Service Animals And Emotional Support Animals Are Considered The Same Among The Law
Other species of animals whether wild or domestic trained or untrained are not considered service animals either.
Service animals and emotional support animals are considered the same among the law. Service animals are companions which help their owner to perform daily tasks that they could not otherwise. Animals that provide a sense of safety companionship and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional disabilities or conditions. You cannot discriminate against people that own an emotional support animal but as a landlord you do still have rights.
This guide covers the relevant laws that protect emotional support animals and their owners. Under Title III of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act ADA and virtually all state laws a service animal is an animal that has been trained to perform work or tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. Department of Transportation the Department or DOT announced it final rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals on December 2 2020.
Emotional Support Animals are NOT considered service animals by the ADA or Washington State Law and are not protected by the laws outlined for service animals. Neither the ADA nor Louisianas service animal law includes therapy dogs or what some people call emotional support animals. Because of this emotional support animals often make the news because people have succeeded in bringing in surprising or exotic creatures such as ducks goats and even a kangaroo onboard airplanes as emotional support.
Without proper training they can cause problems in public accommodations and distract actual services animals from properly doing their job. Not all animals that individuals with a disability rely on meet the definition of a service animal for purposes of ADA. Emotional support animals are considered pets not service animals by US Department of Transportation.
These laws including how to file a complaint are listed in the last section of this publication. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD an emotional support animal is any animal that provides emotional support alleviating one or more symptoms or effects of a persons disability. Emotional support animalsalso called therapy or comfort animalshave not been trained to perform work or tasks.
Emotional support animals do not have the same. The difference between an emotional support animal and a service dog that is. While emotional support animals are used as part of some treatment plans for mental health they are not considered service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act ADA.