Guide dogs have become familiar sights in South Africa. Most people recognise the harness and know not to distract them while they’re working.
But another group of highly trained dogs is quietly changing lives in hospitals, therapy rooms, and, increasingly, legal settings. Despite growing evidence of their value, therapy dogs and other forms of animal-assisted support remain largely absent from public policy and everyday conversation.
As South Africa continues to strengthen trauma-informed approaches to healthcare, education, and justice, perhaps it’s time to ask whether emotional support animals deserve even greater recognition.
Therapy Dog vs Emotional Support Dog: What's the Difference?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same.
An emotional support animal primarily provides comfort to its owner and generally does not require specialised task-based training. A therapy dog, on the other hand, undergoes careful selection and extensive training before working alongside professionals in structured environments such as counselling centres or hospitals.
Assistance dogs, including guide dogs, are trained to perform specific tasks that enable people with disabilities to live more independently.
Understanding these distinctions matters. Each type of working dog fulfils a different role, and recognising those differences helps shape appropriate standards and support.
Trauma Recovery Support Take Many Forms
For children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or violence, talking about traumatic experiences can be one of the hardest things they are ever asked to do.
At the Jelly Beanz Foundation, therapy dog Toffee Beanz works alongside therapists supporting children through trauma recovery. Carefully selected as a puppy for her calm, steady temperament, she helps create an environment where children can begin to feel safe enough to engage in therapy.
Sometimes that support is remarkably simple.
A child strokes her fur while talking. Another sits quietly beside her before finding the confidence to speak. Others simply appreciate having a reassuring presence nearby.
As the Jelly Beanz Foundation’s Executive Director Edith Kriel explains, children often respond to animals in ways they cannot yet respond to adults. Without fear of judgement or expectation, therapy dogs offer consistency and emotional regulation during incredibly difficult moments.
Recently, Toffee accompanied a child she had already supported through therapy into court. This experience has sparked important conversations about how trauma-informed practices could better support vulnerable witnesses in South Africa’s justice system.
Working Dogs Deserve Greater Recognition
South Africa has made important progress in recognising the role of assistance dogs, yet animal-assisted interventions remain relatively underutilised in many settings where they could add value.
That doesn’t mean every dog belongs in a courtroom or counselling practice. Working animals require careful selection, rigorous training, and ongoing assessment. Not every dog has the temperament for this work, and maintaining high standards is essential for both the people they support and the welfare of the dogs themselves.
It also requires sustained investment.
Organisations such as the South African Guide-Dogs Association spend years raising and training future assistance dogs. Their work depends on donors and partners who help cover everything from specialised training to veterinary care, such as Dotsure.
As South Africa continues looking for ways to improve access to compassionate, evidence-informed services, service dogs deserve to be part of the conversation.
Sometimes progress isn’t about replacing professional expertise, but recognising that in the right hands, and paws, a trusted companion can help people take the first step towards recovery.
Dotsure Limited (Registration number 2006/000723/06) is a licensed non-life insurer and authorised financial services provider (FSP39925). Voted South Africa’s Best Pet Insurance 2023-2025 by readers of The Star, Die Burger, Beeld, and City Press.