In today’s increasingly accommodating and understanding social and work environments, Service Dogs are being recognized as the life changing aids they are. Historically known for serving as seeing eye dogs or deaf dogs, service dogs can help with so much more.
In our stressful world, there are more invisible disabilities than ever, from depression to PTSD to dizziness, that are not always obvious to the eye but can limit daily activities. Service Dogs can be trained to perform tasks that support people with disabilities navigate the challenges of daily life.
But for people living with an invisible disability, a Service Dog may not appear obvious to an onlooker. While Service Dogs can help with tasks most never even imagined, like reminding their person to take a pill, or detecting sugar for a diabetic, businesses may just see Service Dogs as pets. For this reason, many people choose to register their Service Animal and adorn them with visual identifiers like vests, tags, and leashes.
What is a service dog registry
A service dog registry is a voluntary database that collects information on handlers and their dog such as the name, city and state, dog name, age, and breed. Many trained Service Dogs will be associated with the program or school that trained them, however, for handlers who self-train, a registry is a way to include the dog among other trained service dogs by self-declaring.
Service Dog registries do not collect personal medical information. The only requirement to identify a Service Dog is to affirm that the dog is a Service Dog and that it is trained to perform a task that helps the handler with a disability. This is in accordance with the American Disability Act.
By law, there is no requirement to register your dog on any database and there is no government backed database. Registration or certification is an optional step many handlers choose to take in order to provide visual identification to businesses or landlords. It is always advised to ask a business or landlord what documentation they require before making any purchases.
How to choose the right registry
There are many options online when it comes to registering a Service Animal or even an Emotional Support Animal. Choosing the right registry will come down to what documentation you require, how soon you need it, and what you are looking to spend. You may want to consider same day registration, digital only packages or physical ID cards, and duration of registration as some registries may require yearly upkeep.
Top 5 Service Dog Registries
#1 US Service Dog Certification
Features
US Service Dog Certification is a U.S-wide Service Dog Registry that provides same day digital certifications that identify your dog as a Service Dog to landlords, hotels, rentals, and other businesses. With its digital only model, it is the most cost effective registry available. Documents are provided via email immediately upon purchase in the form of PDFs. These documents can be forwarded along to a business and printed at home or at a specialty print store.
Pros
- Lifetime service dog registration
- Same day digital download, delivered via email PDF
- Responsive, knowledgeable customer service representatives answer emails within 24 hours
- Cost effective low pricing makes access as affordable as possible
- 24/7 online verification with valid registration number
Cons
- No physical documents but printing at home is easy and saves a lot of money
- For U.S based handlers
- No doctors on staff but includes a free template to share with your doctor
#2 US Service Animals
US Service Animals is a full service registry that provides registration for service animals for housing, travel and businesses. It was founded by lawyers and provides live consultation with a mental health professional.
Pros
- Network of mental health professionals that are licenced in your state
- Lawyers on staff
- Live customer support and legal attorneys
- Risk free
Cons
- ESA and Psychiatric Service Animals only
- Expensive compared to other registries
- Complicated to register without the help of customer service
#3 USA Service Dog Registration
USA Service Dog Registration provides service dog and emotional support animal registration packages. They offer a mix of digital and physical products and are valid throughout the United States.
Pros
- Highly rated
- Lots of information
Cons
- Very expensive
- We don’t love the quality of vests and identifiers. Better to shop amazon.
#4 USA Service Dogs
USA Service Dogs provides documentation and equipment to register your service animal. It’s focused on customer reviews and providing excellent service to handlers looking to register service animals and emotional support animals.
Pros
- 24/7 online phone support
- Fast shipping
- 14-day money back guarantee
- Over 20,000 reviews
Cons
- Expensive
- Lots of upsells on the shop page
- The digital package only comes with the ID card PFD, certificate is extra
#5 Service Dog Certifications
Service Dog Certifications is a registry that helps handlers feel confident taking their dog out in public. It distinguishes between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, and Psychiatric Service Dogs. Their ID cards come with a QR code that can be scanned for legitimacy. They also offer Public Access Test certificates.
Pros
- Licensed mental health professionals on staff
- Reverse ID lookup to verify registration
- Good information on their website
Cons
- Digital package comes with ID only, certificate is an upcharge
- Easy to spend a lot on items that aren’t’ necessarily needed
Registration is never required, but many businesses or landlords expect to see documentation. As such, there are many, many online registries that can provide same day online registration or certification of your dog as a service animal. For the lowest cost. same day, instant digital registration, US Service Dog Certification is an excellent option.
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