Louisiana’s law on emotional support animals and service animals are the same as the ADA’s. The ADA or the federal law on service animals states that a service animal is a dog that has been trained and certified to complete a task or service for a person with any physical or mental disability. This can include remaining them to take their medication or opening doors.
These disabilities can include someone diagnosed with depression and anxiety. In these cases, their animal must be trained to provide comfort when an attach, or episode comes about. The animal must also be a dog. If your animal meets these requirements, they are considered a service animal and not an emotional support animal.
Emotional support animals are animals that have not been through any specific training, and their only purpose is to provide comfort and championship to the individual. Emotional support animals are not service animals and do not receive the same benefits and protections through the eyes of the law in Louisiana or Federal.
Restrictions on Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals are not service animals. They can not wear a vest nor are they allowed to be permitted into all public accommodations as service animals are. It is illegal to pass your emotional support animal off as a service dog in any situation.
The reason that emotional support animals are not given the same rights as service dogs have to do with their lack of training. Without the certification that they have been through the proper training, it is impossible for businesses or other people to know how they might act in certain situations.
This means they may cause a distribution or prevent an actual service dog from doing their job for someone with a disability. If you need your emotional support animal to occupy you wherever you go, it might be worth sending them through the proper training.
It is also worth noting that each individual business as the right to modify this restriction on emotional support animals whenever they see fit. You might want to call the location you plan to visit first and ask if you wish to take your animal.
Protections That Emotional Support Animals Have
Even though emotional support animals are not considered service animals, they are considered assistance animals. Under the Fair Housing Act, assistance animals can not be denied housing. Housing includes places that rent, hotels, motels, and any place that might be rented for an overnight stay.
This also means they can not require you to pay a deposit and that places that state no pets have to still allow you entry. This is so that people with disabilities can still enjoy the places they love and not be inconvenienced by their disability. Even though they can not charge you a deposit, you will still have to pay for any damages your animal might cause to the property.
Emotional support animals are also allowed to fly in the cabin with their individual. Federal law states that all assistance animals must be allowed to fly in the cabin, and emotional support animals do fall under this law. This is so that everyone can feel comfortable on the flight and allow for things to go smoothly.
Providing Proof
Businesses are not allowed to ask for proof of your service dog or about your disability. All they are allowed to ask if what task the dog completes for you and how this helps you. Since emotional support animals are not service animals, this does not apply to them.
Business providing housing and airlines are required to ask for proof of your emotional support animal to ensure that all parties are safe and in compliance with the law. This is the only time it is okay to be asked for proof. It is important to have this ready beforehand to make the transaction go by smooth and ensure that your animal gets to take advantage of all the protections provided to them by law.
Why Emotional Support Animals Are Important
Emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship to people who might have anxiety or feel alone. This comfort allows them to relax and get through everyday stressors more easily. By having this extra support, they can live a more regular life and be able to get through everyday task that might otherwise cause them too much emotional discomfort.
Emotional support animals are just as important as service dogs to people who suffer from emotional illnesses or disabilities. Just because the animal hasn’t be trained to do any certain task doesn’t mean they don’t provide a much-needed service.
Why You Should Register Your Animal With USSA
USSA is a reputable website that will register your emotional support animal or service animal in just a few simple steps. It is as easy to answering a few questions and receiving your proof. Having proof of your emotional support animal will allow you to travel with them more freely and enjoy the protections they deserve for housing and flying.
Not all states have the same laws for emotional support animals. You might find that you have to provide your proof to do more things in certain states or that you have more protection when traveling to another location. For that reason, it is important to always be prepared for with your registration before traveling. This will allow for your trip to go more smoothly and for you not to have to stress about your emotional support animals needs.
USSA also allows for you to have a quick and easy place to get a doctors note in case you need one. Sometimes doctors notes are needed before traveling with your emotional support or service animal. It also has a shop that sells accessories for your animals so that they can be identified when in public. USSA takes the guesswork and struggles out of registering your animal. They make it so easy that there is no reason not to do it today.