Emotional Support Animal Laws

Before elaborating about ESA laws it’s important to understand that emotional support animals significantly differ from service animals. Emotional support animals are only trained to be with patients or individuals who are suffering from any kind of mental and emotional disorder or disability. As per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), emotional support animals and service animals differ significantly through the services they offer.

Service Animals

Service animals are professionally trained to assist and be a helping hand for people with major disabilities such as blind, dead or are restricted to a wheelchair. These animals are professionally trained to understand their owner’s medical condition.

Emotional Support Animals

[https://esacert.com/]ESAs are only trained to offer unconditional love and support to their owners. Emotional support animals are for people who are suffering from any kind of mental disorder or are emotionally disturbed. They are not given the training of doing task but from their own intelligence most emotional support animals are capable of sensing their parent’s condition

Who Can Obtain an ESA Letter?

People who suffer from the following disabilities or disorders are eligible to obtain an ESA letter. However, in order to confirm it you need to consult a licensed medical expert and get the diagnosis in written. It helps in getting an esa letter. Individuals with the following problems;
 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
 Panic/Anxiety Disorders
 Phobias
 Depressive Disorders
 Stress Disorders
 Personality Disorders

Federal Laws Regarding Emotional Support Animals

There are multiple laws approved under the Federal Law to guard the rights of an emotional support animal. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) function under American with Disabilities Act for emotional support animals.
It is important for every owner or pet parent to know about the rights of an emotional support animal to ensure that no law is violated.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

ADA elaborates all necessary guidelines regarding how people should treat emotional support animals. The permits they have and how the organizations should treat them. The laws covered under ADA are implemented in 50 states;

The Fair Housing Act (FHA)

FHA allows the owners to keep their emotional support animals with them at their residence, despite if you are living in a no-pet area. The FHA safeguards emotional support animal owners from any kind of illegal discriminatory acts by landlords under the homeowner associations (HOA).

Air Carriers Act (ACAA)

The ACAA is an act under which you are allowed to take your emotional support animal with you anytime and anywhere you want. You don’t have to go through any documentation required by the airlines. However, all you need to do is inform the airline at least 48 hours before your flight.

In The World of Cruelty Be Kind to the Ones Who Can’t Speak


The list of Emotional support animals is not only limited to cats and dogs. You can adopt any animal and train it to be an emotional support animal. The only thing that matters is that it doesn’t disturb the people in surrounding or causes any kind of harm to them. You are legally allowed to have emotional support animals even in no pet zone areas.