Everything You Need to Know About Emotional Support Animals

Key Points

·         Emotional support dogs (ESAs) are not service canines, but rather pets.

·         Emotional support animals are legally prescribed by mental health specialists.

·         Emotional support animals are no longer needed to be accommodated by airlines.

Having a dog is crucial to some people’s capacity to operate regularly on a daily basis. A dog’s presence gives emotional support and comfort, allowing them to deal with obstacles that would otherwise jeopardize their quality of life. These animals are referred to as emotional support animals (ESAs).

What Is an Emotional Support Dog?

Although all dogs provide an emotional connection to their owners, an emotional support dog, also known as an emotional support animal (ESA), must be prescribed by a certified mental health practitioner to a person suffering from a serious mental disease. A therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist must assess if the presence of the animal is necessary for the patient’s mental health.

 Owning a pet, for example, may reduce a person’s anxiety or provide them with direction in life. Dogs of every age and breed are welcome.

Emotional Support Dog vs. Service Dogs

ESAs give companionship and can help alleviate anxiety, despair, and some phobias. They are not, however, service dogs, and ESA users do not have the same accommodations as service dog users.

ESAs are not permitted where service dogs, such as guide dogs or mental service dogs, are permitted. ESAs, for example, are often not permitted to accompany their owners into restaurants or retail center. Service animals are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as “dogs that have been specially taught to accomplish labor or execute activities for individuals with disabilities.” 

 Animals that just give emotional consolation do not qualify as service animals, according to the statute. Some state and municipal regulations have a broader definition, so check with your local government to see if ESAs are eligible for public access in your region.

The primary distinction between a service dog and an emotional support dog is whether the animal has been taught to do a specific activity or job that is directly connected to the individual’s handicap. Service Dogs, for example, are taught to warn a hearing-impaired person to an alarm, assist a visually impaired person past a barrier, or provide pressure to someone suffering from PTSD who is having a panic attack. 

Although soothing, behaviors like snuggling on command do not qualify. The tasks must be specially trained to alleviate a specific impairment, rather than something the dog would perform naturally.

Emotional Support Dogs Are Not Psychiatric Service Dogs

There are service canines known as psychiatric service dogs that require substantial training to work with persons who are disabled due to mental illness. These canines identify the onset of mental episodes and aid in their treatment. Although this seems similar to the function of an ESA, the distinction between the two is found. The duties done by the dog and the training obtained to execute these tasks.

Psychiatric service dogs (designated as service dogs by the ADA) have been taught to do specific tasks that assist the handler in coping with a mental illness. For example, the dog may remind a person to take prescribed prescriptions. Prevent a disoriented person experiencing a dissociative episode from walking into a potentially dangerous scenario like traffic, or undertake room searches for a person suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. If the dog’s mere presence helps the human cope, the dog does not qualify as a psychiatric support dog.

Housing Accommodations for Individuals Who Use Emotional Support Dogs

Individuals who use ESAs are entitled to specific accommodations in the fields of housing and air travel under federal law. ESAs are included under the Fair Housing Act’s definition of assistance animals.

People cannot be denied housing because of their handicap, according to the statute. People with a prescription for an ESA are exempt from pet prohibitions or restrictions. They cannot be charged a pet deposit for having their ESA reside with them.

Are Emotional Support Dogs Allowed on Flights?

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) released final modifications to the Air Carrier Access Act in December 2020. (ACAA). The final rule, which goes into effect in January 2021, defines a service animal as any dog, regardless of breed or type. That has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability. Such as physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. This adjustment in the DOT’s definition of “service animal” is quite similar to the term used by the Department of Justice under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

Emotional support animals (ESAs), comfort animals, companionship animals, animals being trained to be service animals, and species other than dogs are also excluded from the revised DOT definition of “service animals.” Instead, emotional support animals may be recognized and accommodated as pets by airlines. The new no-fly policy for ESAs began on January 11 for most airlines. Some airlines now require people traveling with service dogs to fill out a DOT-approved form that certifies their training, health and certification.

The AKC has previously highlighted safety concerns with the prior classification of ESAs as service animals. The citing an increasing number of persons misrepresenting their dogs as service animals.

Emotional assistance Dogs can play a significant part in the life of someone suffering from mental or emotional disorders. When persons who do not have a disability misuse the system by portraying a pet as an ESA in order to acquire special accommodations, they undermine vital allowances for those who have a true need for this help.