Assistance animals are animals that alleviate symptoms for people with disabilities. These assistance animals encompass service animals and emotional support animals, each serving distinct roles in the lives of their human owners. Understanding the difference between pets and assistance animals is crucial when considering housing accommodations.
Standard Pet
A standard pet provides comfort and companionship. However, without a disability-related need, a standard pet does not qualify for any housing accommodations under HUD guidelines.
Service Animal
According to the ADA, a service animal is specifically defined as a dog that is individually trained to perform tasks or do work for the benefit of an individual with a disability, which can include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disabilities. Notably, other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, do not qualify as service animals under this definition. The tasks or work performed by the service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability.
Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq. (1990)
Emotional Support Animal
Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) alleviate symptoms of a disability by providing therapeutic emotional support to individuals with disabilities. An ESA can be any commonly kept household animal that performs tasks, does work, provides assistance, and/or offers therapeutic emotional support for individuals with disabilities. Unlike service animals, ESAs do not need specific training to perform tasks related to a disability.
For any questions regarding housing accommodations for assistance animals, please check out HUD requirements.