Jim has been an avid animal lover his entire life and is thrilled to be able to use his legal knowledge and training to help those seeking accommodations to live with their animals. As an attorney, he has researched and litigated innumerable issues related to the rights of those with service animals and other assistance animals. He is a husband and parent of three children, three dogs, four birds and a hedgehog.
James M. Benson J.D. 1995; Co-Founder and General Counsel of US Service Animals; Founding Principal at James M. Benson, APLC
Georgia residents who are suffering from mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD may benefit from the presence of an emotional support animal (an ESA). These animals can help calm their owners and bring a sense of ease to daily life. If you are interested in adopting an ESA or wish to register […]
An emotional support animal (ESA) can be a literal life saver when it comes to helping you cope with mental health issues. Whether you’re dealing with severe depression, anxiety, or another psychological ailment, the comforting presence of your animal companion can be the key to improving your quality of life and allowing you to live […]
Are you thinking about getting an Emotional Support Animal (also called an ESA) in New Jersey? Then you need to take the time to find out your legal obligations and rights under New Jersey state law. Here, we’ll tell you all you need to know when it comes to getting an emotional support animal in […]
Do you suffer from a mental health or emotional disorder and believe that you could benefit from having an ESA (Emotional Support Animal)? Before exploring whether or not an ESA is right for you, you’ll need to know your various obligations and rights under state law. What Is an Emotional Support Animal? Emotional Support animals […]
If you have been diagnosed with an emotional disorder or mental health condition such as PTSD, anxiety or depression you may benefit from having an emotional support animal to improve your quality of life. Before you move forward, though, you need to understand your legal rights and responsibilities around owning an ESA under Wyoming state […]
If you have an emotional support animal (ESA) in the state of Alabama, it is critical that you understand all of your rights and responsibilities. Becoming informed in this area will help you to avoid many of the difficulties or misunderstandings that can occur when trying to bring your animal with you to various places. […]
Everyone gets by with a little help from their friends, and those of the four-legged variety are no exception. People are increasingly seeking emotional and mental support from animals, but this doesn’t mean that people are becoming more knowledgeable about the laws surrounding these support animals. This article takes a deeper look at emotional support […]
Many of us see animals as pets, but for some, animals are more than that. Pets that serve as emotional support animals, or ESAs, go above and beyond the role of a standard pet. These animals offer support and comfort for people suffering from mental health conditions and emotional trauma. While service dogs have been […]
For folks who don’t suffer from a disability, it’s easy to take bodily and mental functionality for granted. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean disabled people are at a disadvantage–especially those who have service animals. If you’ve ever seen a dog wearing a vest in public, it was most likely a service animal, or a specially-trained […]
Michiganders with disabilities typically own a service animal who can help them do work or perform certain duties that make their daily life easier. But not just any animal can become a service animal; these unique animal caretakers often undergo extensive, rigorous training to help their human companions navigate these day-to-day tasks. Fortunately, there’s also […]
Animals are capable of some pretty amazing things, including taking care of their human owners. Service animals, as these caretaker animals are called, are specially-trained animals who can do work or perform specific tasks and duties for their disabled owners. But there’s more to this highly specific training than just teaching your dog a few […]
Cats have been with us since early civilization. It is one of the few animals that people throughout history have kept purely for affection and love. Unlike dogs, which were used for hunting or guarding, cats were merely pets to be pampered around the house. Cats are generally clean animals, and they are very loyal. […]
West Virginia enforces the laws laid out in the Federal Fair Housing Act (FHAA) and other laws that protect people with emotional support animals from discrimination. The White Cane Law in West Virginia, which is primarily designed to protect those who use service animals for visual impairment, establishes that an emotional support animal is not […]
Sometimes, the only thing that can comfort us when we need it most is man’s best friend… or our best furry friend, whatever that may be. They instinctually know when we need them most and are there to provide us with the same care and love we show them. Stroking their fur can calm us […]
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 […]
Emotional support animals, also known as ESAs, are not classified in the same way as other service dogs or animals. Service dogs are trained to perform specific jobs for people who have difficulty completing day-to-day tasks. An ESA is a pet, often without specific training, that helps their companion by providing emotional support in the […]
Animals – they love us unconditionally and they continually support us. No matter what we do, they are loyally by our side and committed to bringing joy and happiness into our lives. We often take for granted just how important our animals are to us. We know from raising pets that we can a unique […]
Animals are our friends and loyal companions through every aspect of life. They often sense when things are wrong and they reward us with their unwavering support through life. We recognize the special connections that we have with our pets, but do we understand the effect that an animal can have on a person’s physical […]
It is important to know the laws for emotional support animals in the state that you live in. Not every state treats emotional support animals the same, and very few states treat emotional support animals like service animals. Emotional support animals are animals that provide comfort and companionship but are not trained to perform a […]
Missouri has laws set in place to protect all service dogs. Service dogs are dogs that have been trained to perform tasks for people with physical and mental disabilities. These tasks have to things that the person can not do for themselves, such as open doors or remind them to take their medicine. Emotional support […]
An emotional support animal (ESA) is any animal that has been deemed necessary for your wellbeing by a licensed mental healthcare worker. Unlike a service dog, an ESA doesn’t have to be trained to perform any specific task – their simple presence is enough to provide comfort and relief to mental or emotional disability symptoms. […]
Most of us have always been familiar with service animals in some way, but more recently another type of support animal has become more common. Emotional support animals have become more and more popular in recent years due to the mental health benefits they can provide. Pets offer us companionship, a constant camaraderie that we […]
An emotional support animal is truly a life-saving asset for hundreds of thousands of Americans. From rabbits to dogs (and many species in between), emotional support animals provide assistance and therapeutic benefits to help those living with mental disabilities or emotional trauma. Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder, just to name a few, can make […]
Emotional support animals (ESA) and service dogs (SA) are a life-saving asset for hundreds of thousands of Americans. From rabbits to dogs (and many species in between), these animals provide assistance to people with disabilities or emotional trauma. ESAs, for example, provide comfort and make life easier for those struggling with issues like anxiety, depression, […]
An emotional support animal is truly a life-saving asset for hundreds of thousands of Americans. From rabbits to dogs (and many species in between), emotional support animals provide assistance and therapeutic benefits to help those living with mental disabilities or emotional trauma. Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder, just to name a few, can make […]
An emotional support animal is truly a life-saving asset for hundreds of thousands of Americans. From rabbits to dogs (and many species in between), emotional support animals provide assistance and therapeutic benefits to help those living with mental disabilities or emotional trauma. Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder, just to name a few, can make […]
An emotional support animal is truly a life-saving asset for hundreds of thousands of Americans. From rabbits to dogs (and many species in between), emotional support animals provide assistance and therapeutic benefits to help those living with mental disabilities or emotional trauma. Anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder, just to name a few, can make […]
There are federal and state laws that apply to disabled handlers and their service dogs. Rights laid out by the ADA trump local laws in every case. […]
The process of getting an ESA Letter is simple. It starts with a consultation with a mental health professional in your state. […]
Learn about the laws that are protecting you and your ESA in Michigan. See the Michigan ESA Housing, Employment, and Transportation Laws […]
Learn about the laws that are protecting you and your ESA in Utah. See the Utah ESA Housing, Employment, and Transportation Laws […]
Learn about the laws that are protecting you and your ESA in Oregon. See the Oregon ESA Housing, Employment, and Transportation Laws […]
Learn about the laws that are protecting you and your ESA in Texas. See the Texas ESA Housing, Employment, and Transportation Laws […]
The laws in New York differ in some ways to the American’s with Disabilities Act which serves as the overarching law for America. States are allowed to have their own laws that are either the same, similar or different to the ADA. […]
There aren’t any significant differences between service animal laws in Florida from other states. They do take their service animal laws very seriously because they see many of them between locals and tourists […]
There are many laws and health regulations to review that effect whether or not your emotional support animal can receive access to your apartment complex’s pool area. […]
Airbnb is committed to making their service inclusive and accessible to all of their customers. They set clear expectations in their Nondiscrimination Policy for hosts regarding persons with disabilities, including the use of service animals. […]
Thousands of people every day are registering their emotional support animal online, but what are they really getting for their money? […]