Emotional support animals (ESA) are valuable companions to individuals who need comfort and support throughout their daily lives. These animals fill the gap between pets and service animals, and they are granted a different set of protections than service animals. If you are considering adding an emotional support animal to your treatment plan, there are a few important things to keep in mind to ensure your ESA is valid and you can benefit from the Wyoming state and federal protections put in place for these animals.
Our article gives you an overview of emotional support animal laws in Wyoming and what to consider when adding an emotional support animal to your life.
Emotional Support Animals VS Service Animals
While some individuals may think of emotional support animals and service animals as the same thing, these two classifications of animals are actually quite different in terms of how they help their owners and their legal protections.
Emotional support animals provide comfort and companionship to their owners, and they are not trained to perform any kind of disability-related task for their owners. The benefits they bring to their owners’ lives include routine, support, and comfort in times of high stress or other concerning emotions.
On the other hand, service animals are trained to directly support someone’s disability, such as guiding someone with visual impairments or providing medical alerts. Service animals generally need to accompany their owners everywhere they go, something that leads to greater public access protections under federal and state law.
Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wyoming
Emotional support animals do not have the same rights as service animals under Wyoming law and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, these support animals do have some protections in Wyoming.
The most notable law to pay attention to when it comes to ESAs in Wyoming is the Fair Housing Act; Wyoming state law upholds this act and the housing protections that it grants individuals with emotional support animals.
Under these laws, emotional support animals are permitted to be with their owner in any space of housing they can reasonably be cared for within. ESA owners are not required to adhere to any pet restrictions or breed restrictions, and they cannot be charged pet fees, pet rent, or additional security deposits. However, your emotional support animal must be valid, and you must possess an ESA letter written by a mental healthcare provider or doctor licensed in Wyoming in order to take advantage of these protections.
Can I Take My ESA Into the Public in Wyoming?
When going out and about with your ESA in Wyoming, it’s important to keep in mind the state’s specific public access laws. While Wyoming upholds the public access permissions granted by the ADA for service animals, these same permissions do not apply to emotional support animals.
However, certain businesses and public spaces in Wyoming may make exceptions for well-behaved and traditional emotional support animals, like dogs or cats. You may be able to bring your ESA onto a restaurant’s patio or take your ESA inside a retail store to complete your shopping.
If you are ever concerned about going into public in Wyoming with your ESA, you should contact the business first and ask them what their policies are for support animals. Never assume that your emotional support animal can accompany you, and always adhere to public and private business rules to avoid conflict.
Can I Travel With My ESA?
You can travel with your ESA, but it’s important to note that both Wyoming state law and federal law do not provide any additional protections for support animals when it comes to traveling on airplanes.
Previously, the federal Air Carrier Access Act allowed ESAs to travel with their owners in the cabins of planes, but this act was modified in 2020 to only allow service dogs these rights. Airlines are free to set their own policies surrounding emotional support animals, but most will require that they are treated as pets, and owners must pay pet fees and register their ESAs to travel as regular pets.
Can My Emotional Support Animal Be Denied Housing?
When it comes to housing accommodations, your emotional support animal cannot legally be denied in most cases. As long as you have a valid ESA letter, your landlord or property manager will be required to accept your ESA into your chosen housing.
Specific circumstances where your emotional support animal might be denied accommodations include:
- Your ESA does not fit in your chosen housing, such as living with a very large dog in a very small studio
- Your ESA is destructive, aggressive, or dangerous
- Your ESA is an exotic animal that cannot be reasonably cared for in shared housing
Make sure that you adhere to all Wyoming laws regarding animal ownership when you choose an ESA and start looking into suitable housing for yourself and your companion.
Register Your Emotional Support Animal With USSA
USSA makes it simple and easy to register your emotional support animal. When you use USSA to ensure your emotional support animal is valid, you will speak to a licensed mental healthcare provider; the provider will discuss your needs and diagnosis, and they will either approve or deny an emotional support animal.
If your ESA is approved, the provider will write you a letter that adheres to Wyoming state law and includes important details about your need for an emotional support animal. You can then use this letter to request housing accommodations to ensure you and your ESA can live together anywhere in Wyoming.