allianceflow.blogg.se

“It’s just nice to have a companion….dogs are very calming. One such animal is Eva, a chihuahua/dachshund mix that lives with Ohio University freshman Maisie Fitzmaurice in her dorm on South Green. In some cases, an emotional support pet is exactly what a person needs to get through their day-to-day life, particularly when the person suffers with emotional disabilities such as depression or anxiety. “But I would say that needing some documentation does prevent someone who does not have a real diagnosis.”Īnd for those with that real diagnosis, emotional support animals can make all the difference. “You know, it doesn’t mean that there are not instances where we get documentation that seems less well-thought-out in terms of how the animal is working,” Busch said. Ohio University has tightened its restrictions in recent years on service and emotional support animals in response to the growing trend of students attempting to get their pets into dorms by claiming them as emotional support animals.Ī student needing an ESA must provide documentation from a healthcare practitioner, but Carey Busch, the Assistant Dean of Accessibility at Ohio, believes that the checks in place can prevent those with no need from getting through their system. The Benefits of Emotional Support Animals “These are clients dogs that were attacked and they have to be replaced because they become skittish around dogs just like a human would.” “Those (dogs) that have been attacked have been emotionally scarred and they have to be dropped from service dog work because of emotional scarring,” Camm said. However, all of that training and time can be thrown out in an instant. The “foster parents” keep copious notes, according to Camm, about the nature of the dogs in an effort to pinpoint the quirks and fears that may keep a dog from being advanced in service training. The OU chapter is critical to figuring out which dogs are cut out for service work and which are not. The dogs are trained for a multitude of purposes, ranging from assisting the deaf and blind, to helping children that suffer from seizures.Īccording to Camm, training each dog takes up to three years and costs 4Paws between $40,000-60,000.įor some of those dogs, the first year is spent in Athens under the care of students involved in the Ohio University chapter of 4Paws. It’s inappropriate and it could really harm the dog.”ĤPaws is a non-profit organization, based in Xenia, Ohio, that places fully trained service dogs with children in need. That basically says these dogs haven’t been socialized, they’re nervous. If any of our dogs did that, they would no longer be in the service dog training program.

“Our kids that have their dogs…they have reported that these two dogs, who are wearing these vests as therapy dogs, have lunged at them, growled at them, barked at them,” Kelly Camm, Director of Development at 4Paws for Ability said.

Having these untrained animals in places they should not be can not only hurt the effectiveness of a trained animal, but they could also lash out and attack. The Danger That Emotional Support Animals Pose You can get a certificate that says your pet is a certified ESA on the internet for $80. Many places don’t require proof of a diagnosis which recommends an ESA. Unfortunately for those with a legitimate need, the problem lies in how easy it can be to obtain a permit to make any dog an emotional support animal. Some people definitely benefit from the kind of emotional support an animal companion can provide and receive a medical diagnosis to verify that benefit. In recent years, the number of people, particularly college students, applying for and receiving permits to own emotional support animals has increased. Imagine no longer being able to do your job because someone else who was not trained came into your place of work and ruined it for everyone else in your position.Īs the old saying goes: “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” A 4Paws service dog sitting for its trainer.įor countless service animals out there, this is very much the case.

Emotional Support Animals: More Harm than Help?īy: Diamond Jeune, Jordan Gallagher, Russ Heltman, Taylor Jedrzejek