CRTASA Registry of Therapy and Service Animals

Please Note: It has been reported that this service is no longer operational. If anyone knows otherwise, or if they have changed their business name, please contact us.

CRTASA is a new centralized registry service in Canada and the USA providing a standardized Photo ID Card system to ease access to public places for all people with disabilities and their service animals, whether they have a trained guide dogs or other species of animals officially trained and certified by an accredited training facility or a licensed trainer.

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CRTASA's centralized registry program and Photo ID Card program launched earlier this year in Canada and the USA to alleviate current confusion that variations of Service Animal Photo ID Cards pose to many business owners and service providers. Especially when owners with a service animal intend to use a photo id card in a different province or state that is not familiar with their type of identification.

As an encompassing service and therapy animal registry agency, CRTASA can extend registry services to different officially trained species of animals.

Unlike service and therapy animal training facilities, CRTASA is not subject to registering only one type of a service or therapy animal species for which a Photo ID Cards can be issued. For example while a dog guide training facility can't issue registry Photo ID Cards to a person with a disability using a Capuchin Helper Monkey for assistance - CRTASA can, if the individual's animal is trained to provide them with assistance with their daily activities based on a disability.

CRTASA remains interested in collaborating with all service and therapy animal training agency in Canada and the USA to establish the much needed consistent and unified registry and identification service for all service animal species and their owners. CRTASA's commitment to build up the CRTASA brand and provide public education and community outreach about service animal purpose and value to owners with disabilities remains unwavering and it has established itself as the leader in the industry aiming to break the current barriers many people with disabilities with service animals experience.

What Service Animals Does CRTASA Register?

CRTASA registers assistance guide dogs that completed their official assistance training program and other species such as the Capuchin Monkey and the miniature guide horse. It also extends registry services to other working animals such as assistance therapy animals and handlers of service animals in training to assist the animal in its socialization process to participate in different public environments by providing their owner with the CRTASA Photo ID Card.

CRTASA members receive the standardized and universal CRTASA Photo Identification Card that features the photo of both the owner and their animal to readily confirm their rightful ownership of their official working animal - especially when their disability is not visible or when they are using a service animal that falls outside of the typical "Seeing Eye Dog" animal.

CRTASA Membership

Becoming a CRTASA member, provides many benefits to people with service animals in addition to easier access to public places. CRTASA Members now also have the opportunity to register for a brand new "Working Animal Health Insurance Plan" regardless of their working animal's age, breed, or species.

Insurance coverage currently not available under standard pet health insurance plans. This new insurance plan developed by CRTASA provides added value to training organizations as well because the new working animal health insurance covers the costs of up to $5,000 towards the training of another future service animal for a CRTASA member whose animal is unable to provide assistance due to an accident, illness or death.

There are numerous other benefits available as detailed on CRTASA's official website including at point of purchase discounts offered by participating retailers and service providers across Canada and the USA to CRTASA when members show their CRTASA Photo ID Card and have their card's barcode scanned when purchasing items or services for their animal.

CRTASA is also working hard to provide public education awareness to retailers and places of business to promote greater social awareness to the role of working animals. Training that will undoubtedly provide barrier free public access to all people with therapy animals, service animals and service animals still in training across Canada and the USA when they show their Photo ID Card.

Please contact CRTASA directly if you are interested in obtaining a CRTASA Photo ID Card or if you are interested in having your organization cross promote your services with CRTASA.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by CRTASA and published on 2010/11/07, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.