This is something that upsets me. So please bear with me And I would love to hear otherās thoughts.
This evening on FOXās new show Best Medicine, they solved a problem by declaring a pet an āemotional support animalā. This was so the animal had public access rights in a restaurant. They also did not show evidence of the pre-existing disease the animal would help support. They DID show the doctor writing a prescription though he had never seen the character as a patient (borderline fraud).
It bothers me greatly that people in the greater populace seem to think that the four classes of animals are interchangeable and that rules just get in the way. Pets, Therapy Animals, Emotional Support Animals, and Service Animals are all very different classes of animal.
While one can become another, there are specific definitions that dictate what each class is. When people flaunt the rules like they did in the show just because āa shed (with or without a fenced yard) wouldnāt be good enough for the pet pigā it makes those who actually need the class of animal that has been abused get doubted the next time someone encounters one.
Here are the four classes of animals:
PETS: These are creatures both large and small that you choose to share your life with. It may be fish, lizards, birds, rabbits, cats, dogs, horses, or even hissing madagacar cockroaches. If you can love it, it can be your pet. Be warnedāLandlords are completely within their rights to tell you what you can live with and how big they can be! So that Great Dane you fell in love with might not be welcome in that one bedroom apartmentā¦. It has NO public access rights. It has NO travel rights.
THERAPY ANIMALS: These often start as pets who are discovered to have exceptionally sweet dispositions. They then go through training to learn how to visit sick and long term residents in hospitals, nursing and veterans homes. Some also train to help kids on the stand in court. These special animals have public access rights. They DO NOT have the ability to live in NO PET housing. Travel rights depend on the carrier.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS: These animals require an active prescription from a doctor you see regularly. Your landlord has the right to require it to be renewed yearly if they want to. There should be no cost for this documentation beyond the cost of the regular appointment. It should be on their regular letterhead and list the reason you need this animal. Your landlord CANNOT dictate what kind of animal you need (only dogs or only cats, etc.). They also CANNOT dictate size should the animal require a specific size to do the job. These animals often start as pets and transition to ESAs. They are EXEMPT from no pet housing. However they DO NOT have public access rights. Unfortunately recently airlines have been allowed to choose whether they want to honor the travel rights of ESAs. So they have MIXED TRAVEL RIGHTS. Donāt assume and check before you go.
SERVICE ANIMALS: These are the animals you are most familiar with. These are the hearing ear and seeing eye dogs. These are also the PTSD dogs for vets. There are dogs for autistic kids. Every one has something in common first they are all a dog (or a select few miniature horses). Each one has a single handler. Each one is trained to do one or more jobs to mitigate a disability. These animals HAVE all housing rights. They HAVE all travel access rights. They HAVE all public access rights.
Not sure the animal in front of you is a SERVICE ANIMAL? You can ask only TWO questions.
Is your dog a service animal?
What job is he/she trained to do?
You absolutely CANNOT ask what their disability is.
If you arenāt sure how the job helps mitigate a disability you can follow up by asking how does that help you?
yes heās a service animal
Heās trained to bring me things
He brings me my meds when i canāt go get them
That is a sample set of answers from someone who might have epilepsy, a mobility disorder, panic attacks, severe migraines, or any number of other reasons that might not be immediately noticeable. The answers donāt have to explain a health history. Just that the animal is needed. That is definitely a Service Animal!
Hereās another sampleā¦.
Heās my Emotional Support Animal. Iām supposed to take him places. He makes me happy!!!
First question was fishy. Second question definitely not a Service Animal! This encounter actually happened. It should have been fielded by the shift manager but she was too chicken to go talk to a teenager with a dog. So I got the luxury. I returned with the results and the shift manager go to explain why her dog couldnāt eat inside McDonaldās with her. I got to field the older gentleman who brought his pet in too because drive through would have been ātoo hotā after they drove over there.
Now there is one last class not often mentioned because itās a cross class. Itās MEDICAL ALERT ANIMAL. Most medical alert animals are also service animals. However there are a small percentage that are not. These are the few that are LEGALLY an ESA even though they do the work of a full service animal.
Albert Bunstein (rabbit) is a medical alert service animal living the pampered life of an ESA.
It means heās only on duty when Iām home.
