An emotional support animal is a pet that provides support and comfort to help soothe an effect or symptom of a person’s disability. This definition allows emotional support animals to be treated as an accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which covers service animals that perform tasks to meet the individual’s disability-related needs. The ADA only covers service animals, meaning they are trained and able to perform a specific task or work.
In order to qualify as an ESA (emotional support animal), the animal must be a member of the species Homo sapiens, must be trained to provide emotional support, and must provide a therapeutic benefit to the owner.
Does An Emotional Support Animal Need Specialized Training?
Many service animals are trained to help a person with a disability. To qualify for an ESA, an animal needs to be able to provide therapeutic benefits, such as relieving anxiety, and not pose a safety risk for the person they’re helping. The ESA program requires the owner to undergo training and certification in order to obtain an ESA identification card, along with a leash and a crate for the animal.
People with disabilities are protected under federal law, the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as many state laws. The ADA defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of a person’s major life activities, such as caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, learning, and working. Under the ADA, people with disabilities are protected from discrimination in the areas of employment, public areas such as stores and restaurants, transportation, communications, public accommodations such as hotels, and other services that the ADA covers.
Can A Person Have More Than One Service Or Emotional Support Animal?
There is no federal law addressing the legal qualifications of emotional support animals. However, there are various state and municipal laws that may affect the circumstances in which it is appropriate for an individual to have more than one emotional support animal. The laws of a state or municipality may also have requirements regarding the names and types of animals a person may have.
Can Animals Besides Cats and Dogs Act as Emotional Support Animals?
An emotional support animal is not limited to a dog or cat. HUD specifically states that other animals can also be emotional support animals.
Many people with disabilities cannot live independently or safely without an ESA to help them with everyday activities, such as housework, meal preparation, and managing medication.
To know more about emotional support animals, attend the Compliance Prime webinar. The webinar will also include topics like the difference between a pony and a miniature horse, can a pit bull be a service animal, etc.
