Emotional support animal facts for kids
An emotional support animal (ESA) is a type of animal that provides comfort to help relieve a symptom or effect of a person's disability. Under U.S. law, an emotional support animal is not a pet and is generally not restricted by species.
An emotional support animal differs from a service animal. Service animals are trained to perform specific tasks such as helping a blind person navigate, while no training is required for emotional support animals and they need not be formally trained to perform any tasks to mitigate mental illness. Any animal that provides support, comfort, or aid, to an individual through companionship, unconditional positive regard, and affection may be regarded as an emotional support animal.
In the U.S., people with mental health disabilities can be exempted from certain federal housing and sometimes travel rules if they own an emotional support animal. To receive that exemption, they must meet the federal definition of disabled, and the animal must provide emotional support that alleviates some symptom or effect of the disability. The person must usually present a letter from a certified healthcare provider, stating that the animal provides emotional support that alleviates one or more of the symptoms or effects of the disability.
Animals
Emotional support animals are typically cats and dogs, but may be members of other animal species. In relation to whether or not an emotional support animal should be allowed in a rental property, it is thus necessary to perform an individualized assessment of the specific assistance animal to determine if it poses a direct threat of harm or would cause substantial property damage, and not to assume that an animal is excluded based upon breed or species. Although a wild or exotic animal that poses an increase risk of disease or potential attack upon other people may potentially be excluded, courts have recognized species including guinea pigs and miniature horses as emotional support animals.
Some airlines will allow emotional support animals, with proper documentation from a veterinarian and/or mental health counselor, and small animals such as cats and dogs can be held on the passenger's lap during the flight.
There is no requirement under federal law for emotional support animals to wear a tag, harness, or clothing of any type indicating they are emotional support animals.
Training and tasks
There are no training requirements for emotional support animals. Emotional support animals typically have no training beyond what would be expected for the same type of animal.
Other types of assistance and service animals
Emotional support animals are only one type of animal that is used for people with disabilities or similar issues. Other types of animals used by and for people with disabilities include:
- Service animals or assistance dogs: Animals, usually dogs, that have been trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability. Subtypes include:
- Guide dogs and guide horses: Dogs and miniature horses that have been trained to help a blind person walk independently.
- Hearing dogs: Dogs that have been trained to identify sounds for a deaf person, such as an alarm or someone calling the person's name.
- Medical response dogs: Dogs that have been trained to notice the onset of a medical condition, such as hypoglycemia in a person with diabetes, and to alert the handler.
- Mobility assistance dogs: Typically larger dogs, mobility assistance dogs are trained to help persons who have difficulty walking, such as by pulling a wheelchair, opening doors, or letting the handlers lean on the dogs for stability and support while walking.
- Psychiatric service dogs: Dogs that have been trained to perform specific tasks, such as entering a room to determine whether it poses any threat to the handler. This includes autism service dogs.
- Seizure response dogs: Similar to medical response dogs, these dogs are trained to alert their handlers to the onset of an epileptic seizure.
- Therapy cats and therapy dogs: Cats or dogs that comfort people in difficult situations, such as people in hospice care. Unlike assistance dogs, therapy animals are not usually trained to perform specific tasks, and the people they interact with may not be disabled. Unlike emotional service animals, they are not necessarily owned by a person with a disability, but instead visit different people, who may or may not be disabled, through programs in healthcare institutions, schools, or disaster areas.
Images for kids
-
Emotional support animal comforting a college student
