Wyoming is just one of the many states that follow the same law as the ADA when it comes to emotional support animal needs. Emotional support animals are not recognized in many states as needing the same protections as service animals. This means that if you live in Wyoming, you might experience some difficulty when trying to take your emotional support animal into public locations.
Both Wyoming state law and the ADA federal law state that service animals are permitted into any public accommodation. Public accommodations are defined as all public locations except any churches or religious buildings. This also includes any buildings located on properties owned by religious organizations.
Service animals are defined as a dog that has been trained or has been certified to complete a task or service for someone with a physical or mental disability. Mental disabilities can also include someone with depression or anxiety that might require them to have an animal that provides them comfort.
Even though emotional support animals are animals that provide companionship and comfort to individuals, they have not been trained to do so. If your animal is a dog and has gone through the training, then they are considered service animals and not emotional support animals. It is important to know if you have an emotional support animal or service animal so that you know what laws apply to you.
Understanding Wyoming ESA Laws
Wyoming tends to follow federal guidelines when it comes to emotional support animals. This means that most laws pertain to housing and ensuring that emotional support animals have reasonable housing accommodations. For this reason, the main law you need to know about in Wyoming for ESAs is the Fair Housing Act (FHA).
According to the Fair Housing Act, landlords in Wyoming can’t discriminate against people who use an emotional support animal to help with a disability. What’s more, landlords can’t charge an additional fee for residents who need an ESA for their mental or physical health. Therefore, with an ESA letter, tenants can live in otherwise non pet-friendly housing without any trouble.
Aside from protections, it’s important to note that there are some rights that landlords have. If an ESA is being disruptive, threatens others, or damages property, landlords can take action against you and the ESA.
Aside from the Fair Housing Act, ESAs don’t have many other protections in Wyoming, so keeping them at home may be necessary unless you have permission to bring them somewhere else.
Understanding Wyoming Service Dog Laws
Depending on your needs, a service dog may be more feasible if you need to go out in public or travel a lot. Thankfully, even if you have a mental health condition, psychiatric service dogs can go out in public with you because they’re protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that public spaces must make accommodations for people who have physical or mental disabilities, which includes accommodations for their service animals. Failure to do so can even result in fines, penalties, and other legal problems.
That said, your service dog does have to be well-behaved and not dangerous or else they can lose those rights. Service dogs also need training and must be trained to help someone with a specific task in Wyoming.
Service dogs in Wyoming can also fly on airlines due to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). The ACAA allows people with service animals in Wyoming to fly on airlines free of charge if they follow the appropriate guidelines.
Restrictions on Emotional Support Animals
Since emotional support animals are not service animals, they are not permitted to be allowed into all public accommodations, but this does not mean that a business can not modify this law as they see fit.
Some locations that involve food and food preparation can not allow non-service animals into their place of business, but clothing shops, outdoor dining, and other locations that are similar can make an exception for your emotional support animal.
It might be wise to call beforehand to make sure that they will allow you and your emotional support animal on the property. You also might need your registration. Even though it is against the law to ask for a service animal’s proof, this is not the case with emotional support animals.
Can Emotional Support Dogs Go in Restaurants?
Emotional support dogs are not service dogs, so they’re not protected under the ADA, which means restaurants aren’t forced to allow their entry. For this reason, you may not be able to bring your dog with you into Wyoming restaurants unless you call ahead first.
That said, the sentiment on animals being out in public is always evolving and you’ll find that many bars and restaurants will allow your pet to visit with you. This is typical at breweries, pubs, and other outdoor venues. Still, always make sure you call ahead first, and if it’s a fine dining experience, you may want to leave your ESD at home.
Protections for Emotional Support Animals
Even though most states do not recognize emotional support animals as having the same rights as service animals, there is one federal law that provides some protections for emotional support animals. Emotional support animals do fall under the definition of assistance animals and therefore are permitted to be allowed in most types of housing.
Housing is considered any place that is for rent, excluding temporary lodging. They are not legally allowed to ask for any deposit or fee for your stay, either. This does not apply to any damages the animal causes to the property.
By allowing for individuals to not be restricted by pet policies when it comes to their assistance animals, they are able to not have to worry about affording expensive fees just because they require an emotional support animal for their disability.
Airlines used to be required by the Air Carrier Access Act to allow emotional support animals to fly in the cabin with their owners. However, this act has recently been modified to no longer protect emotional support animals. Now, only service dogs (including psychiatric service dogs) are allowed in the cabins of airplanes, and airlines are permitted to require forms for these animals.
Some airlines will allow you to bring pets as carry-ons, but there is a fee and it is ultimately up to their jurisdiction.
Providing Proof
Proof will need to be provided before you can enjoy the protection of equal housing. Even though it is illegal for businesses to ask for proof of a service animal before entering a place of business, this is not the cause for housing.
Proof is required so that they can make sure all parties involved are protected. Landlords require proof to make sure that a deposit won’t be needed for a pet that might cause damage to the property.
It is also important to have proof when traveling. Not all states or countries have the same laws when it comes to emotional support animals. By having your pet registered, you can make sure that both of you can have stress free and consequence-free travel. It can make sure that you and your emotional support animal can also experience all the protections allotted to you while traveling as well, such as fair housing.
Why Emotional Support Animals Are Important
Emotional support animals are important to people who might suffer from mental illnesses that require them to need extra comfort and support. Animals can take away stress and relax someone who might be having a difficult time. Situations that can cause stress for these people might be shopping, going to school, and other everyday activities.
By allowing these individuals to have their emotional support animals with them at all times, they can get through their day more easily and live a more normal life. For some people, emotional support animals are important to their day-to-day lives.
Why You Should Register Your Emotional Support Animal With USSA
USSA makes it simple and easy to register your emotional support animal. It is important to have your animals registered in case you are trying to get housing, are traveling, or just need proof for any reason. It might be required of you to provide proof of your emotional support animal more often than you think.
USSA makes it really simple to receive your registrations – just answer a few quick questions honestly. They also allow you to get a doctor’s note that might be required when applying for housing that is not pet-friendly. USSA will help take care of all your registration needs and a place to shop for the accessories your pet might need when working out in the world.