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14 SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MARCH 2025 By Annette Hillis, Resident Have you ever marveled about how certain animals are capable of saving lives, soothing anxiety, or offering unspoken support to someone in need? Animals can be a great resource for those of us who long for or require companionship or assistance in our everyday lives. Enter service, emotional support, and therapy animals - all of which fall under the overarching heading of assistance animals. ese three groups of caregivers assist us in various and very distinct ways. Let's break it down. Service animals encompass a large swath of companions that provide aid to individuals with certain medical, psychiatric, or mobility-related disabilities. ey are highly trained (and this is key) to help with different tasks. Moreover, they provide support with specific disabilities that their owners are either incapable of doing or would have a hard time accomplishing for themselves. e Americans with Disability Act (ADA) primarily recognizes dogs as service animals, although miniature horses may also be regarded as such in certain circumstances. Some examples of these animals include guide, hearing loss, or seizure dogs. It is important to note that they have more legal protection than other types of assistance animals. ey are legally permitted in workplaces, schools, public transportation, businesses, and housing. For the latter, even if a rental proprietor excludes pets from their property, service animals are allowed under the law. e animals, besides being trained, must behave appropriately in public and always be under the handler's control. It's easy to confuse the next category, emotional support animals (ESAs), with service animals. Aer all, they both help people with disabilities. e biggest difference is their lack of specialized training. Instead, they provide relief to someone with debilitating mental health conditions. eir companionship helps to improve a person's quality of life as they face emotional challenges. at said, if a person suffers from PTSD, severe anxiety, or schizophrenia, you might readily assume the animal is an emotional support animal. Not necessarily so. If special training was involved to help mitigate potentially dangerous situations, they fall under the umbrella of service animals. e final category, therapy animals (TAs), are pets that interact with people in settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, or even hospice care facilities. ey are usually owned by private businesses or individuals. ese animals provide pain relief and help reduce stress. Caring for them requires concentration and focus which can distract a person from their emotional or physical difficulties. As far as Solera Diamond Valley goes, Tyler Barber, our Assistant General Manager, reminds residents to kindly keep in mind that the rules and regulations of our community prohibit pets, except for legitimate service animals, in certain community areas. ese areas include the Clubhouse, tennis, pickleball, and bocce courts, as well as the pool area. While documentation cannot be required, the Association may ask if a service animal is needed for a disability or what task it has been trained to do. Answers may be recorded for record-keeping by Management or the Board. Companions with a Cause THE NAMING Give me something strong Give me something powerful Give me something noble Give me something memorable Give me something To carry through all my years With back straight and chin held high But then you asked your three-year-old daughter "Why don't you name the new puppy?" And I'm so screwed that I could cry. Submitted By Linda Weiss, Resident Another excerpt from my book I Could Chew on is, by Francesco Marciuliano. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.