Are you a landlord who's confused about the distinctions between service animals, emotional support animals (ESAs), and pets?
While all three can provide comfort and companionship to their owners, their roles, legal protections, and training requirements differ significantly. In this article, we'll explore the key differences between service animals, emotional support animals, and pets to provide clarity on their respective roles and responsibilities.
Service Animals
Service animals are specially trained to perform tasks that assist individuals with disabilities. These tasks are directly related to the person's disability and are designed to help them navigate daily life with greater independence.
Service animals are typically dogs. But they can also be miniature horses in some cases. Some common tasks performed by service animals include:
- Guiding individuals who are blind or visually impaired
- Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to sounds
- Retrieving items for individuals with mobility impairments
- Alerting individuals with medical conditions to impending seizures or changes in blood sugar levels
Service animals undergo extensive training to learn these tasks and must be well-behaved and obedient in public settings. They are granted specific legal protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This allows them to accompany their owners in public places, including restaurants, stores, and public transportation, regardless of pet policies.
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)
Emotional support animals, on the other hand, provide comfort, companionship, and therapeutic benefits to individuals with mental health conditions or emotional disabilities.
Unlike service animals, ESAs do not require specific training to perform tasks. They are instead prescribed by mental health professionals to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other emotional disorders.
ESAs can be of various species, including dogs, cats, birds, or even rabbits, and their presence can offer emotional support and stability to their owners. While ESAs do not have the same legal protections as service animals under the ADA, they are covered by the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). This allows them to live in housing with no-pet policies and accompany their owners in the cabin of an aircraft, respectively.
Pets
Pets, as most people understand them, are animals kept primarily for companionship, enjoyment, and emotional support. While pets can bring joy and comfort to their owners, they do not possess specific training or qualifications to assist individuals with disabilities or emotional challenges. Pets come in various shapes, sizes, and species, and their care and responsibilities fall entirely on their owners.
Unlike service animals and ESAs, pets do not have legal protections that grant them access to public places or housing with no-pet policies. However, they contribute significantly to the well-being and happiness of their owners through their unconditional love, companionship, and presence in their lives.
Refine Your Pet Policy
As a landlord, you need to know the differences between the three kinds of animals tenants can potentially keep in their apartment. Emotional support animals come with strict laws that must be adhered to, for example.
In the Hillsborough region, Gates Management brings 30 years of experience to you and can help you deal with all the landlord issues without all the stress. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.