Emotional support dogs provide invaluable care and assistance to their owners. While they do not have the same unrestricted access to locations that a service dog might, plenty of allowances ensure they can be with their owners when needed. Emotional support dogs are allowed in the following places (please note these only apply to dogs officially registered as support animals):
Emotional Support Dogs at Home
Renters who need an emotional support animal (ESA) can feel confident that their animals will be allowed to live with them. According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords and property managers must “reasonably accommodate ESA owners even if their building has a strict policy prohibiting any kind of pet on the premises.” This means that:
- Emotional support animals cannot be restricted from a rental
- Pet owners of ESAs do not have to pay any pet fees required for regular pets
- The landlord or property manager cannot inflict restrictions based on size, breed, weight, or species
A few exceptions to the Fair Housing Act give property owners the right to refuse emotional support dogs. You can read about those cases here.
Emotional Support Dogs in University Dorms
Universities must make the same accommodations for emotional support animals as property owners. If you need to bring your emotional support dog to college, the school must make accommodations for you both to live together on campus. However, they do not have to let you take the animal to class, so this is something to ask the university about before enrolling.
Emotional Support Dogs on Airplanes
Until 2021, emotional support animals could fly without charge on planes. After that year, the Department of Transportation made some changes that no longer give ESAs the same rights. Today, you can only bring an emotional support dog in the cabin if they fit in a small carrier bag that goes under the seat, or they will have to travel in the cargo bay. You must also pay any pet fees the airlines charge. Psychiatric service dogs are exempt from these rules. Learn more about getting this designation for your dog here.
Places with No Mandates Requiring Emotional Support Dogs
Unfortunately, there are a lot of places that are not required to allow emotional support animals like dogs. These include:
- Hotels
- AirBNBs
- Restaurants
- Stores
- Other businesses
- Your place of work
You should always check with a location before you arrive to see if they will allow your emotional support animal inside. Many places will offer some willing accommodations even if they are not required to by law. If you are struggling with places limiting access to your emotional support dog, you might want to talk to your veterinarian about the process of turning him or her into an official psychiatric service dog.
Union Lake Pet Services offers training and behavioral classes that can help you prepare your pet to become an emotional support dog. We also have boarding and daycare services when you need to travel somewhere that won’t allow your support dog. To learn more, please call (248) 363-6262.