind of thing really just gets my blood boiling. There are people who depend on service animals and those who don't but take advantage of the situation will only make it worse for those REALLY in need.

Yes, it upsets , me too! Establishments can ask about the animal , and can request "proof" What they can't ask is the nature of the individuals disabilty.
I've seen it suggested on YT too. THere are a few people on YT who have Sevice animals and trained therapy Yorkies. I have gone through the propper channels and followed the law under the ADA to have one. It is a process and is is not to be taken lightly.
It is a little sad for me to admit that the disabilites I have are severe enough to require the assistance of a Service animal. Without A doubt I love Suzi with all my heart. It just was not like I was able to go out and buy a "dog" becasue I wanted one as a pet.

Actually a lot of service dogs start out as pets. They are loving family members who one day out of pure coincidence become life savers. I know of several situations of this both in the Yorkie and Doberman worlds that I am involved with.

In one instance the woman who was previously in perfect health suddenly developed epilepsy. Her Doberman, who was never trained for any kind of service work, sensed the seisure coming on and instinctively jumped on her and pinned her down. She said at first she was scared not understanding what her dog was trying to do but when she started to convulse she understood. Her dog stayed there on top of her holding her down until the convulsions stopped and then started nudging her and kissing her to wake her up. Everytime the dog senses a seizure coming on (usually about 2 minutes before they hit) she starts poking and prodding her owner so that her owner can prepare for the seizure.

I also have a friend who's Yorkie alerts her when her blood sugar is low.

I am absolutely amazed by how intuitive our furkids really are!

WOW, that is very neat! A family pet is intuned with it's owner and can sense when something is wrong.
In my case i was not as lucky to have had a service animal before requesting one. Due the place i live / A no Pet policy, I could not bring one home until I followed the ADA law and the rules of the complex.
i've seen in the news where dogs alerted their owners of fires in the middle of night, saving lives. Or Barking like crazy when their master has passed out, and even coming back home after A walk , without the owner , alerting to others something is wrong. THEN taking people to where the owner is. MAny breeds are able to find missing or lost people in the snow, or mountains.
Referring to Strict apartment rules or condos it is the owners rights to deny a tenant who may have a known "agressive" breed to live in their building. Mainly, due to insurances going up.
Are you familar with the case in S.F. where a DOG killed a woman in the apartment complex? that was several years ago.

I am not sure but I didn't think a property owner or apartment complex can discriminate against a service dog because of its breed. I know that for general pets they can, however.

We all remember the Diane Whipple case back in 01--that was so tragic. It really only takes one bad owner to ruin it for everyone but thats a whole different subject. My Dobe does his part to help counter the breed perception by regularly volunteering as a therapy dog :) My Yorkies are too busy-bodied that there are times I feel like I need therapy after being with them! :D j/k!

It is nOT considered disciminating , when A service dog would make an apartment complexes insurance premiums go up... The propertys owners have the burden of proof, if A tenant decides to take the matter to court. I also have seen and know these breeds to be docile . Iam sure of one thing that there needs to be "reasonable accomadations" made for a service animal.
There are few reasons why a Owner could deny a request of a service animal. #1 it will change the structure of a building, #2 insurance will go up , the tenant is also responsible for meeting the needs of the animal, and can lose the privillage of have the dog on the premisis if the animal causes too much noise, scares people, tears up the property, or leaving behind animal feces . Or the dog is not leashed or vaccinated, or licenced.
When i brought Suzi on the apartment complex I needed to sign papers and the manager took a picture of her.

You can in the state of Alabama. (not sure if it differs by state) The company I work for just went through this with a man and his Pit. They have restrictions against tenants with breeds classified as aggressive. Now whether or not his dog was truly a service animal is still up in the air, but the end result ruled in our favor and he was not allowed the dog in the end.

Service Dogs
 

Just to clarify for all who have questions about service dogs and what is considered a service dog...any dog who provides a service for a disability, whether its mental or physical can be considered a service dog. Service dogs are not to be mistaken for therapy dogs...therapy dogs are dogs who have been trained to bring happiness into ones life and many times are taken to schools, nursing homes, and hospital to brighten up ones spirits. I hope this helps for anyone who has question about service and therapy dogs.

Service dogs
 

I'm sorry but no one and I do mean no one can tell you that you cannot live in a particular apartment complex or condo due to the type of service dog you have. It is against the law and that person can receive a huge fine for doing so. Plus, if taken to court the apartment complex or condo or whomever will lose. The excuse that their insurance will go up is bogus because not even the insurance company can increase the premiums because of the breed of the service dog.

my yorkie & my epilepsy
 

I have epilepsy and after my seizures I get chest pressure cuz my heart
stops then starts up again. My yorkie hops on my chest and sits on it where it hurts. It is comforting and the warmth of her little body on my chest really
helps. She also knows when Im not feeling well and she licks my face
I guess it is a warning to go lie down

I dont know what others do, my yorkie works for me

I guess she is a service dog on that aspect

and then she keeps me company and loves me and gets me to laugh
that aspect is a therapy dog or companion dog

:animal36

I know in our complex on the reasonable accomodation it states very clearly that no dog listed on the insurance dangerous list is allowed for any reason. I believe it lists , Akita, Dobermans, Rottweiller, Pitbulls and a couple others, UNLESS it is a certified therapy dog, NOT a service animal those animals need to be under 50 pds. We have 90 children in our complex , they recently went to court with a tenant who had a pitbull, the tenant lost.

Andy is a therapy dog see if putting this picture in works
http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/p...AndyAutumn.jpg
http://i392.photobucket.com/albums/p...ndyAutumn3.jpg

safety
 

URA I agree with you so mine would be a service dog as she comforts
me before and after my seizrues and I have hearing loss she barks when
someone comes to the door

I am not taking her out to nursing homes etc even though that is
a wondeful thing

I have been to my vet they tested to make sure my doggie not a danger
to others and for sure she is not

and I keep my yorkie confined and I dont let others just go up and pet
my yorkie as I dont want anything to happen

I am very protective of my yorkie

My vet just laughed as they tested her to make sure is not a harm to
others He said this little thing? We have to be sure...lol..she is safe to
others

I am afraid of pitbulls and dobermans one bit my daughter
years ago

People need to remember the responsiblities a dog needs

I would like to share a good article written about service dogs gone wrong in San Francisco. Warning... it's five pages long.

San Francisco News - Service with a Snarl - page 1