An EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL is a prescribed pet.
You can get one if you are disabled and could use a pet to help you cope with your DISABILITY because of their calming and reassuring presence. They also represent responsibilities and in the case of dogs; need routine; which is great for many people with mental/emotional disabilities.
They are NOT required training because they do NOT go anywhere but in their house.. and occasionally planes. Though for the plane access I’d recommend having a well behaved pet.

A SERVICE DOG is considered medical equipment by law – kind of like a wheelchair.
Countless hours of training, desensitization and work are put into SERVICE dogs to make them safe and reliable in public as they help their DISABLED handler… by using SPECIFICALLY TRAINED behaviors which are called tasks (think: diabetic alert dog alerting his handler to low bg; guide dog assisting a blind person..).
To be a service dog the animal must be TRAINED in a way that DIRECTLY help with the person who is disabled. A dog who can alert to seizures is useless to someone who doesn’t have seizures and does not belong in public. And there are NO certification for those animals.
TASKS are the VERY reason why service dogs have PUBLIC ACCESS.

No task = no public access. No exceptions.
And emotional support is NOT a task.

Spreading misinformation like that is not only wrong on many levels but also PUTS PEOPLE AT RISK. If a service dog misses an important alert; is attacked or otherwise disturbed by a PET in a non-pet public place; things could go very wrong for the Service Dog’s handler. They could potentially die thanks to people believing the lies written on this page.
The pet could also be put down if it bites someone because they are NOT trained to handle the stress of public places.

So leave your ESA.. or should I say PRESCRIBED PET at home!!

Do NOT get an ESA letter just so you can take your animal on flights with you. And by the way, international flights do NOT qualify for ESAs depending on the country you are flying to. And Hawaii does not allow ESAs without going through the same procedures any normal pet would go through.

Do NOT get an ESA letter just so you can bring your precious animal into restaurants and shops that have “No Pets Allowed”. ESAs do NOT have public rights access; they cannot go into no pet places just because you have a letter saying you need an ESA.

Do NOT get an ESA letter because your healthcare specialist prescribes you a service dog. Service dogs are special because they perform tasks pertinent to their handler’s specific DISABILTY. A service dog is allowed to accompany their handler in public because they assist with a DISABLING DISABILITY. An ESA does NOT have the same rights as a service dog so do not fake your precious pet as a service dog or ESA that has public access rights.

I have a SERIOUS NEED for a service dog. I cannot physically get through the day without my service dog. She alerts to me when I am about to have problems with my sleep disorder. She prevents me from hurting myself during the night. She does so much more than that but she is NOT with me just because “I want to bring my dog with me when it is convenient”. She is with me because I NEED to bring her with me. I cannot just decide when it is convenient to bring her because I want to. Please educate yourself. The writer of this article is encouraging people to break the law. This also makes it more difficult for legitimate service dog teams when a particular store/place/person has had a bad experience(s) with an untrained animal claiming to be a service dog.

The ADA specifically states that ESAs are not covered, therefore, they a disabled person does NOT have the legal right to bring an ESA into any business that is not pet friendly. Service dogs go through extensive training to be allowed under ADA laws. Please actually read the laws and educate yourself correctly so that you are not giving your readers bad information and advice which could result sigh them being charged with a crime. Yes.. A crime. Many states now have laws against misrepresenting your pet as a service animal, which is what you are doing when you try to bring an ESA into a business that does not allow pets.