Emotional support animals (ESAs) are animals that help individuals with psychiatric disabilities by providing them with therapeutic benefits. The use of these animals is very common among individuals with anxiety and depression, but they can also help individuals struggling with a variety of mental disabilities.
When it comes to their public access rights, it is quite different from service animals, which are dogs (or miniature horses in rare cases) that perform tasks directly related to their handler’s disability. If you have an emotional support animal or are planning to get one, and are wondering whether they can go with you anywhere, our article is here to cover everything you need to know.
Read on to get an answer to can emotional support animals go anywhere.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is an animal that provides therapeutic benefits to an individual with a diagnosed mental or emotional disability. These animals do this through the companionship they provide, as well as the routine required to care for them.
However, not every animal that provides therapeutic benefits automatically qualifies to be an emotional support animal. Owners must obtain an ESA letter from a mental health professional licensed in their state of residence. This letter verifies their diagnosis and confirms their need for an emotional support animal, which is a must-have in order to benefit from the legal protections given to these animals.
Differences Between Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals
When it comes to their differences from service animals, know that they both serve different purposes. Service animals are individually trained to perform specific tasks that directly assist an individual with a disability, whether psychiatric, physical, sensory, or any other. On the other hand, emotional support animals don’t have any training requirements. They are solely there to assist people with psychiatric disabilities through companionship.
This distinction is one of the main reasons why service animls have broader public access rights than emotional support animals, which we cover in detail below.
Can Emotional Support Animals Go Anywhere?
To give you a direct, short answer: no, emotional support animals cannot go anywhere. Unlike service animals, emotional support animals don’t have the legal right to accompany their owners in public places like restaurants, shops, grocery stores, and other businesses that generally prohibit pets.
This is because emotional support animals aren’t covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the federal law that grants this right to service animals. Therefore, ESA owners must follow pet policies or ask businesses if they make exceptions for emotional support animals beforehand. Even if an animal has online ESA registration, they must comply with pet policies, though registration can bring other benefits.
While this concludes public access, there’s more to discuss: flying with an ESA and their housing accommodations.
Flying With an Emotional Support Animal
Emotional support animals used to be able to fly with their owners in an aircraft’s cabin free of charge and with exemption from standard pet policies. However, this is no longer the case. ESAs now must comply with airline pet policies for both flying in the passenger cabin and the cargo hold. Since each airline sets their own policies, it is critical for those with an ESA to verify these policies before planning a trip or booking a flight.
Housing With an Emotional Support Animal
Housing is one of the main areas where emotional support animals continue to receive legal protections. The federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) allows individuals with a valid ESA letter to request reasonable accommodations for their emotional support animals from their landlords. Getting your ESA registered and obtaining a certificate that confirms their status may also help with the accommodation request process, but it is not a legal requirement.
In many cases, landlords must allow an ESA, even if the property has a no-pet policy or the signed lease/rental agreement has a clear no-pet clause. They also cannot charge pet-related fees or deposits for an emotional support animal.
However, the emotional support animal must not cause undue hardship for the landlord. For example, the animal must be appropriate for the property; you cannot bring a miniature horse into a studio apartment due to safety violations and concerns that the animal would cause substantial property damage.
Can Emotional Support Animals Go Anywhere? Not Really
Emotional support animals play an important role in the lives of countless individuals, but unfortunately, they don’t have the same public access rights as service animals have. The legal protections of these animals are limited to housing situations.
It is best for emotional support animal owners to check the pet policies of the businesses they plan on going to beforehand to avoid issues at the door. Some businesses also make exceptions for emotional support animals, recognizing that they aren’t the same as regular pets.
