One of the best methods used in therapy is prescribing Emotional Support Animals (ESAs). ESAs are always prescribed by licensed medical health professionals, as they are known to provide emotional support, companionship, and mental stability to their companions. They can make a significant change in many people’s lives, especially those who can’t get emotional support from their family or friends who live far away but spending time with your new buddy also entails bringing it along everywhere with you.
Because not every business industry allows pets on their premise, you’ll have to know how ESAs are incorporated in the business industry. So, continue reading to find out more.
ESAs and Service Animals
Before delving into the itty-bitty details, we have to understand the difference between ESAs and service animals first. ESAs are basically animals that support people suffering from anxiety, phobia, PTSD, etc. They also provide emotional support to their companion at any given time.
Service animals, on the other hand, can also provide emotional support to their companion, but they are specially trained to do a certain job or a task for their emotional, physical, or mentally disabled companion. People often use the two terms interchangeably, but it’s important to know the purpose of each type because service animals are typically allowed everywhere in any business establishment, while this is not always the case for ESAs.
Restaurants
Service animals are protected by laws and are legally allowed to have access to any public place, while Emotional Support Animals are not always allowed in restaurants. It’s true that there are laws that cater to ESAs, but they don’t give ESAs as much freedom as they do for service animals. However, ESAs can still have accessibility in restaurants, even if it’s restricted in comparison to service animals.
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Because most restaurants deal with ESAs as pets, some don’t allow people to bring them along, but there are more restaurants now that allow ESAs on their premises. In addition to this, you can take your ESA to any pet-friendly restaurant you desire. You can simply google these and take off to the nearest pet-friendly restaurant.
Planes
Thanks to the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act), ESAs are now allowed to travel with their owners. The ACAA gives the right to ESA owners to accompany their pets on planes. Flight attendants and officials won’t stop you from taking your pet with you. However, they also have policies regarding pets, like informing airline workers that you’re going to take a pet with you 48 hours prior to the flight. This doesn’t mean that you can’t take your pet if you don’t inform them, as they won’t deny you that right, it is the law after all.
But to avoid any complications on the journey, it is best that the staff are informed beforehand. Other policies which you will have to stick to is keeping your ESA either on your lap or under your seat. Letting them roam around or walk the aisle is strictly not allowed, as they may cause inconvenience to passengers trying to reach emergency exits. Apart from this, you can take your ESA with no extra fees, but make sure that you have your ESA letter ready on the day you travel.
The Housing Industry
We’ve all come across a pesky landlord at some point who wouldn’t allow us to have a pet around, even if it is well-behaved. Fortunately, if you have a certified ESA, then your landlord or house owner is not allowed to use the no-pet policy against you, as you are allowed by the law to bring in your ESA with you to your new accommodation.
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) allows owners to bring their ESA to their apartments, even if it isn’t pet-friendly, without having to pay any additional fees. Usually, ESAs are not too big, but if they are, like a horse or camel, then your landlord can refuse housing your pet. As usual, you will have to have an ESA letter with you or even your medical records to prove that you need an ESA. These documents should be enough for the landlord to allow your ESA, even if there is a no-pet policy in effect.
Laws are now more lenient towards housing, catering, and protecting ESAs, and it paves the way towards showing the public that ESAs are as important as service animals, but until that time comes, there are some steps that you should take first, like training your ESA, so that people become more accepting of them in public. That way, you can keep your ESA close to you at all times.
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