Emotional Support Animals: The Basics

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides therapeutic benefit (e.g., emotional support, comfort, companionship) to a person with mental health or psychiatric disability (such as serious condition). ESA not considered Service Animal, but under U.S. law, support also pet and generally restricted by the type of animal. Any domesticated may be cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, birds, hedgehogs, rats, minipigs, ferrets, etc.) they can any age. However, must able manageable in public does create nuisance. In this tip sheet we describe what well how someone look into getting one.