08/10/2020
I have had many people asking questions about service dogs and ESA dogs. If you are wanting an ESA, Emotional Service Animal, or a Service Animal it is your responsibility as the owner to be aware of your local and federal ADA Laws, Americans with Disability Act.
BY LAW an ESA is an animal that does nothing more than comfort their owner by just being present and can be any animal. For proof you need to speak with your doctor to give you a note that is all you need. They are protected under the Fair Housing Act and the Travel Act. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS AN ESA ALLOWED OR GRANTED ACCESS TO PUBLIC PLACES THAT DO NOT ALLOW ANIMALS ON THEIR PREMISES.
A Service Animal has been trained to perform actions or tasks for their owner related to their disability. This includes psychiatric service animals. They are not only protected by the housing act, travel act, and allowed public access. A SERVICE ANIMAL CANNOT BE DENIED ACCESS WHERE THE GENERAL PUBLIC IS ALLOWED AND MUST NOT BE SEPERATED FROM THE HANDLER. A BUSINESS CANNOT ASK THE HANDLER FOR PROOF OR CERTIFICATE TO ALLOW ACCESS. It is not required by the ADA that a service dog has to wear a vest.
As a handler it is important for you to know your rights under the ADA. A service animal goes through intense training and can take a long time to be trained and even then they continue to train with their handler everyday. If you have an ESA please also understand your rights as an owner. I cannot say this enough but their is no database or registration for ESAs or for Service Animals. Do not listen to these websites that say they can register your dog for a fee because they are scam artists. If you have any other questions you can always call or email us and we will be more than happy to help you.
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