Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

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After a hard day, there’s nothing more comforting than a long couch cuddle with your four-legged furry friend. Thousands of people all over the world rely on their loving pets for emotional support. And for a good reason! Studies have shown that pets have therapeutic benefits for people with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and all kinds of mental health struggles.

In the U.S., an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a pet that’s officially registered as part of a treatment plan prescribed to you by a therapist. There are all kinds of support animals and different rules and regulations for each of them. Keep reading for a comprehensive breakdown of everything you need to know about ESAs.

Conditions that qualify for an ESA

If you’ve been diagnosed with an emotional or mental disorder by a healthcare professional, you may qualify for an ESA. Some of these disorders include:

• Acute phobias
• Autism
• Anxiety
• Addiction (recovery)
• Bipolar disorder
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Mood disorders
• OCD
• PTSD
• Schizophrenia

Service animals vs. therapy animals vs. ESAs

Service animals

Service animals are working animals, not pets. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has a strict definition for this:

“Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”

Most of the time, only dogs can become service animals, which means this is not an option for cats. But there is a special amendment for miniature horses who have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

Therapy animals

These are not pets for individuals. Therapy animals work with many people in clinical settings, schools, hospitals, mental health institutions, hospices, and other places where groups of people need comfort.

Emotional support animals (ESAs)

ESAs are animals that have been prescribed by a licensed therapist. They have different rights than service animals, but are still recognized by United States federal law.

Rules and regulations

Airlines

In the past, it was possible to bring ESAs into the cabin with you at all times. Now, however, airlines are only required to accommodate service dogs. Each airline has their own rules around what type of animal can fly for free, and which size pets they allow in the cabin. Before you travel, make sure to look into each specific airline’s rules around ESAs. Here are the specific pet policies for major U.S. airlines:

• American Airlines
• Alaska Airlines
• Delta Airlines
• Frontier Airlines
• JetBlue Airlines
• Southwest Airlines
• Spirit Airlines
• United Airlines
• Virgin America

Housing

Many houses and apartment buildings have rules against normal pets. But the Fair Housing Act (FHA) protects people with ESAs. The FHA is a federal law that prevents discrimination against tenants in their homes. This law makes sure that people can find housing for their needs. Even if a lease says that it doesn’t allow pets, landlords are required to make what’s called a “reasonable accommodation” to accommodate pets who serve as assistance animals.

Any animal who’s prescribed by a licensed medical professional and provides a health benefit is covered by the FHA. That means that no one with an ESA can be denied housing because of their animal (unless it’s too large to live inside the home).

If you get pushback from a landlord, you should know your rights. According to the Humane Society, “Landlords must agree to a reasonable accommodation request if the disability claim is true and if the request does not create a hardship on the landlord or other tenants. If your request for a reasonable accommodation is denied by the landlord, you have the right to request that a government agency investigate your claim that the landlord is discriminating against you”.

Hotels and Airbnbs

Hotels are not required to allow ESAs, since they consider them pets. But every hotel has a unique rule around pets, so it’s best to check what their policy is before you book. Some hotels are famously animal friendly, for example:

• IHG
• Hilton
• Hyatt
• Kimpton
• Loews
• Marriott
• Westin

In the past, Airbnb used to always allow ESAs. But that policy has changed. Their new rules state that:

• Hosts may charge pet fees for a guest who’s traveling with an emotional support animal
• Hosts are allowed to decline the presence of emotional support animals from a stay or an “Experience”

So it’s now up to the Airbnb host to decide if there’s a fee for your ESA or if they’re allowed to stay at all. If they have a no-pet policy, this means your ESA won’t be able to come.

How to register your pet as an ESA

The only official registration you need for your pet to be your ESA is a letter from your doctor. Many websites claim to allow you to register your pet as an ESA, some for free and some for a fee. But these are not always legitimate sources. The best way to make sure your pet is taken seriously as an ESA is by getting a signed letter from the medical healthcare professional who prescribed this form of treatment to you.

Emotional Support Animals help you manage the ups and downs of life. They’re always there to comfort you, so it’s important to make sure you’re there for them when they need it. Animalia’s dog insurance will do just that, and our coverage will ensure your dog stays healthy and will remain by your side for years to come.

Jannah Berkley

Jannah is a traveling writer and journalist, originally from NYC. She’s always loved animals, even though she has to take allergy pills to cuddle them. When she was young, she used to volunteer at animal shelters and help at a wild animal rescue organization. Since becoming a digital nomad, she’s traversed all across the world as a dog and cat sitter.

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