Your emotional support animal has the right to live with you, something that is protected by federal and state law, and they may be able to accompany you to certain public spaces. However, your emotional support animal might not be able to fly with you, based on changes to federal laws surrounding air travel with ESAs and support animals in recent years.
Our guide gives you an overview of the new rules for emotional support animals on planes.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is any type of animal that brings you comfort and support from mental health symptoms. These animals can be any type of pet, including dogs, cats, snakes, rabbits, fish, and birds, and they must be prescribed by a mental healthcare provider licensed in your state.
Individuals with ESAs state that they often feel relief from anxiety, depression, and chronic stress, and these animals can provide their owners with a routine, helping them to better manage the symptoms of their mental health condition.
Are Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals the Same?
Emotional support animals and service animals are not the same, though they are often confused for one another. Both of these types of companion animals are highly valuable in their humans’ lives, and they provide many benefits to their owners, albeit in different ways.
Emotional support animals can be any type of animal, and they are not trained to complete specific disability-related tasks. They are instead companion animals that provide comfort, routine, and support through their presence alone.
On the other hand, service animals must be dogs or miniature horses, and they must be trained to complete tasks related to an individual’s disability. Service animals have more public and private access rights because of this training, and individuals with service animals generally rely on them to help them complete tasks throughout their days.
Does My Emotional Support Animal Have Rights?
Your emotional support animal will have some rights, though not as many as service animals. The main right your ESA benefits from is the right to live in housing with you, something that is protected by the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA).
Other than this, your emotional support animal can only accompany you to pet-friendly spaces or public areas that welcome your specific type of ESA. For example, it would be difficult to bring an emotional support bird or snake onto a dog-friendly patio area.
Learn the New Rules for Emotional Support Animals on Planes Below
Previously, emotional support animals were allowed to travel on planes in the same way that service animals were, protected by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). Emotional support animals used to be able to accompany their owner in the cabin of the plane without adhering to pet restrictions or being subjected to pet fees.
However, updates to this law in 2021 changed this rule, and emotional support animals were no longer granted similar protection to service animals under the ACAA. New rules stated that ESAs were to be treated like pets, and, as such, they would be subjected to all airline rules regarding travel with animals.
These changes were put in place to stop individuals from taking advantage of rather lenient animal travel policies under the old ACAA and to ensure that individuals with service animals have the access they need when it comes to traveling with their companion animal.
It is now up to airlines to set their own rules regarding pet travel and accommodations for emotional support animals, if they decide to grant any, but service animals must still be given rights to board a plane alongside their owner under the ACAA.
How Do I Take My Emotional Support Animal on a Plane?
You take your emotional support animal on a plane by first looking up the pet travel rules for the specific airline you wish to travel with. You will need to find out what type of paperwork you might need to complete, in addition to information about pet fees and where your pet is allowed to travel (such as in the cargo or in the airplane cabin).
Once you have gathered all of this information, you can register your pet with the airline, purchase your ticket, and pay any applicable fees. Make sure you leave ample time to request veterinary forms, documentation for your pet, and prepare your pet for safe travel before boarding your flight.
Can You Take Non-Traditional ESAs on Planes?
You may be able to take a non-traditional ESA on a plane, though this can be a much more challenging undertaking, and it may not be possible in many cases. Most airlines have pet policies in place when traveling with dogs or cats, but it may not be feasible or safe to transport animals like rabbits, birds, fish, and snakes on an airplane, even if your animal is in a cargo hold for travel.
Since your companion animal will most likely need to adhere to travel requirements for pets, make sure to check your chosen airline’s approved pets and pet restrictions to determine which rules might apply to you and your ESA.
What If I Need Extra Support During My Flight?
If you truly need extra support during your flight in the form of animal companionship or assistance from an animal, consider looking into whether you qualify for a service animal, which is a type of assistance animal trained to help individuals with a disability. ESAs are not trained to help you with specific tasks, and they are generally treated like pets on airplanes and by airlines.
When you have a service animal instead, particularly one trained to deal with certain psychiatric conditions, you can have your service animal assist you while you travel. Additionally, a service animal has more protected rights and can be at your side more often than an ESA would be allowed in public.
How Do I Travel Safely With My ESA?
Traveling safely with your ESA means acknowledging that, except for a few rare circumstances, your animal will be treated like a pet as you travel. This means that you will be expected to adhere to all pet rules, pay pet fees, and register your pet with the airline you are traveling with as necessary.
You should also note that only some airlines allow pets into the cabin area on flights, and some airlines place restrictions on the types of seats you can reserve with your animal. Keep in mind that if an airline requires cargo travel for your pet, this can be a stressful and, sometimes, dangerous experience for your animal. You may need to evaluate whether or not your ESA should accompany you on your flight in these cases.
Understanding the New Rules for Emotional Support Animals on Planes
While you are usually not able to travel with an ESA receiving the same benefits as service animals anymore, that doesn’t mean that you cannot ever bring your companion animal onto a flight with you. Individuals who wish to travel with their ESA will need to treat them like a pet, following all airline travel rules.
Make sure when flying somewhere with your ESA that you also inform yourself of quarantine rules and animal travel rules at your destination, as you will want to avoid surprises and stressful experiences for you and your companion animal.