Dogs with Jobs

Dogs with Jobs is an accessibility project based on a graduate class at George Mason University. I'd like to personally thank my professor, Dr. Korey Singleton, for his advice, his exceptional knowledge on accessibility and most of all for his patience in answering the never-ending questions! Please see the executive summary for a fuller description of this project.

There are seven categories of working dogs, including dogs trained for Detection, Military K9 Teams, Police K9 teams, Search and Rescue Teams, Herding dogs, Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs. While Emotional Support Animals known as ESA, are not working animals they are included because many people use dogs solely for emotional support. Often people are confused thinking emotional support dogs can be taken into public or into businesses that have a no pets policy. The main use of emotional support animals is for individual comfort. Individuals with an emotional support animal have no public access rights.

Welcome to the Dogs with Jobs project. Within the following section of my portfolio site, you will find information about the different kind of working dogs. Although this content emphasizes working dogs, it also includes emotional support and therapy animals. Dogs with Jobs was developed to be accessible and 508 compliant.

Working Dog Categories

There are seven categories of working dogs, including dogs trained as: Service Dog Teams, Therapy Teams, Military K9 Teams, Police Dog Teams,Scent Detection Teams, Search and Rescue Teams and Herding Dogs.

A Few Words about Emotional Support Animals

Emotional Support Animals are not exculsive to dogs and are not working animals. However, ESA are included here because many people use different species of a variety of animals for comfort. Often the public and others are confused as to the kind of access ESAs and their owners have in places of public accommodation. The main use of emotional support animals is for individual comfort. ESA animals with their partners have no association with a therapeutic programs such as those operated by hospitals, nursing homes or other organizations. These animals (including ESA dogs) are purely for comfort of an individual and they do not have public access. ESA are permitted in "no pets" housing with the appropriate documentation from a licensed physician or therapist based on the Fair Housing Act. In recent years, this privilege has been abused. There is more discussion on such unethical behavior in the ESA section of the website. The federal department Housing and Urban Development department in the Federal Government provides a PDF document providing clarification on "assistance animals" in housing.