Table of Contents
- An emotional support animal, or ESA, is an animal that aids in supporting its owner through emotional disabilities and mental illnesses
- To qualify as an emotional support animal, a licensed mental health professional must prescribe the animal as part of treatment for an emotional or mental health disorder
- The most common conditions emotional support animals are prescribed for include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, PTSD, and bipolar disorder
- While often confused with service animals, emotional support animals are not classified as service animals and do not have the same legal protections
What Is An Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal, or ESA, refers to an animal prescribed to provide support to a person with an emotional disability or mental illness. The most common conditions emotional support animals are prescribed for include anxiety, depression, panic attacks, PTSD, and bipolar disorder.
The use of emotional support animals in treating emotional and mental disorders has been shown to have several therapeutic benefits. The practice is becoming increasingly common in the United States as well as other countries.
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What Qualifies As An Emotional Support Animal?
To qualify as an emotional support animal, a licensed mental health professional (such as a psychiatrist or mental health counselor) must prescribe the animal as part of treatment for an emotional or mental health disorder.
Dogs and cats are the two most common species of emotional support animals but any domesticated animal can be deemed an ESA, including birds, small mammals, and even reptiles. Unlike service animals, emotional support animals don’t require any special training.
How Do I Register An Emotional Support Animal
While it’s not legally required to register your emotional support animal, many owners opt to do so through services such as US Service Animals or The National Service Dog Animal Registry.
These services provide benefits such as legal guidance, certificates, and animal IDs that display ESA status. They’ll also provide assistance in obtaining documentation from licensed mental health professionals that protects emotional support animals from housing discrimination — landlords must accept emotional support animals, even under a “no-pet policy.”
Can I Insure My Emotional Support Animal?
You can insure your emotional support animal under any pet insurance of your choosing. There are no special pet insurance plans on the market just for ESAs. As you would when insuring any pet, it’s important to research and compare plans to find one that best suits your needs and budget.
What Is The Difference Between An Emotional Support Animal And A Service Dog?
While commonly confused with each other, emotional support animals and service animals are not the same. Emotional support animals are not trained to provide a specific task, they simply provide emotional support. Service animals, on the other hand, are trained to provide a specific task that coincides with the medical condition or disability of their owner, such as a seeing-eye dog or seizure-alert dog.
Service dogs have public protections under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), whereas emotional support animals do not. Emotional support animals do have housing protections under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) but have limitations on access to public spaces.
Emotional Support Animal vs. Service Animal Legal Protections
| Legal Protections | Emotional Support Animal | Service Animal |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Airplanes* | ✗ | ✓ |
| Transportation | ✗ | ✓ |
| Restaurants | ✗ | ✓ |
| Grocery Stores | ✗ | ✓ |
| Public Access | ✗ | ✓ |
Emotional Support Animals In Public
The rise of emotional support animals and the misinterpretation of them having the same protections as service dogs has led to some tricky situations and an ever-changing legal landscape.
While most people think of emotional support animals as dogs, in recent years, people have tried bringing everything from pigs and peacocks to mini-horses and even alligators into public spaces. This has led many establishments to start placing restrictions on emotional support animals and an influx of new laws being put into place.
When trying to determine where you can and cannot take your emotional support animal, it’s best to look up your local ordinances, state laws, and policies of individual establishments, as the rules are changing rapidly.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Do I Qualify For An Emotional Support Animal?
You may qualify for an emotional support animal if you have a mental or emotional disorder that your animal helps you manage. You’ll need to consult a licensed mental health professional who will determine your eligibility. If you qualify, they’ll provide you with a prescription for an emotional support animal, also known as an ESA letter.
How Much Does It Cost To Register An Emotional Support Animal?
The cost to register an emotional support animal can vary based on the services offered by each provider. For simply a certificate or ID, you may pay between $50 to $75. For services that include an evaluation with a licensed mental health professional, the costs can range from $150 to $250.
It’s important to note that there are no official agencies to register emotional support animals with, nor is it legally required. Some people may be able to obtain an ESA letter at no cost if their insurance covers mental health services.
Can I Bring My Emotional Support Animal Anywhere?
No — this is a common misconception due to the confusion of emotional support animals with service dogs. Emotional support animals do not have the same protections as service dogs, except when it comes to housing. Therefore, where they can and cannot go in public can be up to local ordinances, state laws, and the policies of individual establishments.
Can A Landlord Deny An Emotional Support Animal?
No — under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), landlords cannot deny an emotional support animal. The only exceptions to this are if the animal is deemed a threat to public safety. Breed, weight, and other restrictions, including “no-pet policies” also do not apply to emotional support animals.
What Are The Costs Associated With Having An Emotional Support Animal?
Outside whatever you may have to pay to obtain an ESA letter, the costs of keeping an emotional support animal will be the same as any other pet. This includes the basics like pet food, supplies, and vet visits, plus any extras like pet insurance, grooming, boarding, training classes, etc.
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