If you are one of those people who often wonder how to make my dog an emotional support dog then you must probably have an idea of the emotional support animal laws and rules. The laws and the rules guiding emotional support animals in the US are quite clear and distinct. There are basically two areas where the ESA are covered under the Federal ESA law and they are:
- “No pets’ housing policy: This law states that owners, building managers, and landlords should make proper accommodations for an emotional support animal. However, the housing provider can deny such accommodations if they impose unwanted administrative or financial burdens on them.
- Travel: Official ESAs have easy access to travel with their owners inside airplane cabins. For people with large dogs as ESAs, there are provisions to request the chance of seat to a seat with more room for the animal to accommodate.
The Change in Rules Governing Travelling with Emotional Support Animals in 2018
Considering the substantial increase that has taken place in the number of airplane passengers traveling along with their emotional support animals, airline service providers in the United States have tightened and even changed the rules for ESAs on planes.
The changes that have taken place as of 1st March 2018 are:
- It has been made mandatory for the customers to provide confirmation that their emotional support animals are duly trained to behave in the proper manner in public settings. It is also essential for the customers to acknowledge complete responsibility for the behavior of their animals.
- The customers should also make it a point to provide a vaccination and health form duly signed by the ESA’s veterinarian. If you are thinking how to make my dog an emotional support dog then it is necessary that you have a letter confirming the same from your dog’s veterinarian. The veterinarian should also affirm the fact that there is absolutely nothing to worry about regarding the animal being of any threat to the safety and the health of the other passengers on the flight. This also entails the animal causing significant disruptions in service.
The air service providers in the United States require minimum 48 hours of prior notice along with proper documents from mental health professionals attesting to the requirement of an emotional support animal.
It is important to note that these rule changes do not cover the service animals such as guide dogs.
