RULES FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS Blogger:Being Sane Takes Too Much Work

Under U.S. Federal Laws emotional support animals cannot go into no-pets-allowed places, but they are allowed to in "no-pet" housing and in the cabins of airplanes when accompanied by a note from their handler's doctor.  An emotional service animal may cause problems that a trained assistance dog may not.  Due to lack of training a therapy dog may bark and smell other people, whereas service dogs are trained not to do so.  The lack of training for this animals has led to controversy in the courts.  The controversy is over whether the American Disabilities Act's definition of service animals, with its requirement of training, applies to the emotional support animals.  The judges ruled, just as service dogs, renters may not require persons with disabilities to pay extra fees or deposits as a condition of receiving accommodations.  While the landlord may charge a reasonable fee for any damage done by the tenant and his/her therapy animal.  Also, therapy dogs are often found with their owners visiting patients in hospitals.  There are no national requirements to register the animals, but most hospitals only allow ones that have been trained, aren't easily stressed and are covered by an insurance policy.