The Difference Between an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) and a Service Animal
I’m writing about this topic today because its a question that comes up fairly often. And its very important, and in some circumstances, is a crime, not to know the difference.
A Service Animal and an Emotional Support Animal are two completely different beasts (haha), and as such, they have different rights and privileges.
So what is the difference between an ESA and a Service Animal? A Service Animal has many more rights and privileges than an ESA. They are specifically trained to help an individual with a specific disability. Service Animals have special and extensive training (in many cases, years worth) specifically to address certain conditions such as epilepsy, sight, etc. These highly trained and specialized animals are certified as support animals and are authorized to go in most public spaces with their human companions, among other things.
Alternately, An ESA can be ANY kind of pet that is used specifically to address an individuals legitimate emotional needs (for example, anxiety or depression). ESA’s help the individual to feel safe and secure, and foster a sense of well-being for the individual. As such, they don’t require special training and are often “just a pet.” An ESA does not have as many rights or privileges as a Service Animal, for example, they don’t have to be allowed in many public spaces such as restaurants or stores, but they can be allowed in housing and modes of travel that usually don’t allow pets (when traveling with your ESA you should call ahead to find out about special requirements).
It is important to know the laws in your specific state and county regarding ESA’s.
In California, in order to call an animal an ESA, you must have a letter of prescription from your doctor. It is illegal to misrepresent your pet as an ESA. I am willing to write letters of prescription for my clients as long as I feel that an ESA will benefit their specific need. For example, I do find (as does research on the topic) that an ESA can be really effective in the treatment of certain mood disorders.
That being said, it is important to know that it is a serious crime to represent your pet as an ESA or Service animal if it is not. And it is also a serious crime to represent your ESA as a service animal if it has not been trained and certified as such, because it is not.
ESA’s as well as Service Animals are both supported by the American’s with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act. Here are a few useful links if you want to learn more:
Dr. Harmony Satre & Associates 