Should Emotional Support Animals be granted legal public access?

Question

I have just started the process of getting an emotional support animal. My cousin also has a dog who she calls an emotional support animal. She has admitted to not seeking professional, psychiatric care for the issues she needs an ESA for. She just bought a vest online and takes her dog everywhere and anywhere. She's angry because at the store, the manager told her ESA's are not permitted in stores. This is true information. ESA's are not granted full public access by law. The ADA states that ESA's do not have the level of training to just be allowed wherever their handler goes. Also, it risks distracting a service dog and preventing them from doing their jobs. So what do you all think?

Accepted Answer

I think they're not allowed due to people like your cousin who buy a vest, dress the pup and demand same access as a service dog. A fully trained dog takes tens of thousands of dollars and years of training. They're job should not be risked by an untrained dog someone just wants to take with them. I'd love to cal my dog a companion animal and take her everywhere but she loves to hug people and at 75 lb it's not always welcomed.

Answer

NO.
An ESA is NOT a service dog. 
Pretending to have an ESA or SD without having a healthcare professional legally write a letter for one is illegal and considered a felony. You do not get to abuse the system designed for those with disabilities just because you wanna skip paying a pet deposit and take your untrained fluff ball in public. Leave your pet at home. 
She could be:
-evicted and sued for a pet deposit and pet rent for the time that the animal was there, plus any damages caused by the animal.
- charged with a felony for impersonating a service dog.
- charged for damages to the business if her untrained pet causes damage.
- charged for damages if her untrained pet causes harm to a legitimate service dog or puts a legit service dog in danger/stops them from being able to do their job in any way/shape/form. 
And yes. Unless your dog has been through the thousands of hours of training to be a service animal, it is untrained and does not belong in public.I don't care how good your pet is or how much you think 'my baby would never do anything bad!' Or 'but we graduated from obedience school and that's the same thing!' No. Leave your pet at home. 
If you think you have a mental illness and you would benefit from an ESA then go to a doctor, get diagnosed, and do it legally. If you think it's bad enough that you need a psychiatric service dog, go to your doctor and get it done legally.

Answer

Meant to say No. ESA's are not service animals & are not trained. Go through a doctor & get a service animal, if you want full legal protection.

Answer

No, unless they are properly trained. Service animals need to meet certain criteria and be trained in order to be certified as service animals...ESA’s just require a prescription from a mental health professional. That means your chihuahua who poops everywhere and bites people can be an ESA.

Answer

No its a mockery to real service animals

Answer

No. They’re not properly trained to perform a service outside of their natural abilities. Nor are they trained to behave in public.

Answer

There aren't trained and don't do as much as a service dog. So no

Answer

So if your cousin's dog bites someone, does she have the necessary insurance to cover the "damages"? Service animals aren't just trained, they're licensed and insured. There are rules in place for a reason.

Answer

If the person has a prescription and the animal is trained then yes for living situations but only yes to other situations that are explicitly outlined in the prescription. 
   
But not for the people who just buy shit online.

Answer

Nope! 
There is a clear difference between an ESA and a service animal. 
ESAs usually are not thoroughly trained to help their owner when they are hurt or in distress. Service dogs are heavily trained for that purpose. For example, I know someone who is training their future service dog to hand out cards that explain to people that the owner is having a panic attack. 
ESAs are just there for, well...usually just comfort. Being around them makes someone feel better after having a bad day with mental illness. They typically aren't trained to behave well in public spaces.

Should Emotional Support Animals be granted legal public access?

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