ESAs and Therapy Animals

Emotional Support Animals (ESA) and Therapy Animals, like Service Animals, have very important jobs. They are not task trained, but instead their presence and love is enough to help those who need it.

Emotional Support Animals are pets. Unlike Service Animals, they are not considered medical equipment. ESAs are prescribed by a medical professional as part of a treatment plan for ones disability. To be clear, the owner of an ESA must have a disability. ESAs are comfort companions whose handlers are granted the right to have their ESA in housing, even if that housing has a 'No Pets' policy, and on airlines during travel, both without any fees applied to normal pets.

Emotional Support Animals do not require the extensive amount of training that a Service Animal does because they are not required to perform tasks for their handler. Emotional Support Animals help their handlers by comforting them and being there for them when the going gets rough.

Emotional Support Animals are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. ESAs, by law, are considered pets. They can not be brought into restaurants, non-pet friendly stores, or anywhere else that pets are generally not permitted to go.


Therapy Animals are also pets. Their job differs from both ESAs and Service Animals because they are not trained to focus their job on one person- but many people! The owner and handler of a Therapy Animal does not have to have a disability, Therapy Animals are invited into hospitals, schools, and other public gathering places to calm and soothe the people there. Therapy Dogs in particular are popular in schools to help children gain confidence in reading out loud.

Therapy Animals are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Therapy Animals, by law, are considered pets. They can not be brought into restaurants, non-pet friendly stores, or anywhere else that pets are generally not permitted to go. The exception being when they are invited to perform their jobs.