Service Animals And Emotional Support Animals Are Considered The Same Among The Law
Not all animals that individuals with a disability rely on meet the definition of a service animal for purposes of ADA.
Service animals and emotional support animals are considered the same among the law. These rules were also intended to address a growing concern that tenants are. 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. Emotional support therapy comfort or companion animals are not considered service animals under the ADA.
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. 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. According to the US.
The rules regarding emotional support animals arent nearly as strict or specific as is the case with service animals. This guide covers the relevant laws that protect emotional support animals and their owners. First of all to understand the differences in the laws get to know the difference in these animals.
The reasons that emotional support animals are not considered under the same laws as service animals have to do with the lack of training that emotional support animals receive. While service animals such as guide dogs are given legal leniency in many circumstances being allowed in places other animals are not. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact that would qualify as a service animal.
Animals that provide a sense of safety companionship and comfort to those with psychiatric or emotional disabilities or conditions. If youre an individual with an emotional or psychological disability emotional support animals can be an excellent companion. Emotional support animals comfort animals and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA.
Emotional support animalsalso called therapy or comfort animalshave not been trained to perform work or tasks. Without proper training they can cause problems in public accommodations and distract actual services animals from properly doing their job. 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.