Home - Psychological Service Dogs, Inc.

Rescuing dogs... to rescue people. A young girl smiles at her psychological service dog.

Psychological Service Dogs, Inc.

For almost 30 years, Psychological Service Dogs, Inc. has been changing lives across Central Florida by rescuing dogs for those with invisible disabilities, including psychological, emotional, and intellectual challenges.

Our mission is simple:

To empower individuals to live fuller lives with the support of a highly trained service dog—gaining access, independence, and connection within their communities.

A small breed psychological service dog pants happily.

Our Mission Statement

To promote the use of Service Dogs for those with invisible disabilities—emotional, genetic, intellectual, or psychological.
To offer Service Dog training to dogs already in the home or assist with rescuing a dog to be trained as a Service Dog for those with invisible disabilities.
To ensure that those with invisible disabilities, along with their Service Dogs, are provided with the respect and accessibility they deserve.
To educate and train other Service Dog trainers on issues specific to individuals with invisible disabilities.

WE BELIEVE LIFE SHOULD BE DEFINED BY OPPORTUNITIES- NOT BY LIMITATIONS

What is a psychological service dog?

Also known as psychiatric service dogs, these specially trained animals assist those with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and those on the spectrum, as well as many other concerns by performing specific duties or tasks directly related to the person’s specific concern.

Examples of common service dog tasks might include:

Providing grounding nudges (or blanketing) during panic attacks
Guiding their handler to a safe place
Interrupting repetitive or harmful behaviors
Blocking unwanted attention or behavior from others

However, dogs who are identified as emotional support animals or therapy dogs—but are not trained to perform specific tasks—do not qualify as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and thus do not enjoy the same protections under the ADA that service dogs do.

Psychological Service Dogs, Inc., a 501(c)3 established in 1999, is proud to have the support of Center for the Healing Arts in Winter Park, Florida. CFTHA is one of the first dedicated group therapy practices devoted to challenging, supportive, and nurturing therapy for those with invisible disabilities since 1983.

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Who We Serve

We serve those in Central Florida who are on the spectrum and those with invisible disabilities, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, ADHD, schizophrenia, agoraphobia, and more.

A mental health professional with a clipboard documents a client's potential need for a psychological service dog.

How It Works

From initial consultation to dog placement and training, we guide each client every step of the way. We are available to our clients through the life of their service dog.