Comment enregistrer votre chien en tant que chien de thérapie ou animal d'assistance

Vous voulez que votre animal de compagnie devienne un animal d'assistance ou de thérapie aux États-Unis ? Ce blog vous aidera à comprendre les besoins, la formation et les exigences.

Table des matières

• Aider votre animal à devenir un animal de thérapie ou d'assistance
• La différence entre les animaux d'assistance et les animaux de thérapie et de soutien émotionnel
• Entraînement et enregistrement de votre animal d'assistance ou de soutien
• Et ensuite ?
• FAQ

Aider votre animal à devenir un animal de thérapie ou d'assistance

Many of us have been spending more time at home due to the coronavirus, COVID-19, and Stay-at-Home orders in many states. Even though our fur babies don’t understand why, they are delighted that we can spend more time with them, get more exercise together and perhaps spend more time on the couch together.

If you’ve ever been curious, now could be the perfect time to learn more about what it takes for your pet become a therapy or service animal. I’ve put together this list of information, links and resources to help you investigate whether certifying your pet as a service or therapy animal is right for you.

Les enjeux sont complexes et controversés. D'une part, il y a directives et il existe des lois relatives aux animaux d'assistance. Some are suggested best practices while others are punishable under the law if you don’t follow them.

There are also several groups that regulate or have a vested interest. The American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) represents the people who really need these animals and so they are active in ensuring the rights of disabled people to own and use them. But businesses are often frustrated and confused about the laws. Do they have to let any dog (or cat or lizard) in as an emotional support animal?

Le ministère américain de la Justice a publié et rappelé des lignes directrices pour les animaux d'assistance. Chaque État établit également ses propres lois sur les animaux d'assistance. Cela peut devenir collant selon l'endroit où vous habitez.

Peu importe où vous vivez, il est probablement préférable de travailler avec une agence ou un chapitre dans votre pays d'origine pour vous assurer d'avoir les informations les plus à jour et les plus pertinentes.

Plus à ce sujet ci-dessous. Mais d'abord, quelle est la différence entre un animal d'assistance (tel que défini par la loi) et un animal de soutien émotionnel ou de thérapie ?

La différence entre les animaux d'assistance et les animaux de thérapie et de soutien émotionnel

As described by the Washington State Service Dog Association (WSSDA), service animals are used in many different ways by people with a variety of disabilities. Service animals may lead blind people or serve as the ears of a deaf person. They may carry and pick up items, be used for balance, and provide warnings of impending seizures or low blood sugar. Service animals may allow people with anxiety disorders, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other emotional illnesses to function in society, by alerting their handlers to avoid anxiety triggers, by recognizing and blocking behaviors, or by stimulating the person to “snap back” to a conscious state. Service animals can remind handlers that it is time to take medication and can summon help in the case of fainting or a seizure.

The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.

As you can see, the human must have a diagnosed disability for their animal to qualify as a service animal. So while some animals provide emotional support for anxiety or PTSD for example, they do not become a service animal until the human is diagnosed with a disability. So unless you have a disability, or you are training your animal to be given away or sold to someone with a disability, your pet is not a “service animal.”

Les façons dont les personnes handicapées utilisent les animaux d'assistance continuent de croître et d'évoluer. À l'heure actuelle, seuls les chiens et les chevaux miniatures sont considérés comme des animaux d'assistance dans certains États. De nombreuses organisations découragent ou interdisent l'utilisation de primates, d'animaux sauvages et exotiques comme animaux d'assistance.

Bien qu'ils remplissent une fonction très importante, les animaux non d'assistance, qui comprennent les animaux de soutien émotionnel, les animaux de réconfort et les animaux de thérapie, ne sont techniquement pas des animaux d'assistance en vertu de certaines lois d'État. Les autres espèces d'animaux, qu'elles soient sauvages ou domestiques, dressées ou non, ne sont pas non plus considérées comme des animaux d'assistance.

La principale différence est également la formation. L'Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) permet au maître d'un chien d'assistance d'accéder aux espaces publics avec ce chien. Par exemple, la loi de l'État de Washington n'exige pas qu'un chien d'assistance soit certifié, enregistré ou autrement identifié comme tel. Cependant, la loi de l'État de Washington exige qu'un chien d'assistance soit correctement formé pour ce travail.

Under the ADA, a handler simply needs to state that the dog is a service animal, and access should be granted. Many handlers prefer the convenience of having a dog registered–an identification tag, vest or cape is often provided to show the dog is a registered service animal. This can save the handler from having to disclose details of their disability. It does not matter if a person has a note from a doctor that states that the person has a disability and needs to have the animal for emotional support. A doctor’s letter does not turn an animal into a service animal. Training does.

Ainsi, n'importe quel animal peut être qualifié d'animal de soutien émotionnel ou de thérapie par n'importe qui. Mais en vertu de la loi, les restaurants, les commerces et les bâtiments publics ne sont pas tenus d'autoriser une personne à amener un animal de soutien avec elle dans les espaces publics. Seuls les animaux d'assistance dressés sont protégés en vertu de cette loi.

It’s an important distinction because the law protects people who need a service animal as an accommodation for their disability, while the law does not protect emotional or therapy animal accommodations. You need to understand the difference. As of January 1, 2019, police can fine a person up to $500 for misrepresenting their emotional support or therapy animal as a service animal.

So if you’d like your pet to become an emotional support animal, therapy animal or comfort animal, no training or registration is required by law. However, we highly recommend you use positive reinforcement training with help from online resources or with a professional. If you’d like to give your pet the job of cheering people up in a nursing home, airport or other public space someday, you want your pet to be a ‘good citizen’ and behave well with others. Many of those private and public places only allow service animals so its important to understand and communicate clearly before bringing your animal with you.

Entraînement et enregistrement de votre animal d'assistance ou de soutien

La première étape consiste à trouver une source de formation appropriée. À moins que vous ne soyez un dresseur de chiens professionnel, vous devriez envisager de travailler avec un. Consultez le répertoire des organismes d'animaux de thérapie comme le Conseil de certification des dresseurs de chiens professionnels pour trouver un éducateur canin professionnel certifié près de chez vous. Beaucoup vous fourniront un certificat d'achèvement lorsque votre chien aura atteint un niveau de formation approprié.

Par exemple, Bellingham’s Embarking Dogs awards a Canine Good Citizen certification à la fin de cinq niveaux de formation à l'obéissance des chiots ou d'un niveau de compétence spécifié pour les chiens plus âgés. Cette certification vous donnerait la confiance nécessaire pour offrir votre chien comme chien de thérapie dans une maison de retraite volontaire, mais il n'est toujours pas considéré comme un animal d'assistance en vertu de la loi.

If you’d like to pursue true service animal status, perhaps the best approach is to choose a registry that can recommend a professional trainer and give you step by step guidance on how to achieve it. Registries include Service Animal Registry of America, the National Service Animal Registry and the United States Service Dog Registry. Some registries are free while others charge a fee. Each can walk you through the steps required to become registered. It is not a quick process, but now is an excellent time to invest in the process so you’ll be ready when public spaces open again.

If you aren’t training the dog to be given away or sold to a person with a disability, and instead you would just like to give your pet the job of bringing emotional joy to others, then you might check out organizations like Pet Partners. Nonprofit organizations like this one have Therapy Animal Programs that train and organize handlers and their animals. Each program has program requirements that you can work toward now from home. These requirements include things like adequate house training, minimum age and length of ownership to ensure the safety of those in the public. Many offer a free webinar that can be completed at home as a first step. You can even search by zip code to see if there are other volunteers in your area.

Et ensuite ?

Once you have some information, your pet has achieved an adequate level of obedience and you’re sure you’d like to make it official, you’re ready for the next steps.

Selon l'organisation que vous choisissez, vous devrez probablement suivre un certain nombre d'étapes, notamment :

• Suivre un cours de manutentionnaire. Luckily, some offer online courses that could be completed now while we’re staying at home.
• Dépistage de la santé animale. You’ll need to demonstrate that your pet has all required vaccinations through a medical screening that is signed by your veterinarian.
• Passez une évaluation. Most organizations require that you meet with an evaluator in person, often a volunteer in your area. The evaluator will take your pet through a simulated visit to ensure you’re both ready for a nursing home or school. There may or may not be a fee, depending on the organization. This step might need to wait until Stay-At-Home orders have been lifted.
• Remplir une demande. This step helps you become officially registered and often requires a background check of the human. Fees vary. Once complete, you’ll likely receive a certificate that can be presented to managers as proof that you’re ready. You’ll also likely get tags or a vest that will help identify your pet as a therapy animal.

It is important to understand that in many states, that the handler of a service or therapy dog is responsible for the animal’s behavior and care while in any public place or private business. Additionally, a service (or therapy) animal can be refused entry to a state business or building if the dog initiates unwanted contact with members of the public. For example, a dog who jumps up on other people while working can be excluded from that space.

So even if you’re excited, take your time in each step of the process to be sure you and your animal are ready. But once you get there, you and your animal will have the chance to bring smiles and perhaps assistance to others. That truly is a wonderful thing.

Nous vous souhaitons bonne chance et une connexion plus profonde avec votre animal de compagnie tout au long de ce voyage. Restez en sécurité et en bonne santé.

FAQ