[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":3,"doc-seo-274886-105":53,"doc-detail-274886-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,14,19,24,29,34,39,44,49],{"id":8,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":11,"show_sort_weight":12,"slug":13},11,1,"Template","Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":15,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":16,"show_sort_weight":17,"slug":18},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":20,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":21,"show_sort_weight":22,"slug":23},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":25,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":26,"show_sort_weight":27,"slug":28},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":30,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":31,"show_sort_weight":32,"slug":33},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":35,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":36,"show_sort_weight":37,"slug":38},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":40,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":41,"show_sort_weight":42,"slug":43},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":45,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":46,"show_sort_weight":47,"slug":48},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":50,"doc_module":9,"doc_module_name":10,"category_name":51,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":52},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":54,"data":55},"ok",{"site_id":56,"language":57,"slug":58,"title":59,"keywords":60,"description":61,"schema_data":62,"social_meta":120,"head_meta":122,"extra_data":124,"updated_unix":126},105,"en","resource-document-on-emotional-support-animals","Resource Document on Emotional Support Animals","","Resource Document on Emotional Support Animals provides an overview of clinical, ethical, and legal considerations psychiatrists should address when asked to write an emotional support animal (ESA) letter for a patient. The document explains how ESA requirements vary under a patchwork of federal, state, and local laws and clarifies terminology that distinguishes ESAs from service animals and other therapeutic animals. It details relevant federal frameworks such as the ADA, FHA, and Air Carrier Access Act, plus liability-related considerations to support up-to-date, jurisdiction-specific practice.",{"@graph":63,"@context":119},[64,80,102],{"@type":65,"itemListElement":66},"BreadcrumbList",[67,71,74,77],{"item":68,"name":69,"@type":70,"position":9},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":72,"name":10,"@type":70,"position":73},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/",2,{"item":75,"name":41,"@type":70,"position":76},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/",3,{"item":78,"name":59,"@type":70,"position":79},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/resource-document-on-emotional-support-animals/274886/",4,{"url":78,"name":59,"@type":81,"image":82,"author":87,"headline":59,"publisher":90,"fileFormat":93,"inLanguage":57,"description":61,"dateModified":94,"datePublished":95,"encodingFormat":93,"isAccessibleForFree":96,"interactionStatistic":97},"DigitalDocument",{"url":83,"@type":84,"width":85,"height":86},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/resource-document-on-emotional-support-animals/274886.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":88,"@type":89},"Rizky","Person",{"url":68,"name":91,"@type":92},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-19","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":98,"interactionType":99,"userInteractionCount":101},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":100},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":103,"mainEntity":104},"FAQPage",[105,111,115],{"name":106,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":108},"How do emotional support animals (ESAs) differ from service animals under U.S. law?","Question",{"text":109,"@type":110},"ESAs provide emotional comfort or companionship and are not trained to perform a specific task. Service animals are individually trained to do work or tasks related to a person’s disability and are covered under the ADA (generally limited to dogs, with specific provisions for miniature horses).","Answer",{"name":112,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":113},"Which federal laws are commonly relevant to ESAs?",{"text":114,"@type":110},"Commonly referenced federal frameworks include the ADA, Fair Housing Act (FHA), Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The document emphasizes that ESA protections are regulated across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.",{"name":116,"@type":107,"acceptedAnswer":117},"Why must psychiatrists stay current on ESA laws when evaluating a patient?",{"text":118,"@type":110},"Because ESA-related legal requirements vary by jurisdiction and laws change over time, clinicians should confirm they are following the most current federal, state, and local versions applicable to their patient’s eligibility.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":78,"og:type":121,"og:title":59,"og:site_name":91,"og:description":61},"article",{"robots":123,"canonical":78},"index,follow",{"doc_id":125,"site_id":56},274886,1790056560,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":128},{"doc_id":125,"user_id":129,"nickname":88,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":9,"category_id":40,"category_name":41,"doc_title":59,"doc_description":61,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":101,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":9,"is_downloadable":9,"audit_status":9,"page_count":25,"language":136,"language_code":57,"site_id":56,"html_lang":57,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":61,"update_tm":140,"read_time":47},962085564807,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","APA Resource Document  \nResource Document on Emotional Support Animals  \nApproved by the Joint Reference Committee, June 2022  \n\"The findings, opinions, and conclusions of this report do not necessarily represent the views of the officers, trustees, or all members of the American Psychiatric Association. Views expressed are those of the authors. \" --APA  \nOperations Manual.  \nPrepared by the Council on Psychiatry and Law, Council on Quality Care, Council on Children, Adolescents and Their Families, and the Ethics Committee  \nRenee Binder, MD; Tanuja Gandhi, MD; Meera Menon, MD; Alexandra Audu, MD; Ariana Nesbit, MD; Kathryn K. Ridout, MD; Jorien Campbell, MD; Stephanie Garayalde, MD; Charles C Dike, MD  \nINTRODUCTION  \nPsychiatrists may be asked to write a letter supporting a patient’s request for an emotional support animal (ESA) . Laws about ESAs vary across federal, state, and local jurisdictions. As this is an evolving area of law, it is essential for psychiatrists to stay up to date with laws in their jurisdiction. This resource document provides an overview of the clinical, ethical, and legal considerations that a psychiatrist should consider when asked to write an ESA letter for a patient.  \nIn this document, pertinent issues related to ESAs are described under four sections:  \n1. Relevant Federal and State Laws  \n2. Clinical Considerations  \n3. Ethical Considerations  \n4. Liability-Related Considerations  \nI. RELEVANT FEDERAL AND STATE LAWS  \nKey Points  \n• ESAs are different from service animals and other disability-related assistance animals.  \n• ESAs are defined and protected by a patchwork of federal, state, and local laws.  \n• Psychiatrists considering writing letters of support for ESAs should be familiar with relevant federal, state, and local laws.  \nDefinitions and Terminology  \nTerminology describing different categories of therapeutically used animals varies across federal and state laws and in the scientific literature. A service animal, therapy animal, psychiatric service animal, and an ESA are not the same thing, and the terminology is often confusing.  \nService animals are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) . A service dog is defined as,\"a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” Under Title II and Title III of the ADA, service animals are limited to dogs. However, there are separate provisions for the use of miniature horses by persons with disabilities1,2. For the purposes of this resource document, a service animal (including a psychiatric service animal) is defined as a dog or less commonly, a miniature horse, individually trained to do work or perform tasks that relieve symptoms of its handler’s disability.  \nIn contrast to service animals, an ESA is an animal of any species that is not trained to perform a specific task, but rather through companionship alleviates a person’s psychiatric disability 3. One example of an ESA is a cat whose existence and companionship encourages its owner with depression to get out of bed.  \nThe definitions of terms for commonly used categories of therapeutically used animals are described in Table 1 (copied from reference 3) and a comparative description of other categories of commonly used therapeutic animals is summarized in Figure 1.  \nFigure 1 Description of Categories of Commonly Used Therapeutic Animals  \n\n| Term | Species | Who is helped? | Training required? | Performs specific task? | Mitigates an\u003Cbr>individual’s disability? | Regulations |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Service\u003Cbr>Animal | Dogs or miniature horses only | Individual owner with the disability | Individually trained to assist one person | Yes-related to the owner’s disability | Yes-any disability under the ADA | ADA |\n| Psychiatric Service Animal | Dogs or miniature horses only | Individual owner with th","cbCairQsyUY1qrPi","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairQsyUY1qrPi","pdf",1354769,"English","# Introduction\n## Relevant Federal and State Laws\n## Definitions and Terminology\n## Federal Laws\n### Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)\n### Fair Housing Act (FHA)\n### Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)\n### Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)\n## Clinical Considerations\n## Ethical Considerations\n## Liability-Related Considerations","[{\"question\":\"How do emotional support animals (ESAs) differ from service animals under U.S. law?\",\"answer\":\"ESAs provide emotional comfort or companionship and are not trained to perform a specific task. Service animals are individually trained to do work or tasks related to a person’s disability and are covered under the ADA (generally limited to dogs, with specific provisions for miniature horses).\"},{\"question\":\"Which federal laws are commonly relevant to ESAs?\",\"answer\":\"Commonly referenced federal frameworks include the ADA, Fair Housing Act (FHA), Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The document emphasizes that ESA protections are regulated across federal, state, and local jurisdictions.\"},{\"question\":\"Why must psychiatrists stay current on ESA laws when evaluating a patient?\",\"answer\":\"Because ESA-related legal requirements vary by jurisdiction and laws change over time, clinicians should confirm they are following the most current federal, state, and local versions applicable to their patient’s eligibility.\"}]","Resource Document on Emotional Support Animals | PDF",1789483710]