An emotional support animal is an animal that provides therapeutic benefits to their owner through support and companionship to help alleviate symptoms associated with a mental or emotional disability according to Certapet.com. All sorts of animals can be qualified as “emotional support” such as dogs and cats--basically any domesticated animal could qualify. It’s important to remember that an emotional support animal is not the same as a service animal (usually a service dog). According to National Network, a service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Emotional support animals provide comfort, not service. There are 2 important Acts regarding emotional support animals: the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act. The Fair Housing Act states that houses and apartments that don’t allow pets must make an exception for emotional support animals, however proof is usually needed such as documentation. The Air Carrier Access Act allow passengers to bring their emotional support animals on planes without being discriminated. The airline is not allowed to refuse the passenger or animal transportation. However it is the passenger’s responsibility to make sure the flight is notified in advance to make sure everything is clear and procedures and regulations are being followed. A key difference between emotional support pets and service dogs is that ESA’s can’t go everywhere such as an establishment that doesn’t allow pets. Many restaurants and stores aren’t pet friendly and it’s up to the individual to respect that even if they don’t agree, there is no law stating that establishments (besides housing) must allow emotional support pets.

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There are some restrictions on flights regarding emotional support animals such as in recent news, a woman tried bringing a peacock onto a United Airlines flight claiming that she bought a separate ticket for the bird. Apparently the animal didn’t meet numerous guidelines such as weight and size. Every airline has their own set of requirements; United Airlines clearly states that: “An animal should sit at the customer's feet without protruding into the aisles to comply with safety regulations. Customers may elect to use an approved in-cabin kennel for smaller animals. Exit row seating is prohibited ... Customers traveling with an emotional support or psychiatric assist animal must provide a minimum 48-hour advance notification to the United Accessibility Desk ...” Other airlines have similar requirements such as American Airlines: “Service animals, including emotional support animals, are welcome at no charge if they meet the requirements. They must fit on your lap, at your feet, or under the seat, and cannot block the aisle. For security reasons, you won’t be able to sit in an exit row when traveling with your service or emotional support animal.” As far as support animals go, perhaps an important tip can be learned for those that this affects- be sure to check your airlines requirements before booking your flight!