Animals - Service, Therapy and Emotional Support
| Service Animals (Dogs) | Therapy Animals (Any legal species) | Emotional Support Animals (Any legal species) |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternate Names | Working, guide, signal, medical alert and psychiatric service animals. | Assistance animals. | Comfort animals, or companion animals. |
| Certification Requirements | None. There is no nationally recognized certifying agency and no certification granted to service, therapy, emotional support, or other assistance-type animals. Neither the Federal Housing Administration nor the Americans with Disabilities Act requires a service animal “certification”. | None. There is no nationally recognized certifying agency and no certification granted to service, therapy, emotional support, or other assistance-type animals. Neither the Federal Housing Administration nor Americans with Disabilities Act requires a service animal “certification”. | None. There is no nationally recognized certifying agency and no certification granted to service, therapy, emotional support, or other assistance-type animals. Neither the Federal Housing Administration nor Americans with Disabilities Act requires a service animal “certification”. |
| Required Training | Required to meet needs of a specific person. | Not required by law. | None. |
| Trainer | Professional service-dog trainer. | No requirements. | Does not apply. |
| Handler | Disabled Owner. | Owner. | Owner. |
| Socializing | Prohibited while on duty. | Required. | Does not apply. |
| Function | Works, and provides assistance, performs specific tasks in connection with one person who has a disability. | Provides psychological or physiological benefit to individuals or groups in a clinical environment. May also provide benefits to an individual in the home. Example: Interacts with people in nursing homes, hospitals, special-needs schools, rehab facilities. | Exerts a positive effect on a person with a disability. Example: Proximity or contact alleviates depression or anxiety symptoms. |
| Legal Status | Protected under the ADA and FHA. | Reasonable accommodations are required. | Reasonable accommodations are required. |
| Pet Restrictions | No. | No, if the owner is receiving a benefit, unless aggressive, destructive, uncontrolled, or unhygienic. | No, unless aggressive, destructive, uncontrolled, or unhygienic. |
| Required Documents | It is permissible to request if the disability-related need isn’t apparent. Health-care provider statement that the animal is trained to assist the resident with a disability. | It is permissible to request if the disability-related need isn’t apparent. Health-care provider statement that the animal is needed to alleviate the symptoms of a disability is sufficient. | It is permissible to request if the disability-related need isn’t apparent. Health-care provider statement that the animal is needed to alleviate the symptoms of a disability is sufficient. |
American HOA Management
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