Service Animals And Emotional Support Animals Are Considered The Same Among The Law
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.
Service animals and emotional support animals are considered the same among the law. Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. Are emotional support animals protected by law the same way. That being said the Fair Housing Act does specifically refer to emotional support animals.
Emotional support animals and service animals are not considered the same and the laws and regulations that protect service have not yet expanded in most areas to include emotional support animals. The Complete Guide to Emotional Support Animal Laws Psychiatric Service Animal Laws. Unlike in some other nations such as the United States in the UK Emotional Support Animals do not receive the same kind of legal recognition.
Emotional support animalsalso called therapy or comfort animalshave not been trained to perform work or tasks. Service animals are companions which help their owner to perform daily tasks that they could not otherwise. While an emotional support animal isnt the same as a service animal both types of assistance animals have some similar legal protections.
Emotional support therapy comfort or companion animals are not considered service animals under the ADA. 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. Florida recently passed new laws governing emotional support animals ESA which go into effect on July 1 2020.
Individuals with disabilities may use service animals and emotional support animals for a variety of reasons. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. While service animals such as guide dogs are given legal leniency in many circumstances being allowed in places other animals are not.
If they meet this definition animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government Current Law Beginning on March 15 2011 only dogs except in some cases miniature horses are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA. 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. If youre an individual with an emotional or psychological disability emotional support animals can be an excellent companion.