# Emotional support animal question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2019, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911 "2019-06-02T13:34:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/21 "2019-06-05T20:57:07Z")
The two emotional support dogs I’ve met were accompanying men, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most accompany women. And Arctite, they weren’t “just pets”. The ones I’ve seen were on public transit, where pets are allowed, fwiw. Of course, they are also pets. I was talking to a woman the other day who has a service dog who is supposed to alert her to some heart condition that he can sense before she can. But she was telling me how much she enjoys his company, and how happy she is to have this dog as a companion, quite beyond his value as a service animal. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/22 "2019-06-05T23:28:35Z")
> [@Arcite](#): > > No one needs an emotional support animal to fly on an airplane. The idea that this is an appropriate way to manage situational anxiety has no valid basis in psychology or psychiatry. Most people doing this just want to take their pet on vacation without putting poor pwecious in the cargo hold. Which is it: “no one” needs an emotional support animal, or “most people” are faking it? Also, it’s not just about being able to have the animal in order to fly, but being able to travel with it. Airlines do generally permit pets in the cargo hold, but it’s not the safest place for them, and there’s no law stopping them from banning pets entirely, unless they’re designated as ESAs. As to your claim that there’s no basis in psychology: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800290/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800290/) > [@](#): > > This review suggests that pets provide benefits to those with mental health conditions. Further research is required to test the nature and extent of this relationship, incorporating outcomes that cover the range of roles and types of support pets confer in relation to mental health and the means by which these can be incorporated into the mainstay of support for people experiencing a mental health problem. > [@](#): > > Of the 17 included studies, 15 reported positive aspects of pet ownership for people experiencing mental health problems [9, 27–30, 32–40, 42] and 9 reported negative elements [9, 27, 32, 35, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42]. Neutral effects of pet ownership were reported in some of the included quantitative studies, where no difference in mental health outcomes, social contacts or loneliness were reported for pet owners compared to non-pet owners [29, 32, 35, 40]. Benefits were mostly demonstrated through qualitative data, and negative elements, which were highlighted, were largely over-shadowed by co-occurring positive impact of pets in these studies [9, 27, 32, 35, 36, 38, 42]. I see the issue as being similar to medical marijuana. There’s a small subset of people with specific health problems that are best managed with this unconventional treatment. Then there’s a huge group of people who don’t really qualify as disabled, but who can still derive some benefit–even if it’s just enjoyment. The question is, what is the cost to society of just accommodating everyone, and if the cost is too high, how to distinguish group 1 from group 2? For marijuana, I think we could just legalize it and accommodate everyone; who cares if you have glaucoma or you just want to get a buzz? For emotional support animals, though, who tend to defecate everywhere, can trigger allergies, and sometimes bite people, I do think we need a better way to sort out those who are actually disabled and need that support from those who simply like having their dog around. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2019, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/23 "2019-06-05T23:47:54Z")
Emotional support dogs tend to be very well trained. My mom is terrified of dogs, and hates to interact with them in pubic, but she admits that the service dogs (including emotional support dogs) are usually fine. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/24 "2019-06-06T00:00:53Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > The notion of needing an emotional support animal to handle ordinary activities like traveling on airplanes has connotations of personal fragility that I would think most men would shy away from. (Not suggesting that flight anxiety isn’t a real thing or that those who suffer from it are inferior or “fragile” in reality, just that our cultural stereotypes incline us to think so.) My impression is that “emotional support animals” aren’t considered an answer to “flight anxiety” per se, but that owners believe the constant companionship they provide in their daily lives cannot be interrupted by travel, whether it’s for recreational purposes or some imperative reason. Some of the abuses could be curtailed by requiring people with these creatures to have an ongoing relationship with a therapist in their community who provides the letter to the airline, not somebody at Support-Letters-R-Us who has never interacted with the patient in person. Not that I’m terribly affected by people who drag their animals on commercial flights. I’d rather travel with a support Shetland pony than the average screaming child, even if horsie takes a dump in the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/25 "2019-06-06T00:20:18Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Emotional support dogs tend to be very well trained. My mom is terrified of dogs, and hates to interact with them in pubic, but she admits that the service dogs (including emotional support dogs) are usually fine. Emotional support dogs _ **require no training** _. They are _ **not service dogs** _. ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/26 "2019-06-06T00:57:47Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > The two emotional support dogs I’ve met were accompanying men, but I wouldn’t be surprised if most accompany women. > > And Arctite, they weren’t “just pets”. The ones I’ve seen were on public transit, where pets are allowed, fwiw. How do you know they were emotional support animals if pets were allowed? “Emotional support animals” have no “official” status whatsoever. There is no law defining their role, no professional society or registry which organizes or keeps track of or designates them. If it was because they were wearing harnesses or tags, anyone can buy official-looking [harnesses](https://www.chewy.com/industrial-puppy-emotional-support/dp/182160?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Industrial%20Puppy&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N3nBRBvEiwAHMwvNnjaQ0WAJSUqF6gCy-_hTgnvYkAYY4HLf7bbnlGbWorwKPm1TiHOlRoC8rkQAvD_BwE) or [tags](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=emotional+support+animal+tag&gclid=CjwKCAjw0N3nBRBvEiwAHMwvNp3Dr6fa9_1xF_3bEjloNlDoywia0wg0yyYmO9ulsEGVU4Z7GA8KYRoCjXAQAvD_BwE&hvadid=178329542045&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9060249&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=16985178818261702600&hvtargid=kwd-48431214208&hydadcr=15943_9888579&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_22f3h54v0_e) online. > [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > Which is it: “no one” needs an emotional support animal, or “most people” are faking it? I don’t understand why you think that’s a contradiction. No one “needs” an emotional support animal in the sense that a blind person needs their guide dog to find their way around. Many people are flat-out gaming the system, cajoling their doctor into writing a letter so they can take Spot on vacation. Some people genuinely believe they “need” to drag a pet into public spaces where pets are not normally allowed in order to function, but this is not a valid belief. > [@](#): > > As to your claim that there’s no basis in psychology: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800290/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800290/) That article reviews studies of the effects of _pet ownership_ on mental health, not of “emotional support animals.” > [@puzzlegal](#): > > Emotional support dogs tend to be very well trained. My mom is terrified of dogs, and hates to interact with them in pubic, but she admits that the service dogs (including emotional support dogs) are usually fine. As **Telemark** points out, emotional support animals are not a subset of service animals. They are two completely different things. “Emotional support dogs” tend not to be trained at all, because they are simply pets. The only thing making them “emotional support animals” is the presence of a letter written by a doctor or therapist saying “so-and-so’s dog is an emotional support animal.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/27 "2019-06-06T02:16:03Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Emotional support dogs tend to be very well trained. My mom is terrified of dogs, and hates to interact with them in pubic, but she admits that the service dogs (including emotional support dogs) are usually fine. Last year I watched one take a dump in the mall food court. I’ve had the opposite experience of your mom; they mostly seem to be mostly poorly trained and overly coddled. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/28 "2019-06-06T02:18:47Z")
Yes, **puzzlegal**. You are being loose with your terms. ---
**Author:** ![Esprise\_Me](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprise_me/32/2947_2.png) [@Esprise\_Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprise_Me)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/29 "2019-06-06T02:21:33Z")
The only real difference between an emotional support animal and a pet is that the former assists those with mental health disabilities. The article uses the term “pet” to avoid creating the presumption it’s designed to test. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/30 "2019-06-06T02:22:52Z")
According to my relative whose son has autism, an emotional support dog belonging to a person with autism is automatically elevated to the level of service (or therapy?) dog. Unfortunately this puts their large, badly trained pet dog into the same category as a well-trained service dog for purposes of flying in the main cabin, which is the only reason they pursued it - the kid isn’t particularly attached to the dog other than it being the family pet. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/31 "2019-06-06T02:30:30Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > According to my relative whose son has autism, an emotional support dog belonging to a person with autism is automatically elevated to the level of service (or therapy?) dog. As I understand it, unless the dog is trained to perform a specific service, it’s not a service dog. Emotional support is not a service as defined by the ADA. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/32 "2019-06-06T02:35:32Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > According to my relative whose son has autism, an emotional support dog belonging to a person with autism is automatically elevated to the level of service (or therapy?) dog. Unfortunately this puts their large, badly trained pet dog into the same category as a well-trained service dog for purposes of flying in the main cabin, which is the only reason they pursued it - the kid isn’t particularly attached to the dog other than it being the family pet. I don’t believe this is true. There are Autism Assistance dogs. But they are trained and are not just pets. They are one type of service dog. > **[4 Paws for Ability: Home - 4 Paws for Ability](https://www.4pawsforability.org)** > > Donate Donations from individuals, businesses, and corporate partnerships are essential to provide food, veterinary care, and other essentials as we prepare each service dog. Click here to donate now! Service Dogs 4 Paws for Ability places more than... ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/33 "2019-06-06T02:51:31Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > As I understand it, unless the dog is trained to perform a specific service, it’s not a service dog. Emotional support is not a service as defined by the ADA. And there’s no such thing as being “elevated” to a therapy dog- therapy dogs have no special rights on planes or anywhere else. These are the dogs that visit hospitals and nursing homes or assist in physical therapy at a rehabilitation center. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/34 "2019-06-06T03:21:15Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Emotional support dogs tend to be very well trained. I wasn’t aware that an “emotional support dog” had any formal training requirement at all? It’s not the same thing as a service animal. I think if I were a _bona fide_ user of a service animal (and I’d include genuine emotional support animals in that, when formally prescribed by a psychiatrist) I’d be strongly in favor of changing the ADA to permit much more stringent certification and identification procedures. The way the laws were written may have been well meaning, but it was pretty obvious that it was always going to be massively abused by selfish people who just want to bring their (untrained) pets with them. > **[The Grim Effect Delta's ESA Lawsuit Will Have on Travel](https://www.outsideonline.com/2397532/delta-emotional-support-animal-lawsuit-travel?scope=anon)** > > This whole fake-service-dog thing is going to ruin flying for everyone ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/35 "2019-06-06T05:31:03Z")
Yes, I was sloppy with my words, I meant to distinguish between emotional support dog and service dogs. I’m aware they are different. It is nonetheless my experience that emotional support dog tend to be well-trained. > [@Arcite](#): > > How do you know they were emotional support animals if pets were allowed? “Emotional support animals” have no “official” status whatsoever. There is no law defining their role, no professional society or registry which organizes or keeps track of or designates them. If it was because they were wearing harnesses or tags, … Yes, they were wearing harnesses declaring them to be emotional support animals. Yes, you can buy those on line. My point was that the owner didn’t put that harness on the animal for the purpose of getting them on the train, because pets are allowed in the train. The harness must have meant something to the owner, or why bother? ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/36 "2019-06-06T07:54:31Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yes, they were wearing harnesses declaring them to be emotional support animals. Yes, you can buy those on line. My point was that the owner didn’t put that harness on the animal for the purpose of getting them on the train, because pets are allowed in the train. The harness must have meant something to the owner, or why bother? He might have been taking the train to get to some place that normally doesn’t allow non-support animals? ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/37 "2019-06-06T12:55:22Z")
> [@Esprise\_Me](#): > > The only real difference between an emotional support animal and a pet is that the former assists those with mental health disabilities. … And, unfortunately, in all too many cases, the only real difference between a person with mental health disabilities and a person who experiences a normal range of moods, is that the former believes themselves entitled to some special consideration, and has found support for their belief. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/38 "2019-06-06T13:08:20Z")
Saw [this](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-sues-delta-after-emotional-support-dog-allegedly-mauled-him-on-flight/) story a couple of days ago. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/39 "2019-06-06T13:16:51Z")
> **[Log into Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/misfithounds138/photos/a.1576058425977661/2241426052774225/?type=3&theater)** > > Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911/40 "2019-06-06T14:47:16Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > It is nonetheless my experience that emotional support dog tend to be well-trained. That has not been my experience. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/emotional-support-animal-question/834911.md?page=3)