This episode goes to the dogs! Whether a service, therapy or emotional support dog that is! Join Annette Hines, host of Parenting Impossible - The Special Needs Survival Podcast, as she talks with Rick Courtney about the world of support animals. Rick Courtney is a special needs and elder law attorney and parent of a special needs daughter and shares his experience and knowledge in owning and working with several types of support dogs. What is the difference between a service, therapy, or emotional support dog? Which type of trained dog has ADA protections in public spaces? Did you know having a service dog can foster independence, increase responsibility, improve speech and self-esteem as well as be an ice breaker in social situations! So, listen in and learn about the world of dogs and how they provide support and companionship to our disability community. We would love to hear what you think about this episode. Please leave a comment!

Rick Courtney is a special needs and elder law attorney in Mississippi. He has a special needs daughter who owns a service dog, and their family also has a therapy dog. Rick is a former Director of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) where he serves on the Trusts and Special Needs Law Sections Steering Committees and is a past President and member of the Special Needs Alliance, Inc., a national organization of special needs planning attorneys. He is a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Rick is named in Best Lawyers in America® in elder law and trusts and estates, and the firm is named in Best Law Firms in America® in elder law. In 2009, Rick was awarded the 15th Annual Theresa Award by the New York-based Theresa Foundation, for community service and professional advocacy on behalf of children and adults with special needs. He is the author of A Lawyer's Guide to Working with Special Needs Clients published in 2020 by the American Bar Association.

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