Emotional Support Animal or Service Animal?

I'm Kati Morton, a licensed therapist making Mental Health videos!
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[TheBootsdc]

ESAs have no public access rights because they have no training. So even with a doctors note they are only allowed in no pets housing and are allowed on airplanes.

[taylorkh]

Miniature horses are also recognized as service animals under the ADA

[wascallywabbit]

This is a huge problem. I'm a veterinarian that fills out health certificates for pet travel and many people abuse this to bypass airline rules. And it undermines the people who really need it. Which is too bad.

[RuslanaRose]

my husband brought me a bunny last month and she is so sweet, i really feel that she is making my days brighter

[SlugcatEmporium]

You did a great job. I was nervous that there might be (unintentional) misinformation in this video. I was hoping you would pull some info from the ADA, but it's a super complicated topic and I know you don't have a ton of time for each video.

An animal is only a service animal if the handler is disabled, and the animal performs at least one trained task to mitigate that disability. There is no doctor letter for a service animal.

Miniature horses can also be service animals (stated in the ADA)! They're used for heavy mobility work as well as guide work! But you're right, dogs are by far the most common.

ESAs do not have public access. (You said something about people wanting an ESA letter so they could bring their pet to stores, etc.) Even if someone's claiming their pet is an ESA to bring it into a store, they still wouldn't be able to do it. Same with therapy animals (unless the animal is coming to a school, hospital, etc. with permission to do their job). ESA letters are needed to fly with an ESA, or to have one in no-pets housing (edit: or to avoid having to pay pet deposits, pet rent, and so on in rentals that do allow animals with added fees). Those are the only scenarios I can think of off the top of my head where a letter would be absolutely necessary. Otherwise, any pet could be an ESA, letter or not.

I'm a guide dog handler myself and have a special interest in service animal law, distinction from ESAs, etc. Hope it was okay to add some details.

[taylorswift]

thanks for talking about this today :) I just started training with my new puppy for her to become my psychiatric service dog. there are so many people in my life who are not understanding why I am doing this because I "seem fine" to them on the outside. Ever since my mom passed a few months ago its been even more difficult for me to go out into public, and with me starting school back up in the fall, my therapist thought a service dog would be the best choice for me. My puppy is already helping me every day​.

[kittyotter]

As I'm watching this video, my cat is sleeping on my lap. She's been like this for hours while I've been studying and I feel so relaxed and capable with her company :)

[michalsanchez]

great video. We have a service dog in training. Training for almost 2 years! It is a long and hard process so if people are thinking about having one make sure you are in it for the full commitment. Make sure you are educated & ready to answer a lot of questions because people do ask. Also, it still surprises me that people still come up to ours while working & wearing her vest and just try to pet her. Recently we were at an outside restaurant (we have been given permission to bring her here while still training) & two boys were trying to get her attention with french fries. The parents didn't even say anything to them. So proud that our dog didn't even react to them at all. You have to be strong enough as a person to be able to speak out when this happens. Our SD has been the best thing for my son & I.

[candycrawford]

I have PTSD and TBI from car accidents and my psychiatric service dog has been amazing with distracting me from self harm and reminding me to take my medicine which is very important for my sanity!
Thanks for making these videos it is a wonderful addition to my personal therapy!

[isabellableu]

Psychiatric service dog... That's the kind I need🫶🏼 Thank you.

[lozza]

So good to actually know the difference between the ESA's and service animals! I've been trying to convince my Mum that we need to get another dog that I can look after. I definitely find it hard to get out of bed/take care of myself etc., but after housesitting with a dog a while ago, I realised how helpful animals can be :) Thanks Kati xx

[ForthcommaAbby]

Fostering cats made SUCH a huge difference in my mental health. It helped me feel grounded and connected to another being and gave me a strong sense of purpose. I've since adopted two cats of my own, who aren't ESAs but have been so wonderful for my emotional wellbeing. Cuddling an animal is one of my favorite ways to relieve anxiety.

[damiantremont]

You are absolutely right. My little beagle is great for my depression.

[lisagren]

One thing though: you said that people has abused the ESA system, to bring their pets out in public. But ESA's don't have public access rights - only airplane and no pet housing rights. Though, I have heard about people abusing the Service Animal system. Claiming their dog is a service dog, when it is not. Maybe I misunderstood, or the laws have changed. Or something else. Otherwise you might wanna look into that!

[caitlinquinn]

I looked this up for the UK and we are way behind. You can't have a service animal for a mental health condition unless you have another physical disability. I wish I could have a service dog. I think it would really help with my agoraphobia, anxiety/PTSD etc. and also taking medication, feeling safe, going to appointments etc.

[sophievega]

just having animals in the house is a huge help

[LucretiaPearl]

I have an uncle who helps train service dogs for veterans at no charge to the veterans (Patriot Assistance Dogs based out of Minnesota if anyone is curious). This kind of distinction between service & emotional support animals is very good for people to understand. A big thing for people to remember is to not distract a service dog, & always ask the owner if you can pet an animal before you do so. A service dog needs to be able to react to their owner's needs in some situations very quickly. Things like seizures coming on or panic attacks due to PTSD are important for the dog to get their human to a safe place & help them through it.

[Lillie-mae.Edwards]

When I was inpatient we had pet therapy (2 guinea pigs and a rabbit) every day and it was amazing. There was also a dog which can in every so often. I was terrified of dogs but because of pet therapy I’m not now. I have a little guinea pig now and she’s amazing ♥️ I had no idea there was a difference between ESA and SA though. 💕💕

[ryanmurphy]

whether emotional support animals or trained service dog they are all good boys and girls

[Oceansouls]

..my service dog helps me with walking, depression, anxiety, and to stop me from doing something harmful to myself and alerts me when I’m about to have a panic attack or when I’m going to lose my vision or faint. She is awesome and I love her so much. A lot of people think that service animals are big, but she is a beagle that was actually the runt and is smaller than usual, and does everything I need her to do for me! 🦮🥰😊