What is an emotional support animal?Īn emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that is providing emotional support to a person with a disability, just by its presence.ĮSAs are sometimes referred to as comfort animals or companion animals, but for clarity, we recommend consistent use of the term emotional support animal.Īn emotional support animal can be any commonly kept domestic animal. Service animals may also provide emotional support, but their defining feature is their training to do specific work tasks. They can continue training their dog to perform other tasks. This means that after their animal has been successfully trained to consistently do at least one task, they can start referring to their dog as a service animal. onset of a panic attack), and those actions must directly help with symptoms or limitations associated with a disability. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support are not service animals.Īlthough there are rigorous, formal service animal training programs, these can be expensive and the ADA gives individuals with disabilities the right to train their animal themselves. The dog must have been trained to take one or more specific actions in response to either a command or some signal that they have sensed (e.g. For example, a dog who is trained to help its owner with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) avoid environmental triggers to their disability symptoms would be considered a psychiatric service animal. The ADA service animal definition includes psychiatric service dogs that are trained to recognize and respond to psychiatric disability symptoms. Only dogs and miniature horses can be service animals.Įxamples of service animal tasks include: Federal law allows for a broader definition of service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The Massachusetts Service Animal Law limits the definition of service animal to a dog that assists an individual with a sensory and/or physical disability. What is a service animal?Ī service animal is a dog, or in rare cases a miniature horse, that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Sometimes an individual will need to indicate that they have a disability in order to assert their disability rights, however they do not need to discuss their diagnosis. Note that many disabilities are not obvious, and an individual may choose to be quite selective about who they mention their disability to. This defines disability broadly as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. When we talk about animals that help a person with a disability, we generally use t he definition of disability from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We encourage everyone to get clear on the most common meanings of these terms and try to use them accurately. Inaccuracy or inconsistency in the terms you use can make things more difficult by causing confusion and can raise suspicions and allegations of fraud. There are several different terms for animals that help people with disabilities. There may be important or useful practical considerations in additional to legal rights and obligations.ĭefinitions: disability and types of animal There may not be a clear-cut answer legally. Often, there is a process requiring evaluation of the specifics on a case-by-case basis. Remember: the law has a lot of room for interpretation and gray area.What am I aiming for with this situation? What is my main priority?.Have I followed the appropriate steps/done all of the things that are required of me?.What rights and responsibilities does the law say I have in this context?.Ask yourself: is this a place of public accommodation, a government situation, housing, a place of employment, or transport? What setting am I dealing with? The context will determine which laws apply. What type of animal is this? An emotional support animal or a service animal?.The following questions may be useful in helping you to categorize and evaluate your situation so that you can collect relevant information and figure out a suitable approach:
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