User:Shannonscullion4/Emotional support animal

US legislation
In the US, legal protection against housing discrimination is afforded to people with mental disabilities under two federal statutes: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Federal Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) of 1988. These statutes, and the corresponding case law, create the general rule that a landlord cannot discriminate against people with mental disabilities in housing, and if a reasonable accommodation will enable a person living with a disability to equally enjoy and use the rental unit, the landlord must provide the accommodation. Persons with disabilities may request a reasonable accommodation, such as a waiver of a "no pets policy", for any assistance animal, including an emotional support animal, under both the FHAA and Section 504.

The Canadian legislation that will be analysed are as follows: the Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR)
The Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities Regulations (ATPDR) only recognizes service dogs. It states that a service dog “…is a dog that has been individually trained by an organization or person specializing in service dog training to perform a task to assist a person with a disability with a need related to their disability.” According to the Canadian government's website (Government of Canada, n.d.), only service animals are protected under Canadian law. Emotional support animals, also known as therapy animals, are not considered service animals and are not protected under the same laws.

Service animals are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities, such as guiding a person who is blind, alerting a person who is deaf, or pulling a wheelchair. In Canada, service animals are typically dogs, but can also include miniature horses in some cases.

Under the Canadian Human Rights Act, it is illegal to discriminate against a person with a disability who uses a service animal. This means that businesses and organizations must allow service animals to accompany their owners in public places, such as restaurants, stores, and public transportation.

As a result, emotional support animals (ESAs) are not protected under Canadian law. ESAs are animals that provide comfort and support to their owners through their presence, but they are not trained to perform specific tasks for their owners. While ESAs can provide important emotional support to their owners, they are not considered service animals under Canadian law.

Emotional support animals do not have the same legal protections as service dogs in Canada. These animals are not considered to be service animals under federal or provincial laws, and therefore do not have the same rights to access public places or to be exempt from no-pet policies.

In summary, only service animals are protected under Canadian law, and emotional support animals are not considered service animals. This means that businesses and organizations are not required to accommodate emotional support animals in the same way they are required to accommodate service animals.

The Air Transportation Regulations Canada
"Subject to section 151, an air carrier shall accept a service animal for carriage without charge if the animal is

(a) required by a person for assistance; and (b) certified, in writing, as having been trained to assist a person by a professional service animal institution."

Canada does not mention or acknowledge ESA, same to how the US does. While Canada does not recognise ESA as pets, US airlines do. Only service animals are mentioned in Canada Regulation. Additionally, some Canadian airlines do allow emotional support animals to be transported on flights, but these animals are not considered to be service animals and are subject to different rules and regulations. For example, airlines may require documentation from a licensed mental health professional stating that the animal is necessary for the individual's emotional support.

Emotional support animals (what I am adding to from original article):
Emotional support animals are typically cats and dogs, but may be members of other animal species. In relation to whether or not an emotional support animal should be allowed in a rental property, it is thus necessary to perform an individualized assessment of the specific assistance animal to determine if it poses a direct threat of harm or would cause substantial property damage, and not to assume that an animal is excluded based upon breed or species. Although a wild or exotic animal that poses an increased risk of disease or potential attack upon other people may potentially be excluded, courts have recognized species including guinea pigs and miniature horses as emotional support animals.

Some airlines will allow emotional support animals, with proper documentation from a veterinarian and/or mental health counselor, and small animals such as cats and dogs can be held on the passenger's lap during the flight.

There is no requirement under federal law for emotional support animals to wear a tag, harness, or clothing of any type indicating they are emotional support animals.

 Different Types of Emotional Support Animals (what is added) : 

When discussing emotional support animals it is extremely important to highlight the different types of emotional support animals people have access to. This is because individuals should be aware of the selection of animals that are available to have as an emotional support animal. As mentioned above in the article, emotional support animals can be any type of animal. Some examples of the different types of emotional support animals are dogs, cats, pigs, birds, etc... "Emotional support animals take many forms spanning, but not limited to, dogs, cats, birds, ducks, chinchillas, hamsters, and reptiles". Therefore there are a wide range of animals for people to choose from and have as emotional support animals. Individuals seeking to have an emotional support animal are extremely lucky because of the variety of animals they have to choose from. Each different animal can provide an individual with different emotions and help them in a variety of different ways that maybe a different animal could not offer. Edit summary: Wanted to add more examples of different types of emotional support animals so people know the options they have. I think it is extremely important for people to know all the kinds of animals they have to choose from. This is because some people may prefer certain animals over others.

 Emotional Support Animals in Health Care Facilities (what is added): 

It is clear that emotional support animals have an immense amount of positive affects on individuals and their overall physical and mental health. However, despite these positive affects, emotional support animals are not aloud in health care facilities, because of the risks they can bring. "Since only service animals are granted access to health care facilities by law, both therapy animals and ESAs are not required to be granted access and their presence should therefore reflect a considered decision by the facility in concert with relevant area and care managers as well as direct care staff" .Overall, this gives a brief overview of what animals are aloud in health care facilities, and as mentioned above emotional support animals are not aloud in. This makes sense because as mentioned above in the article, emotional support animals are not allowed in to as many places as other animals like service animals. Edit summary: Wanted to add some information about emotional support animals in health care facilities so people could be informed about rules. People should know all the places emotional support animals are aloud to go.

 How are Emotional Support Animals Different from Service Animals (what I am adding to from original article): 

"While service animals are trained to perform specific tasks such as helping a blind person navigate, an emotional support animal doesn't require any formal training to assist with the mitigation of mental health symptoms. Any animal that provides support, comfort, or aid, to an individual through companionship, unconditional positive regard, and affection may be regarded as an emotional support animal".

 How are Emotional Support Animals Different from Service Animals (what is added): 

It is easy for people to mix up or confuse emotional support animals and service animals because they are similar, however, they are different and each are used for different purposes. It is extremely important for individuals to understand the difference between the two because they offer different things to the individual. The easiest way to understand the difference between the two is to look at clear and specific definitions of the two of them. “Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities" . As well, “The ADA regulations specify that only dogs, or in specific cases, miniature horses, may work as service animals”  . However, “In contrast, an emotional support animal (ESA) also provides assistance related to a psychological disability, but is not required to have any specific training” . In addition there are specific places emotional support animals have access to, "There are no certification or registration standards for ESAs, and their access to public locations is more limited". As well, as mentioned earlier in the article, there is a wider range of animals that can be emotional support animals. Therefore, emotional support animals and service animals have many similarities but are in fact different and offer different qualities to people. Overall, when an individual is looking to get an emotional support animal or a service animal it is important to consider the key differences between the two to see which is a better fit for the individual. Edit summary: Wanted people to know the difference between emotional support animals and service dogs. People may want an emotional support animal over a service animal based on the differences.

 Emotional Support Animals on Campus: 

As the request for emotional support animals in campus settings increases, its relevancy and controversy grows. While professors share concern that animals in classrooms and academic settings will generate distractions for other students, "advanced health sciences research provides evidence of the human health benefits, including physiological, psychological, and emotional, that can be derived from human-animal interactions". In addition, recognizing any potential harms brought by the presence of an emotional support animal is deemed minimal in comparison to the benefits the owner experiences. While a number of institutions traditionally held a "no pets" policy, "students are increasingly asserting that they have a mental or psychiatric impairment and that an animal provides them therapeutic benefit". A number of universities have received lawsuits against this ban, in the denial of emotional support animals. While students argue the presence of an emotional support pet can "provide accessibility amongst institutions and academic settings, it also generates an even playing field for the optimal success of all students". In educational settings and living conditions benefits can be "noted of an emotional support animal in working to build student success while breaking down anxiety, stress, and other mitigating measures affecting educational success". This section works to provide objective information on the potential harms institutions feel may be brought on by the presence of emotional support animals on campus, as well as the benefits that can be experienced by the owner when approved to maintain their emotional support animal throughout academic settings. Edit summary/from group sandbox: This information was added to expand on the current controversy of emotional support animals be accepted on college campuses and within academic settings.

 How Animals Help Humans in General: 

To begin, it is important to highlight how animals contribute to humans well being. The list of positive affects animals have on humans are extensive, as animals contribute to humans physical health and psychological health. "Companion animals may not only be able to facilitate certain aspects of physiological health in humans but they may also contribute to the psychological well-being in humans". Edit summary: Added information on the positive affects animals have on humans in general. I thought this was important so readers have a general understanding right from the beginning about the importance of animals on humans well-being, and ot just emotional support animals but animals in general.

 Introduction to Section ("Air Travel in the US"): 

There is a growing concern about where emotional support animals should be allowed, and a lot of people are talking about if they are allowed on airplanes. "The topic of housing and airline accommodations being made for ESAs has attracted a significant amount of media publicity". Edit summary: Wanted to add a better introduction to this topic by adding a brief quote from a source. I thought the article lacked a good introduction.

 Help of Animals During Covid-19: 

Emotional support animals help individuals immensely which has been made clear throughout this article. However, animals in general have been shown to help humans, and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when individuals were and are isolated. "We find that human-pet relationship need support increases subjective well-being, and decreases psychological distress, as well as loneliness, which is caused by social isolation during Covid-19 times". Edit summary: Wanted to show just how important animals are to human well-being. I thought adding a relevant example would be extremely impactful for the reader.



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