Benefits
$39
SERVICE DOG
Registration$34
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL
Registration$34
View our guide and benefits below to choose the right service for your pet
On September 15, 2010, definitive regulations concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for title II (State and local government services) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) were proclaimed by the Department of Justice in the Federal Register. These regulations (or requirements) include renewed rules, as well as the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design.
This edition explains what “service animal” means and what their provisions are in the Department’s regulations starting from March 15, 2011. According to it, only dogs can be counted as “service animals” under titles II and III of the ADA. Titles also allow service animals to escort those with disabilities to public places.
Service animals – dogs that are trained precisely for assisting in duties or tasks for disabled people. They are working animals – not pets, and are instructed specifically to do the task disabled people can’t do themselves. The examples of service dogs can provide list:
Guiding those who are blind or have problems with vision;
Alerting deaf people;
Helping in wheelchair managing;
Reminding mentally ill people to take medicines;
Warning and keeping safe people with a seizure;
Calming those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) when they suffer from anxiety attacks, etc.
Dogs that give emotional support don’t belong to the “service animals” due to the ADA, those are listed in the “assistance animal” category (which is a broader description of a “service animal”). Yet, some states define service animals more broadly, but this info should be clarified at the relevant State attorney general’s office.
Due to the ADA regulations, service animals are able follow you everywhere where people are allowed to go. For example, it is appropriate to have a service animal with you in such hospital areas as examination and patients rooms, cafeterias, etc., but not in the areas that demand a sterile environment (operating rooms or born units).
Here, you can get answers to all your questions on how to get a letter for your ESA. We will give you all the details you need, as well as keep in touch during the Service Animal Registration procedure.
SERVICE ANIMAL CERTIFICATION
A Service Dog is specially trained to perform a task that directly assists you with your disability.
Under the American Disability Act, Service Dogs are permitted to accompany you almost anywhere the general public can go.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL CERTIFICATION
provide you with general comfort and emotional wellbeing.
They are permitted to travel in airplanes with their owners and are generally exempt from your lease/landlord’s pet policy.
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
ESAs are those animals that provide comfort and emotional support to the owner with anxiety, panic attacks, depression, etc. Any type of animal can be an ESA. To register them, a letter from a therapist that confirms your emotional problems is necessary.
Service Animals
Service animals are dogs that assist people with disabilities. They are specially trained to provide those types of services the owner is in need of.
Therapy Animals
Those are pets that give moral support to those in need of it in such establishments as hospitals, retirement houses, rehabilitation centers, etc. Pet owners can register his/her animal as therapy animals after the training.
In order to register your pet, please, choose a proper type of registration and fill in the general info about it:
There are two payment options you can select from – PayPal payment or direct credit card payment via Stripe. Online registration is confirmed instantly (you can confirm it on a special page). If you want a confirmation ID, you will get it within four business days after ordering.
A vertical picture with a 3:4 aspect ratio taken from the height of your pet.
No, there is no need to have special training to be registered. The pet can be taught by any trainer, its owner, or owner’s relatives. The most important thing for an animal is to know how to perform all the needed tasks to help its disabled handler.
A lot of people think that this type of registration exists. However, this is a false term.
You can qualify for an emotional support animal if you have psychological or emotional issues and your pet provides you with support and comfort, thus relieving these problems.
As the experience shows, there are moments when you may meet an uneducated landlord, staff member, or manager who has no idea what is a service animal and ESA, so they do not follow the federal laws. If those people do not want to accept common rules and cause you problems, you can contact the Department of Justice. They are working with laws concerning service animals and ESA.
If there is a situation when the staff in the place you are visiting don’t want to let you in with your service animal, explain that the ADA rules allow you to do this, and your rights are protected by them. If they still don’t let you in, talk to their manager and notice politely that you can call the police, and they will explain the law once more.
If you have more questions, you can contact the U.S. Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TDD).
Before the actual trip, it is important to check the rules of the country you are traveling to. There is a chance they require certain documents from the vet, vaccinations, health certificates, etc.
The United States Department of Agriculture can help you with all the details and info concerning traveling with your animal to or from a foreign country.
If you are going to travel on the plane or stay in a no-animal place, airlines and house owners can legally ask you to show a letter from a licensed mental health specialist with the confirmation that you need an ESA.
Service animals are allowed at any public places open for visitors. The employees cannot ask you to leave the dog outside, forbid you to come inside, or intentionally separate you and your dog. Moreover, they have no right to charge you an extra fee for the service animal.
It is not required by the ADA to register or certify service animals, this is completely optional for the owners. Some people register their dogs in order to have proof and notify everyone their dog is a service animal.
But remember, nobody (whether it is an employee, staff, or managers) can ask you to show them your dog’s certificate or license about the training. That is not a condition that gives you the right to enter a public place!
The ADA rules do not demand professional trainer services or complete a special program, you can teach your dog yourself. However, to get all the rights service dogs and their owners have, animals should be trained to perform all the tasks that can help with handler’s disabilities. Only those that completed the training are confirmed to be service dogs.
Service dogs can be any kind of dog breed. Public places or landlords are not allowed to forbid the person to come in simply because their service dog is a specific breed. They may ask to leave the place if the animal is trained poorly, aggressive, and is a threat to other people’s health and safety. However, they have no right to kick you away just because they are personally scared or do not like your dog.
Moreover, if the local rules ban a particular dog breed in the city, sometimes that ban does not apply to service animals.
Yes, disabled people are allowed to take their service animals with them without paying a fee. However, there are some rules. The dog should sit on the floor between your knees and the front seat during the whole flight. If it is too big, the staff can require you to crate it.
They are allowed to ask a disabled person to leave their dog outside (or to leave the place with it) only under these circumstances:
The dog is aggressive and is a threat to other people in the building;
The dog is not well-behaved or not under control.
Due to ADA rules, allergies, personal dislikes, or fear of dogs is not a reason to kick a disabled person with their service animal out of the public place. If one of the establishment’s visitors has allergies or does not like a service animal, the manager should accommodate people in different locations, far from each other.
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides support to an individual that is suffering from anxiety, depression, fears/phobias, or relationship issues.
Common ESA animals include dogs, cats, rabbits, miniature pigs, goats, horses, guinea pigs, bearded dragons, etc. Check with your city to determine if there are any zoning restrictions on the type of pet allowed on your property.
Emotional Support Animals do not require any special training by federal law. The animal should be well behaved in public locations.
Emotional support animals can provide comfort and support for people with many different emotional conditions. A few examples are anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder/mood disorder, panic attacks, fear/phobias and other psychological and emotional conditions.
Any animal or breed can qualify as an emotional support animal as long as it helps support an emotional condition and meets guidelines for legal emotional support animals to have. Please note that if you have an exotic animal you should verify with the appropriate authorities such as Fish and Wildlife that your animal may be legally kept in a home.
There are specially designed laws that can protect ESAs and service dogs in certain situations. The Americans with Disabilities Act protects service dogs. The Fair Housing Authority (FHA) and Air Carriers Access Act (ACAA) protect emotional support animals.
Service dogs are not restricted as much as ESAs. In fact, service dogs are allowed to go anywhere. Whereas, ESAs are required to follow all the pet policies in all locations, except in one’s permanent residence.
If you have an emotional or psychological condition and your animal provides comfort and support, then you could qualify to have an emotional support animal.
Since emotional support animals do not require any special training, the owner is required to acquire a certified letter, composed by a licensed mental health or primary care physician. The letter will explain the therapeutic benefits that the animal provides to the owner and the owner’s need for this type of support.
Our website works with various mental health professionals to offer anyone the opportunity to undergo one of these evaluations. Once you have been deemed a suitable candidate for an emotional support animal, you will receive your certification by email. The official document will also be shipped to your physical address.
When flying, all animals must remain in the cargo area, except for ESAs and service animals. ESAs and service animals are the only type of animals that are actually allowed in the cabin of the plane. If you are flying with an emotional support animal, most airlines will require you to notify them advance. It is best to notify the airline of your conditions several days before your scheduled flight. Keep in mind that you may be required to present your certified letter in advance, as well. In this case, you will need to arrive at the airport at least 30-45 minutes early, so the representative can verify the document. Each airline has different rules and regulations and it is important that you read and understand them.
ESAs and service dogs cannot be the subject of discrimination. This basically means that there are no limitations on the size of the animal. Lawmakers understand that various breeds are used for service and emotional support animals. The size variances will not matter in this case, because all airlines must accept the animal regardless of size.
As mentioned above, anytime you are relocating with an ESA, you will be required to present a letter of prescription to the landlord. Under no circumstances will the landlord be able to deny the ESA reasonable accommodations. Of course, it will be up to the owner to ensure the safety of others and keep the dog under their control at all times.
Any animal that can provide therapeutic support can be considered an emotional support animal. However, the same rules do not apply to service animals.
Therapy dogs do not have ADA public access rights. A Therapy Dog is one that meets the needs of others (such as visiting sick or elderly persons in nursing homes, hospitals, reading groups, etc.).
Yes, as long as it is well-behaved and completed special training for therapy dogs.
Therapy animals come in different shapes, sizes, and animal types and provide comfort to people in hospitals, old age homes, rehabilitation facilities, and other places where therapeutic assistance could be of importance. Therapy dogs improve the lives of the people around them. However, therapy dogs do not have the same rights as emotional support animals.
There are several key differences between therapy dogs and emotional support animals. While both animals provide similar types of support, therapy dogs do not have the same rights as ESA’s. ESA’s require a prescription letter in order to travel or live in pet-free housing. Therapy animals do not require prescription letters. Further, unlike service dogs, therapy dogs do not have the same special access rights.
No, therapy dogs do not have this right. They should have special permission to do that.
If you have any questions, please send us an e-mail. Kindly allow 1-2 business days for a response.
