[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-274899-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-274899-en":126},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","emotional-support-animals-4","Emotional Support Animals - 4","","Material covers the objectives and core framework for Emotional Support Animal (ESA) use, including relevant federal, state, and local legal standards and disclosure expectations. It defines ESA, Service Animal (SA), Psychiatric Service Animal (PSA), Therapy Animal, and Pet, with attention to what training is required and who is helped. The content reviews ADA, FHA, ACAA, and IDEA implications, outlines state-specific clinician requirements and animal restrictions, summarizes the evidence base, and addresses evaluation steps, ethical considerations, and liability reduction strategies.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/emotional-support-animals-4/274899/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/emotional-support-animals-4/274899.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Đào","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-20","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",11,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) under the document’s definition?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"An ESA is an animal of any species that alleviates symptoms of a psychiatric disability through companionship or presence. It requires no special training per the terminology table.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"Do ESAs qualify as service animals under the ADA?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"No. The ADA limits service animals (dogs and sometimes miniature horses) and states that dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What legal protections apply to ESAs in housing and air travel?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Under the Fair Housing Act, housing discrimination based on disability is prohibited and reasonable accommodations for ESAs are permitted, with limits on landlord access to medical records. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESAs since January 2021, while service animals remain protected.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},274899,1790063412,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,93,98,103,108,113,117,122],{"id":55,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social 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liability concerns and strategies to reduce liability  \nDisclosures  \nI have no financial or nonfinancial disclosures  \nAcknowledgment: American Psychiatric Association Workgroup on Emotional Support Animals  \nDefinitions and Terminology  \n2/1/2024  \nEmotional Support Animal  \nAn animal of any species that alleviates symptoms of a psychiatric disability through the animal’s companionship or presence  \nDefinitions  \n\n| Term | Species | Who is helped | Training required |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Service Animal | Dog or\u003Cbr>mini horse | Individual owner\u003Cbr>with a disability | Individually trained to assist one person |\n| Psychiatric Service Animal | Dog or\u003Cbr>mini horse | Individual owner\u003Cbr>with a psychiatric disability | Individually trained to assist one person |\n| Emotional\u003Cbr>Support Animal | Any | Individual owner\u003Cbr>with a psychiatric disability | No |\n| Therapy Animal | Any | Various (individual psychotherapy, large group settings) | Animal and handler\u003Cbr>trained in obedience and socialization |\n| Pet | Any | Owner | No |\n\n\n|  |  |  |  |  |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n|  | Term | Performs Specific Task | Mitigates an individual’s disability |  |\n|  | Service Animal | Yes, related to the owner’s disability | Yes, any disability under the ADA |  |\n|  | Psychiatric Service Animal | Yes, related to the owner’s psychiatric disability | Yes, disability from a psychiatric illness |  |\n|  | Emotional Support Animal | No, provides emotional comfort, well‐being, support, or companionship | Yes, disability from a psychiatric illness |  |\n|  | Therapy Animal | No, provides emotional comfort, well‐being, support, or companionship | No, used to mitigate suffering or illness but not a legal disability |  |\n|  | Pet | No, provides comfort and companionship to the owner | No |  |\n|  |  |  |  |  |\n\n\n| ESA vs PSA\u003Cbr>An individual with depression feels comforted by their rat and is able to get out of bed due to need to care for rat. | An individual with nonepileptic seizure disorder has a dog that detects warning signs and alerts them prior to the onset of an episode |\n| --- | --- |\n| An individual with schizophrenia has a mini horse that is trained to bring the pill bottle to them, thereby improving medication adherence. |  |\n\n2/1/2024  \nRelevant Federal, State, and Local Laws  \nRelevant Laws  \n\n| Term | Legal right to enter public establishment | Legal right to enter medical settings | Regulations |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Service Animal | Yes | Yes, with restrictions | ADA |\n| Psychiatric Service Animal | Yes | Yes, with restrictions | ADA |\n| Emotional Support Animal | No | No | FHA, ACAA, IDEA, state and local laws |\n| Therapy Animal | No | Yes | State and local laws |\n| Pet | No | No | None |\n\nAmericans with Disabilities Act  \n• Service Animals are limited to dogs and, in some cases, miniature horses  \n• Specifically states: “Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.”  \n• Considered an extension of the owner; can be excluded from the premises if not housebroken  \n• Questions You Can Ask:  \n• Is this dog a service animal that is required for a disability?  \n• What work or task is the dog trained to perform?  \nFair Housing Act  \n• Prohibits discrimination in housing, including discrimination based on disability  \n• Categorizes service animals AND emotional support animals as “assistance animals” that are “not pets”  \n• Permits reasonable accommodations for ESA (ex: waive pets policy, pet deposit fee)  \n• Landlords are not entitled to medical records or an individual’s diagnosis  \n• Landlords can request supporting documentation  \n2/1/2024  \nAir Carrier Access Act  \n• Prohibits commercial airlines from discriminating against individuals ","cbCaiand9fskV3oC","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiand9fskV3oC","pdf",428558,"English","# Objectives\n## Disclosures\n# Definitions and Terminology\n## ESA vs PSA and related terms\n# Relevant Federal, State, and Local Laws\n## Americans with Disabilities Act\n## Fair Housing Act\n## Air Carrier Access Act\n## Individuals with Disabilities Education Act\n## State and Local Laws\n# Evidence and Clinical Considerations\n## ESA Evidence\n## Service Animal and Pet Evidence\n# Conducting an ESA Evaluation\n## Ethical considerations and liability concerns","[{\"question\":\"What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) under the document’s definition?\",\"answer\":\"An ESA is an animal of any species that alleviates symptoms of a psychiatric disability through companionship or presence. It requires no special training per the terminology table.\"},{\"question\":\"Do ESAs qualify as service animals under the ADA?\",\"answer\":\"No. The ADA limits service animals (dogs and sometimes miniature horses) and states that dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.\"},{\"question\":\"What legal protections apply to ESAs in housing and air travel?\",\"answer\":\"Under the Fair Housing Act, housing discrimination based on disability is prohibited and reasonable accommodations for ESAs are permitted, with limits on landlord access to medical records. Under the Air Carrier Access Act, airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESAs since January 2021, while service animals remain protected.\"}]","Emotional Support Animals - 4 | PDF",1789483792]