Home Page › Blog › Emotional Support Animal Laws
Latest Posts
Service Dog Letter For Landlords: Why You Don’t Need One
Service Dogs and Their Rights Service dogs, under the Americans with Disabilities Act, have numerous rights. The ADA protects the rights of those with disabilities from discrimination, and give service animals the right to perform their duties so those with disabilities can participate in everyday life. Service animals, such as dogs and miniature horses, are […]
Service Dog Registration Guide
Service dogs are an amazing medical tool and are often underutilized due to a confusion in Service Dog regulations. We will go through what a service dog is, who can qualify to have a service dog, where you are allowed to take your service dog, and the benefits of completing your service dog registration. If […]
Disabilities that Qualify you for a Service Dog
If you have a physical, emotional, or mental disorder, then you will most likely qualify for a service dog. Below are the laws and a list of mental, emotional, and physical disabilities that may qualify you for a service dog.
I’m picking my puppy up tomorrow he’s 9wks and a Dachshund. I do want him to be a ESA
I have a ESA. And just got a 5 month old puppy. My landlord now just informed me that I can not have a dog under the age of a year. Is this true?
No, a landlord can’t deny access because of your dog’s age. Make sure you have an ESA letter from your own doctor/therapist or from a reputable source online like ESADoctors.com where they match you with a legitimate licensed professional that actually signs your ESA letter. DO NOT go with a company where the company places the doctor’s signature on a letter.
I am at work I I work in extreme heat do I have to take my dog who is ESA because the hotel giving me a problem
my puppy is only 11 weeks old. hes my support dog
I have an ESA, but he has a severe fear of other dogs. At my mom’s work they allow dogs to be there and let me visit. I go there one day without knowing another dog was there and my dog is tareffied, other dog keeps on getting closer to my ESA and interfering with him as I attempt to pick my ESA up. I’m just wondering if the service/assistance laws on interfering with them apply for my ESA??
Can I register 2 pets as esa?
I have several children that have Emotional Behavioral Disorder, PTSD, ADHD and I got A therapy Golden doodle to help around the house but would like to take her out in public as a service dog because of the children’s emotional stability and sometimes they can not handle society and with her around it would make a difference so how do I GAO about getting the letter to be able to take her with us in public?
When I sign in it ask questions concerning my state and she’s not for me but my children.
You will have to have the dog trained and registered as a Service Dog. An ESA is not covered under the same laws as service animals to be allowed in public places other than airplanes and rental properties.
What you need to understand is that the ONLY ANIMALS that are allowed in ALL PUBLIC PLACES and the ONLY ANIMALS that are protected by the ADA are specifically trained to provide a SERVICE to their owners.
Be it to bark once to inform their owners to take their medication or to alert them of an incoming dangerous situation concerning their health ect…
Service defined:
a : the work performed by one that serves
good service
b : HELP, USE, BENEFIT
glad to be of service
c : contribution to the welfare of others
Emotional Support Animals are not required to be specifically trained to perform a SERVICE. They are prescribed by a doctor to give comfort, to meet an emotional need, to give their owners EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, to be by their side.
Since they do not perform/provide a SPECIFIC SERVICE to their owners, they are not required to be SPECIFICALLY TRAINED. Their ONLY ROLE is to give EMOTIONAL SUPPORT/COMFORT.
Emotional Support defined:
: being by one’s side;
: being there for someone
: the provision of reassurance, acceptance, and encouragement during times of stress.
: to endure bravely or quietly : BEAR
: to keep (something) going
: to provide comfort
Providing emotional support to someone doesn’t require a specific training because you usually provide emotional support and comfort to someone you love.
In both situations, the ANIMAL is taking the place of a human being.
The SERVICE ANIMAL is highly trained to perform a specific SERVICE to it’s owner. This is done by the dog because he is TRAINED to do so. The dog is not providing this service because he has a relationship with his owner, he is doing it because he was trained to do so.
The Emotional Support Animal will help his owner when they are feeling depressed, sad, or lonely. They will cuddle, lick and wag their tails which can help their owners feel happier. They will be by their side when they are feeling anxious, insecure, that they don’t matter or even paranoid by helping to calm their owners, by again, cuddling, licking and even by barking which can help their owners to be less anxious, feel they are being protected, that someone cares how they feel and just by doing the same things that all dogs generally do, they often help their owners feel like they actually matter and that their life has a purpose.
There is no doubt that combined with treatment, and other methods, Emotional Support Animals have and will continue to save lives every day just by giving their owners the EMOTIONAL SUPPORT they desperately NEED to maintain a balance and function on a daily basis.
BOTH types of Animals are NEEDED for all of the reasons listed above and MANY more! They both have their place in our communities!
To answer your question about getting a letter to take your Emotional Support Animal into public places, you have to understand that an Emotional Support Animals are not covered by the protection of The Americans With Disabilities ACT and the laws regarding them are different.
Emotional Support Animals are only protected in the areas of housing and travel… (airports, hotels ect.)
If you want to be able to take the dog with you out in public, and have that right protected by the laws, you would have to have the dog trained to be a Service Animal and provide a SERVICE to the kids.
For example, if one of the kids has an emotional outburst while out in public and the dog is TRAINED to recognize this and trained to SPECIFICALLY go to that child and sit by the child and by doing THAT SERVICE the child is able to calm down quickly and regain control, THEN the dog would be providing a SERVICE to the children and would then be considered a SERVICE ANIMAL allowed by law to go to any public entities.
I hope that helps you understand a little more.
And with that I will also tell you that the letter needs to come from a licensed Dr or mental health or social worker in your community who is willing to say that the Animal is providing a needed SERVICES/Therapy/EMOTIONAL SUPPORT to the children in your care!
Good luck to you and I hope I was at least some help to you!
Have a wonderful blessed day! ❣️❤️❣️
We have a 2 year old German Shepherd and is very well behaved and trained, I started when he was 6 weeks old. My husband has rheumatoid arthritis and has a hard time with his hands. Our dog has a harness that can carry items for him. Is that considered a service that would be service dog action?
What does the law say regarding ESA animals and hotels/VRBOs/campgrounds with pet policies?
I have a 8yr old pet bull. We have had her since she was a pup. My daughter has seizures. She detects them before I do, and alerts me. My dog has a pup he’s. A year now. He’ picks up on her the same way. How do i go about getting papers for them. Will my doctor know what to do after I get the was letter from her doctor. Will I have to pay anything? Please inbox me need help,
I am beginning to believe my dog provides emotional support for me. Since emotional dogs don’t fall under the same laws as service, that means I can’t bring my dog to pilot places such as the mall and whatnot correct?
I recently got a Australian Shepherd puppy to have as an emotional support dog. My question is do I need a letter of certification or just the ID to put on his vest? And is the vest purchased separately than the ID package? Thank you.
You need an ESA letter that is actually signed by a licensed professional. ID’s and vests are good for identifying your dog as an emotional support dog, but not always needed.
Can you have two companions dogs in one apartment?
The vest is not going to gain you access to public places. The law is still the law; ESAs are still only allowed for housing and air travel access. NO stores, restaurants or other publis places.
Please keep in mind, Emotional Support Animals need to be well behaved in public and follow basic commands. 9 Week puppy will not qualify to follow basic commands and if the puppy destroys anything in the apartment the the Landlord has the right to press charges for monthly pet fees and replacement of any damage in my opinion.
IF an ESA is allowed in an establishment, are they required to wear a muzzle? Is it up to the discretion of the establishment? Can the establishment require one ESA to be muzzled and another not be? If one ESA is allowed, are all others?
They are not allowed in public places. Only service animals are. A vest, letter nothing gives the animal the right to be there. The ADA which is the law that covers that. Service animals perform a specific task that they have been trained to do for their owners. They are the only ones that are legally covered to go onto any establishment.
I have a 2 year mini pig that is already legitimately certified/papered and Dr. Letter. We just moved and the new city says that NO hooves animals are allowed in the city. When I stated she was a therapy animal, they said it doesn’t matter. What are my options?
You have no options. Under federal law, dogs only. Used to be mini horses in some cases but I think they got rid of those. ADA states that ESA and service animals are two different things and an establishment DOES NOT have to let your ESA into their establishment I’d they do not want to because it’s not federal law. City trumps fed anyway in the city.
How did you go about getting the legal certification and the doctor’s letter
I love animals, I could probably use an ESA myself. I have a question, my upstairs neighbor has a rescue dog breed ?? 10 yrs old ESA. She doesn’t work. Ut she manages to be gone for several hours every day and that poor dog barks the whole time she’s gone. How’s he do2 her any good when she’s not there. All tbe neighbors are starting to complain about the barking
She does not bring the dog with her because ESA’s are not allowed the same rights as a Service Dog. They can not go out in public like Service dogs can. Rescue is not a breed. If the housing facility allows her to have the dog, all you can do is complain and they can choose how to handle it.
I heard they dont look at the dogs I’d card so how would they know if it’s a service dog or not
I did the questionnaire for a ESA to be approved online. Does anyone know how long it takes?
Got mine in 3 days.
Iv’e had an ESA for almost 4 years and I recently moved into a new apartment complex where the landlord does not allow dogs. He made me jump through hurtles but in the end knew he could not deny her. Its been about a month since we got her all moved in (we had to have her stay at my parents while the paperwork and insurances were filed) and in the last couple of days she has been going pee on our balcony in the middle of the night even though we take her on two walks a day after meals. The first time she did it it trickled down on to the downstairs neighbor’s patio, and now the landlord has sent me a Notice to Cease is threatening eviction. Is this legal? Can he evict me because she had an accident on the balcony? This is the only issue shes has because she is a very well behaved dog. She does not bark, chew anything up or scratch.
If you already had an ESA animal and got another which you said was a 5 month old puppy yes they can deny the puppy due to you already having one you can have 1 I do not believe 2,3,4 ect
I love dogs let me start with that the problem I am having with ESA is in the shelter with homeless people if they are not responsible owners the dogs use the bathroom inside the facility. They tend to not bathe them as well. Trying to keep the shelter clean in these conditions become very hard especially when there are multiple dogs. Some are in need of medical care and I feel like this is abuse to the dogs. This is not a great situation. I can understand homes but not shelters.