Missouri has laws set in place to protect all service dogs. Service dogs are dogs that have been trained to perform tasks for people with physical and mental disabilities. These tasks have to things that the person can not do for themselves, such as open doors or remind them to take their medicine.
Emotional support animals are animals that provide comfort to individuals in their time of needs. These can be individuals who have anxiety or an illness that makes dealing with day to day activities more stressful than they would be for someone else. These animals will provide them with a sense of safety and help relieve this stress with their presence. They have not been trained to do anything.
Since no training has been given to these animals, they are not considered service dogs. This means they do not fall under the Missouri law and don’t have any of the protections that are given to service dogs.
The Federal ADA law also states that only services dogs are to be permitted into all public accommodations. This means that places of business do not have to allow emotional support animals to enter. It is illegal to imply that your emotional support animal is a service dog in order to enter a place of business.
Restrictions on Emotional Support Animals
Many states and federal laws do not notice emotional support animals and therefore offer no protection for them. This is also the cause of Missouri. Emotional support animals are treated more like pets than service dogs. They are not to be permitted in places restricting pets, and they do not have to go everywhere their owners go like service dogs.
If you think that your emotional support animal might do better with training, it might be beneficial to you. By completing the training, they will then be considered a service and dog and then be allowed all the same protections. This would allow them to accompany you into places of businesses and provide you with the comfort needed when completing tasks that might be difficult for you.
Laws That Include Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals might not be considered service dogs, but they are considered assistance animals. Assistance animals are any animal that someone with a physical or mental disability might need in order to make their life easier. Since no training is required on their part, this means emotional support animals are included in this definition.
Assistance animals are covered in the Fair Housing Act, which requires equal housing for everyone with a disability. This means that even if the place states no pets, assistance animals are still permitted to be on the property and housing still has to be provided to those who require them. They are not allowed to ask for any deposit or fee for their stay either. This does not apply to any damages the animal causes to the property while staying there.
Airlines are also required to allow assistance animals on flights for anyone who might require them. This is so that everyone on the flight can feel comfortable and that so people whom assistance animals can still travel without consequence. The airlines are not allowed to charge any extra fee related to the service animal being on the flight, although they might suggest an extra seat being purchased for comfort.
Providing Proof
Businesses are not allowed to ask for proof of service dogs before allowing them entry, but this is not the case with housing and flying. Proof is to be provided to ensure that all parties are protected by the law set in place. It is important to always keep your registration up to date for moments when you might be traveling.
Having your proof ready to go and part of your travel documents will make it much easier to take your animal with you on all your trips. If your emotional support animal provides you with comfort that you need throughout the day, it might be important for you to take them with you.
The same goes for housing. It is important that you can get housing with your emotional support animal so that all your needs can be taken care of. By keeping up to date proof with you, you will be able to ensure that you will, and your pet will always have a place to stay.
Why Emotional Support Animals Are Important
Emotional support animals provide comfort to those who might find normal day to day task stressful. Emotional support animals can do this simply with their presence or through a few task that can help an individual through a panic attack or through any other emotional distress. This is very important for some people to be able to go through their day normally.
Emotional support animals are not just for people with anxiety. They also provide companionship to people who have disabilities that they feel make it hard for them to connect with other people. Their animal helps fill that connection and makes them feel less different and alone.
They help all types of people by just being there for them. They don’t require training because they aren’t always performing a specific tasks but instead, they are showing that the person is cared for. This is important to help build emotional support for individuals and to help them live a better quality of life.
Why You Should Register With USSA
USSA is a website that makes registering your emotional support or service animal very easy. Just click the form that best fits your needs and answer the questions. It is that simple. Once you are done, you can get your registration and be prepared for any situation. Your registration will allow you to take part in equal housing and be able to fly with your animal without consequence.
After you register your animal with USSA you can head over to their shop and by accessories such as vest and leashes to make them ready to work out in the world. You can also get a doctor’s note for traveling if this is something you require. There is no need to make registering or traveling with your animals difficult. USSA can take care of all your needs.