In that it is a companion animal whose purpose is to enhance its owner’s quality of life, an emotional support dog is comparable to a working service dog. However, although a working service dog requires extremely specific training, an emotional support dog does not require any special training.
As long as the dog does not behave disruptively, its owner is permitted to take its authorized emotional support animal anywhere in public. The emotional support animal needs to be well-trained and simple for the owner to control in a public place. The owner is responsible if their dog bites or otherwise harms a third party.
Do I Qualify for My Dog to Be an Emotional Support Dog?
Any breed and age of dog can serve as an emotional support animal. The dog gives its owner crucial stability just by being there. The presence of the companion animal, known as an emotional support dog, considerably helps the owner’s disability or emotional and psychological issues.
Is it lawful for you to have an emotional support animal? That is the most important legal question. Your therapist must identify you as having an emotional handicap and agree to write a letter on your behalf.
What is the Procedure for Applying?
A doctor cannot give you the go-ahead to keep a dog as a pet. A qualified mental health practitioner must carry out this. Property owners, airlines, and company owners who contest your right to bring an emotional support dog with you must be shown this verification document.
The letter must include the following information:
- You are an active patient of the licensed mental health professional who is writing the letter;
- Your diagnosis and treatment plan are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, specifically versions 4 or 5;
- Your life is significantly limited as a result of this disability in at least one way; and
- The emotional support animal is a required mental health treatment.
If you don’t have a therapist, you can apply to a certified mental health services provider that the federal departments have approved for housing and transportation.
What Privileges Do Owners of Service Dogs Have?
People who are allocated service dogs have the right to bring them into public places per the ADA’s rules. This is still true even if the establishment or area normally disallows pets. To be in compliance with ADA guidelines, these locations must modify their “no animals” policy.
According to the ADA, public spaces must also make appropriate accommodations for those with impairments. Other than modifying their no-pet policy to exempt service dogs, reasonable accommodations may include:
- Giving disabled workers time off from work to take their service dog to the veterinarian; Permitting someone with multiple service dogs to accompany them in public;
- Allowing renters to live in “no pet” homes while having assistance dogs.
What Exactly Qualifies as a “Public Place”?
According to the ADA, a “public place” is any area where public members are invited or allowed to be. Restaurants, grocery stores, schools, shopping malls, hotels, and medical offices are examples of public areas.
The ADA permits service dogs to travel with their impaired owners even while traveling on buses and airplanes.
When Is It Not Allowed to Have a Service Animal?
Title III of the ADA contains the definition of a service animal. According to the law, a service animal must be trained especially to perform tasks that a person with a disability cannot perform on their own.
These duties could be physical, sensory, mental, intellectual, or psychological.
For instance, a service animal could guide someone with impaired vision, alert a hard-of-hearing person to sounds, pull a wheelchair, call for aid if their owner is experiencing a seizure, or help someone with limited mobility by retrieving items like a phone or medication.
Whether domestic or feral, trained or untrained, the animal will not be regarded as a service animal under the ADA if it cannot carry out these particular responsibilities.
Where Can I Take My Service Animal?
In general, places that permit people usually allow service animals as well.
As indicated before, people with disabilities who depend on service animals can bring them into establishments like restaurants, hospitals, public transit, shops, and parks.
Additionally, Title III of the ADA mandates that landlords and employers provide tenants with any form of disability with reasonable accommodations.
For adjustments to qualify as reasonable accommodations, the work or home environment for the disabled person must be improved while maintaining a reasonable cost. Additionally, these adjustments don’t have to be significant; they only need to be enough to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to do things like successfully complete their work and enjoy their living environments.
Although the term “reasonable accommodation” includes service animals, a person with a handicap must still show “undue hardship” to be granted permission to keep a service animal in the workplace or in a home that ordinarily prohibits pets.
Without the presence of their service animal, it would be difficult or impossible for the person with a disability to perform the work or maintain a sufficient level of health, life, and welfare. This is what is meant by “undue hardship.”
However, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), there is no clear definition of service animals in the workplace context. Consequently, employers will have to consider allowing service animals for ailments that are more therapeutic or emotionally sustaining in character.
However, the employer will not be obligated to let the service animal in the workspace if it is disruptive or if it is not necessary to perform certain tasks connected to the employee’s impairment.
Finally, since some states have approved legislation allowing specific service animals in the workplace, it might be best to research state-specific laws.
What Sort of Facilities Am I Entitled to?
As was said before, assistance dogs are typically allowed in public spaces unless there is a specific safety concern or if doing so will fundamentally alter the character of the space.
Public places typically need to make accommodations for service dogs in their policies, practices, and processes.
For instance, in the state of California, a zoo is not required to permit a service dog to be near an exhibit if there is no physical barrier separating the dog and the zoo animal. Still, the zoo must provide kennels so the dog can be housed until its owner can pick it up later.
What Distinguishes a Comfort Animal from a Service Animal?
Service animals are often dogs that have been trained to carry out important life functions for individuals with physical limitations. Small horses may occasionally qualify as assistance animals. Assistance animals, support animals, assistance animals, and help animals are other names for service animals. A person must have a disability that significantly restricts her ability to do at least one major life task without assistance to be eligible for a service animal. The animals are well-trained because they help people with physical disabilities.
On the other hand, comfort animals are not trained for any tasks. Instead, just having them around lessens the impact of their owner’s mental or psychological impairment.
Do I Need an Attorney?
If you have a valid diagnosis, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and federal regulations governing air travel and transportation legislation safeguard your right to an emotional support animal. You should immediately contact a discrimination lawyer if your service animal or emotional support animal is being rejected.
