I sort of waved away conversation regarding economics and animal rights in order to keep the video focused, but it's worth summarizing how these two issues have also led to the abuse and degradation of the system. First off, it's fair to say that the costs associated with animal ownership can be quite high. Even just necessary items like food, habitat supplies, veterinary care, or medicines. Adding the additional cost of a "pet rent" can be a substantial burden on folks. It's worth acknowledging that people with a lower socioeconomic status would see the largest benefit from classifying their animal as an ESA. You could make an argument that ESAs are a class issue and that having lax rules advantages those at the bottom. This points to larger issues with our country's social support systems and the economic disparities that disadvantage those at the low end. As the saying goes, "it's expensive to be poor". Second, it is my opinion that more property owners should allow pets in their rentals. Pet owners tend to be responsible and conscientious, and there's a good argument to make that pets are not any more destructive than, say, children. There are legitimate reasons to not want pets on the premises, particularly dogs since they are often the largest, can be the most disruptive, and are in public spaces the most. However, many pet-related issues could be addressed in the same way that you would with any tenant issue described in a rental agreement. If the law changed to provide housing protections against discrimination of pets, everyone could have the option to experience the benefits of having pets without worrying about limiting where they live. And ESAs would be prescribed for their intended purpose of helping individuals manage their symptoms, rather than as a tool to remove barriers to housing. Finally, I'm starting to see some comments role in already and I want to make it very clear that I'm not trying to take away anybody's pets. What I'm saying is that the ESA system was not designed for pets. I think pets are great and I want everyone to have the freedom to have pets without being overly burdened. But using this legal protection as a "loophole" is bad for everyone in the long run. The rights of pet owners need to be addressed in their own right, through separate legislation. Additionally, if there are any changes to ESA law, they must be done carefully so that you do not create unintended barriers for the people who really need them. This is why I believe that training and the costs to obtain a trained animal should be covered by insurance.
But an ESA is only just a pet. ADA law protects disabled person’s rights-not rights of pets or animals. The ADA does not grant any rights to my service animal-it protects MY rights to equal access as a disabled person-so that I can live, travel, and I can access public spaces with the aid of my trained service dog. There is no “loop hole” for non-ESA pets or ESA’s pretending to be service animals. People doing that are breaking the law and they can and should be fined and/or prosecuted. We need more education and awareness about service animals and ESA’s. Some people may be gaming the system unwittingly…like they legit actually believe that they still have access to non-pet friendly public establishments with their ESA. The audio clip included in this video may be one of those situations. Maybe instead of acting as a gate keeper to disabled access, therapists should a) be trained and informed about all things ADA including assistance animals and the differences between ESA and Service animals and b) help to inform their disabled patients who are seeking access and/or reasonable accommodations in their living situation and/or employment. Maybe instead of more “gate keeping” and adding more barriers to disabled access, we just need everyone to be more informed. If you are a therapist or others watching this are aspiring to become therapist, maybe instead of trying to gate-keep access for your disabled patients, maybe just be informed and help inform your patients so they know what is legal and lawful and they know what is illegal and unlawful regarding pets or ESAs. It is not up to the therapist or doctor to evaluate whether any particular pet is suitable as an ESA-all you are qualified and needed to do is to write a letter that states “____, is a patient under my care and has a Disabilty listed in the DSM V, for which an ESA MIGHT be of benefit.” That’s all! It has nothing to do with the pet they intend as an ESA-all the theripst can determine is that the person has a diagnosis in the DSM, and an ESA MIGHT help ameliorate the person’s symptoms. The wording MIGHT is key here because there is no guarantee that an animal or a pet WILL help a persons symptoms-in fact there is always a possibility that an animal could WORSEN a person’s symptoms. I can personally attest that a pet intended as an ESA or SA can actually worsen the symptoms they were intended to help ameliorate. My first intended service dog in training turned out to be unsuitable for the job, and her high-strung/high-energy constant and sudden barking all throughout the day, actually drastically increased my anxiety and panic rather than help mitigate it! I invested a lot of time and money into her training but ultimately she was my SDIT washout and I rehomed her and had to start all over again with a new candidate, luckily with better success and he’s literally saved my life. At any rate, I gave this video a thumbs down because it smacks of gate-keepery. The disabled don’t need more gate keeping and barriers to access! We just want to live our best lives and have the same access as everyone else. Don’t get me wrong-I totally get the frustration towards those who would abuse the system and break the law…they have made things harder for the legitimately disabled and using the ADA appropriately for access. But don’t punish the rest of us for the bad acts of those who would break the law and take advantage of people’s ignorance about the ADA. As a therapist, you should not be adding more requirements or restrictions on who is allowed to have an ESA-like certain breeds, non barking, and requiring training. An ESA does not require training and the ADA protects the disabled’s rights to have an ESA if that helps them. The therapist is only qualified to evaluate/diagnose and certify that the person does have a diagnosis…not that the dog isn’t going to attack the landlord. That is a risk that the handler takes upon themselves! And in some cases the landlord may share a responsibility in getting attacked….I’m sure there are situations in which a person deliberately provokes an attack or they messed with a handler or with their SD and they got themselves injured-at any rate this is something that the court system is designed to sort out-and a therapist should have no party in if he’s writing his letters correctly. Which again-all you are qualified and required to do is to affirm they are your patient, that they do have a diagnosis in the DSM, and that an ESA might help the person’s symptoms. If you are evaluating pets and requesting training certificates, you are already violating the disabled persons rights if they are indeed disabled. Keep it simple for yourself. Don’t complicate things and don’t try to step beyond your scope of training and job description. You’re a therapist and your patient is a human. You are not an animal trainer and you don’t treat or evaluate dogs (or cats or other animal).
@@heatherreddick4635if it's against someone's principles to be a party to gaming the system telling them to just do their job's not too cool. Makes sense disability can rob someone of their sense of reciprocity but seems like the unprincipled part maybe not so much.
@@Zarathustran if you assume that it’s not against my principles to game the system, then you are wrong. I very much am concerned about people gaming the system because as rightly pointed out, the people who masquerade there ESA as a service animal, tends to make things harder for the rest of us with actual service dogs. But I oppose unlawfulness on both sides of the issue, in particular, what I was commenting about is concerning “gatekeeping”, or unlawfully asking or demanding extra requirements beyond what is legal to ask or require. That’s where I feel that the essence of this video dwells-in gatekeeping. Even the title evokes that there is something wrong about ESA’s. Instead of addressing the problem with people who bring their ESA into public spaces were pets are not allowed, he attacks “the problem with ESA’s.” On the one hand he wants to say that he supports the idea of a disabled person having an ESA, but then he admits that he imposes his own set of criteria in order to sign a letter for a client. All that is required in the letter is 1) this person has a diagnosis that is in the DSM and 2) an ESA might be of benefit for this person’s symptoms. The ADA is very clear about the definition of an ESA vs a SD, and an ESA requires NO training. So then for a therapist to require that an ESA gets training….well, that is unlawful, ie, goes against the ADA. It’s the same for those of us with service animals-if someone requires some sort of training certificate or SD registration/documention or whatever, that would be a very clear and prosecutable violation of the ADA law. Although a service animal is by definition highly trained and trained to do tasks to mitigate a persons disability in public, the ada prohibits any certification or registration or documentation requirements. It’s the handler’s one prerogative to keep any training records and documentation of training given as to keep evidence to protect themselves in case of a potential lawsuit or whatever, but access and accommodations cannot be hinged upon whether or not the handler presents some type of certificate or documentation and it is illegal for someone to ask you present such. Anyway, although I am a firm believer in every dog a “canine good citizen” or equivalent level of training or beyond, it however sounds ridiculous to me that a therapist as a matter of policy doesn’t sign letters for disabled patients who’s dog or cat even, has no training. But regardless of what I think about it-it’s just contradictory to the ADA and all I’m saying is that this video, from its title to its content, smacks of “gatekeepery”.
First, the ADA says nothing about ESAs and does not establish laws regarding ESAs. The laws come from the fair housing act, as discussed in the video. It is true that there are no laws requiring training. I take issue with you describing it as "gatekeeping". As a therapist, I have a responsibility to ensure that ESA recommendations are appropriate and aligned with my professional judgment. An ESA letter is a legal document that grants certain privileges and I have to evaluate a person's mental health needs and determine if an emotional support animal genuinely contributes to their well-being. There is no defined guidelines to do this and, given the legal nature of this, I will do it in a way that I feel is therapeutically appropriate, that best serves clients, and that protects my license. I'm not denying ESAs to people who need it, I'm establishing guidelines that allow me to fully assess the need. This is fully legal and, in my mind, the most ethical approach. If you have an issue with this, then this only further supports the points of my video that call for changes to legislation to clarify the nature of ESAs.
My dad is one of those AH who abuse the system. His dog is a terror. It pees everywhere. He doesn’t bath it. It hates anyone who isn’t him. It doesn’t come when called. It barks at everything. It bites my dog. But because he bought a vest off the internet he insists it’s an ESA and demands it be allowed into restaurants, sports centers, businesses, everywhere. I hate it. He’s exactly the problem.
it's really sad how people abuse the fact that a lot of people don't know that esas don't actually have public access rights, and businesses can remove legitimate service dogs if they are disruptive (like pooping in the store, barking, biting, or being out of the handler's control)
@@silverrraven5349 It's sad how many businesses don't bother to look at the law and provide a 2 minute training to their employees to ensure they are creating equal access for people with disabilities too.
The miniature horses: some people are allergic to dogs and horses are able to be trained to lead the blind as well as a dog. They have much different care needs so are not for everyone but mini horses typically lead the blind
Miniature horses , they have 3 main advantages over service dogs: 1) they can guide blind people with the same efficiency as guide dogs, plus they can be more stable and strong for assisting people with balance or mobility disparities, 2) they can also learn potty training very well (thus they can also live in apartments and use public transportation) and 3) and most importantly, while the service span of a guide dog is only about 7 years (dogs' life expectancy is about 14 years), miniature horses have a service span of 20 years (and their life expectancy is between 25 to 35). During the service working life span of a miniature horse, 3 service dogs would be needed.... The retirement of a service dog and the acquirement of a new one, it's a process of high emotional burden for the disable people. So just that would also compensate psychologically. The expenses of the training of a dog and a miniature horse are similar (very high), thus in dogs one would spend 3 times as much money in training than in a miniature horses. It will be interesting to compare, though, for the long run the overall expenses (taking into consideration also veterinarian check ups, food/ supplements and treats, accessories ) of one service Miniature horse versus 3 service dogs.
@@kayleighgroenendal8473 Let's remember that landlords of many Christian and agnostic and Atheist communities (thus most of the western countries) also think of dogs as dirty and destroyers and thus they are forbidding dogs to tenants.Thus , to state that some Muslim communities consider them as dirty and forbidden, it's quite a bias (probably unconscious ly) and it's untrue, since in all countries with a Muslim majority that i have visited they have dogs in the streets. What I have found is that in countries with muslim mayority, they have linguistic expressions that show that "unconditional loyalty or subordinance" of dogs are not (or were not) appreciated. But westerners , we also have cultural expressions with negative cognitions to pigs and cats, when the reality is that pigs are clean (they defecate out of the places they would sleep on) and cats can be loyal, trustworthy and even trained joyfully.
@@jenniferboyd1547 That is what I was thinking. Certain religions do not allow dogs in house. Only for patrolling yards for invaders; human or predators attacking sheep, goat, and cattle herds.
I was at Disneyland recently and I witnessed a guest with a very small dog strapped their waist. The guest had been riding attractions all day with the dog. Both the guest and the dog smelled like urine and the dog appeared to be heavily sedated. When does it become animal abuse vs. ESA? It was an awkward situation and no employee seemed to be concerned by the situation.
That was clearly animal abuse. I don't know if it legally counts as such, but a dog shouldn't be put into that situation. The guest should bring a stuffed toy instead, since clearly they're treating the dog as one.
@@RockPile_ did you even read the original comment? 1. Amusement park is no place for ordinary dogs. Actual service animals are trained for various things and don't need to be sedated. 2. Rides are for humans. Period. There's no excuse to bring an animal on a ride, sedated or not. Mental health struggles are no excuse for abusing animals. A dog that pissed itself is feeling extreme panic.
Miniature horses are included because they can be trained similarly to dogs, but can live much, much longer, so the same person can retain the same service animal potentially for decades. This reducing the need for training and transitioning between animals. They can also provide stability support, i.e. they are sturdy enough for the human to lean heavily on them without harming them as they would a dog. Fun fact, they often wear the shoes made by Build-a-Bear as the little shoes they put on their bears just so happen to be the right size for a lot of miniature horse service animals.
I understand where ur coming from, dogs are 1: more accessible and 2: they can be smaller and therefore able to fit comfortably in more spaces (although I’ve also seen mini horses on the smaller side) such as schools, work places etc. it’s strange to take a mini horse everywhere you go.
As someone with an ESA, who took an entire class in college on service animals and ESAs and generally is the person who knows the laws and advocates for them all the time to people, thank you for correcting the people with "ESA's" that are abusing the very important thing that is having an ESA Edit to add: mine is a cat named Oliver and he helps me keep a more normal schedule which helps me with my ADHD
Could you provide some examples of how Oliver helps you in your day-to-day? I've been researching getting an ESA for anxiety and depression and would love to know how one might aid ADHD
@@slowyourroll1146I have ADHD that can’t be medicated due to my heart. I got my cat just for a pet but she’s turned into an ESA mainly for my depression and anxiety, especially after recently losing two loved ones. My cat helps me keep a routine because I build my routine around her. EG: I wake up, make my bed then go to the kitchen. I feed her WHILE making my breakfast so I ensure I make myself food. Then I sit with her for 10 minutes before I leave my apartment. At night, I eat dinner, then feed her and she eats while I shower. I’m a college student, so if I dont have motivation to do homework/laundry/cleaning - I give myself a break to play with her instead of going on my phone. It keeps me from falling down the rabbit holes
How does Oliver help you with ADHD? Is it the feeding him on time and stuff? I have two kids 🥴 and I need to get mine under control. On meds but with the shortage and various manufacturers, meds are unreliable.
I think that they should definitely be some training guidelines for an animal to be considered an ESA. I don't care if a person has a dog a Zebra with them as long as the animals behaves. I had a client come in for a massage once who told the front desk her dog was an ESA. The dog barked at me for 90 minutes straight. that is not a relaxing environment for me or anyone else in the building
I disagree, because ESAs aren't allowed in massage parlors or anywhere else unless pet dogs in general are allowed. All having a dog as an ESA allows you to do is override rental restrictions, which is why I think any provider writing an ESA letter should discuss with anyone requesting one whether they even have rental restrictions barring them from getting a pet, and make sure they understand that's all the letter will allow.
@@PixieoftheWood I know that and you know that the lady with the Barking Dog knew that but the girls at the front desk didn't understand that distinction. For future reference please refer to it as a spa, massage parlor has a negative connotation. 🙂
I'm a librarian in an urban library in Los Angeles. We also deal with service animals and ESAs. We have a policy now that basically follows what you have described to deal with abuse. We have even needed to apply the issue of a dog not being under the handler's control to ban a patron. We, as a public space need to be compassionate, and typically don't have an issue with animals, but as you described, qualifications regarding training and the animal's behavior. Even service animals, such as seeing-eye-dogs need to be trained, and if such a dog makes noise, soils the floor, or threatens the public or staff, we can ban them.
You don't deal with ESAs. ESAs as defined by the Fair Housing Act are not pets and they don't receive protections outside the owner's home. The Fair Housing Act is the piece of federal legislation that defines what an ESA is and what protections it has. This was left out of the video on purpose to strengthen his complaints.
@@neurotransmissions so you’re just here to shit on the Rehabilitation Act side of things at the expense of people’s perception of the housing side. Wow
@@geisenmI think your comprehension of the discussion might be skewed by bias, he was pretty clear that his concern is people not knowing or not following their restrictions and the lack of standardization or protections for clinicians to follow
@@geisenm I’m not really sure what that comment even means, but it’s pretty silly that you didn’t pay attention to the video, wrote an accusatory comment and then followed that up by writing an aggro email to me trying to educate me about something I very obviously talked about in the video. I particularly liked the line in your email where you said, “Can’t have facts and clarity get in the way if your pathetic RUclips whoring, can we?” Very nice lmao.
I have seen several people bragging how they easily got a special coat, badge, or letter online declaring their pets “support animals”. They were super proud of the fact that they were taking advantage of a system that was designed to help people with legitimate needs.
I,see thos ads on how easynitbisnto get a ESA vest, patch or “certification” for an ESA , on FB all the time! And these ads are so infuriating and entitled! They go on about how it’s so easy to be able to take your pet anywhere you like, and how you don’t have to leave your poor dog alone at home anymore etc. it just reeks of entitlement! “ oh look at me! I’m so special! I can take my pet everywhere and no one can say anything about it!” I want to make more people aware that just ordering the vest and patch and a bogus “ certificate” just so you can take your pet with you everywhere, when you DO NOT NEED an Emotional Support animal but just want to take your pet with you when you go places, , is a horrible idea. And is actually causing alot of harm to people who NEED an ESA or See ice Animal. Some Restaurants and other places who have had an experience wirh a badly behaved fake ESA now refuse to allow people wirh service Animals . I usually try to wrote a post about the difference between service animals and ESA and and about how it’s the responsibility of the animal,owner ro make sure the animals is well behaved in any enviroment they take their ESA in. And and that they wouid real,y have a need for that ESA, not just wanting to,drag their pet with them everywhere they go….. Also how badly behaved ESA are making it very difficult for people with service Animals. Side note. I saw a program once about how small monkeys were being trained ro provide help for people who,were paralyzed from the neck down….fetching drinks, picking up,objects, adjusting the devices on the mobile chairs that enable the person to type or speak…. I dont know how prevalent the use of monkeys is for this purpose.
You can get them that say Service animal as well, just because you "say" it is a service animal, doesn't prove it. There is no national registration or certification to prove the animal is, in fact, a service trained animal. Business are only allowed to ask 2 questions, Is the animal a service animal, and what tast is it trained for. Thats it. Anything else is discrimination against the disabled
@@VolCanixWorx Which doesn't make sense. What's wrong with a government mandated certificate or license? If anything, those can clarify a lot of misunderstanding. And there won't be any discrimination. As soon as the animal is proven as what it is, a service animal, make it illegal to deny service (unless it's for safety reasons). And make it acceptable to report and charge places that discriminate.
@@blenderpain8249there is certification in some Canadian provinces. I assure you fake service dogs are still common according to handlers there and so is discrimination from businesses
I had a service dog for PTSD, and it was super frustrating how often people would go "oh so an ESA?" NO. They are two different things. He was highly trained. I did get to the point where I no longer needed a service dog, so he was able to retire and downgraded to being an ESA, but he was trained as a service dog and when he was out and doing his job before he retired, he was not an ESA. People used to refuse services or try to charge pet fees because of "bad experiences with past service dogs" (which I assume were people bringing their pets in claiming that they were service dogs) or because I couldn't provide a registry ID that other people had provided (even though they don't exist) or because they were convinced that a psychiatric service dog was the same as an ESA (probably due in part to the fact that my disabilities are invisible). It was exhausting. Honestly, until knowledge of how service dogs work and what they are becomes far more mainstream, I would not recommend having a service dog unless absolutely necessary with no other reasonable options. Even when it does become more accessible, it is not a choice that should be taken lightly.
Is your dog a service dog? If so, what is it trained to do? I've never heard of a downgraded service dog. Retired dog left to roll in the grass and chase squirrels? Sure!
@@denisemarie6997 Yes he was a service dog. He was a highly trained PTSD response dog. He was trained to notice signs that my PTSD induced panic attacks were coming on and to get my attention so that I focused on him and came down from the panic attack safely and quickly. One of his main tools for this was deep pressure therapy. He was also trained to stand between me and large groups of people to act as a buffer and physical barrier since that is something that was a big trigger for me (I'm better at handling that now, though it's still anxiety-inducing). He retired when he was a senior and no longer physically fit to do his job due to health issues. He got to live out his last year treated mostly as a regular pet, though a very well trained one. I did not get a new service dog because by the time he retired I had gotten to the point where I could mostly manage the symptoms that he helped me to manage on my own. I did however still struggle with my PTSD, it hasn't gone away completely, as well as some pretty intense anxiety and depression which he served as an ESA for during his last year. There is no rule saying that a retired service dog cannot be an ESA, and he certainly filled that role. He may not have had to actively do his job anymore, but he still filled an important role tangentially related to the job he had retired from.
I was attacked by my neighbour’s ESA, a pit bull, and the complex refuses to do anything about it because the dog is registered as an ESA. It snapped at my throat. It only missed because I’m hyper aware thanks to PTSD and stepped back at the last possible second. It missed my carotid artery by 1/2 an inch. I have a 7 month old son. When I complained to them and animal control, they said there was nothing they could do. The cops suggested I buy a gun and shoot it if it ever charges me. Absolutely excellent for my PTSD. I’m now looking at selling my home and moving.
Report every single incident to animal control. Once can be a one off, twice can be happenstance. . .after that? Its patterned behavior and documentation goes a long way when it comes to legal action.
@@sexygirlmax2019ESA registries aren’t real. All the ones you see online are fake. ESAs are recommended by mental health or medical professionals, that’s it! There is no other protocol or stipulation.
my partner had his leg amputated during the pandemic. We lost our home due to spending so much time without work and needing him to be in skilled nursing after the stump became infected. He was on the verge of suicide, and his kitten ( Who did fill the role of a service animal, picking things up off the floor when he dropped them, and reminding him to take his insulin.) was granted ESA so she could be with him during physical therapy. (because as a cat she could not be a service animal) - In addition, the certification of ESA is only for 1 year, so a new letter is required after that time. My suggestion is that instead of "type" of animal, Service animals should be based on the task they do. Mental disabilities (like autistics) Do have specific needs, and it is not difficult to find and specify exactly what that animal does, require proper training and sociability.
Autistic here - so what you are describing is not an ESA, it’s a specific category of service animals. Service dogs for autism have to perform special skills and it typically costs at least $10,000 to acquire a trained autism service dog (I’ve heard of the range being anywhere from 10-20k). I have a small dog that I trained to do one of the skills that service animals for autistics perform (deep pressure - my dog recognizes when I am having an autistic meltdown and will initiate lying on my chest or on my lap, adding weight and pressure that helps me to get through the meltdown). Sometimes autistic people who cannot afford a service dog for autism will train dogs to do support skills like I did, just because those skills are so helpful. I also did not ask a therapist for an ESA letter, either. I just needed to train my dog to be able to help me with meltdown, so I did. Right now that means my dog can only help me at home, but that’s a hell of a lot better than nothing. If I could have afforded to have him trained and certified, I would have. Just sharing all this to raise awareness that service dogs for autism already exist, but are difficult for autistic people and their families/caretakers to afford. An ESA is not a substitute for a support animal and if autistic people are stuck with ESAs, it’s a failure of our support structures for autistic people. More of us should have trained service dogs. This is an issue our governments need to deal with and provide more structural/financial support for, so that ASD people can have improved disability rights.
@@JaneTheMessage I absolutely agree. The problem is, when you have a Non-Dog animal or a Misunderstood disability you are left with little choice. Should your landlord decide that pets are not allowed , you would br left with only 2 options, ESA or Eviction. I belive the issue to be addressed is the NEED for more diverse definitions of Disability & Service Animal. A regulated ESA system would be a good start, but really what we need is a better understamding of What Disabled persons is / needs and what an Animal does. When I see an ESA peacock is have to wonder.. What EXACTLY does it do for you. I do not deny that Depression/ Anxiety. Etc are very real disabilities, my question is What does the animal do. If an animal cannot be housebroken I find it difficult to rationalize requiring it be allowed in public space ( where people walk ) However, often the task requires is not done by a dog. ( I know of a quadraplegic who has an ESA monkey, because he can not use his hands, a dog would not be able to act as his service animal because it also does not have hands. And yet it is not recognized as a service animal.
"and his kitten ( Who did fill the role of a service animal, picking things up off the floor when he dropped them, and reminding him to take his insulin." I call bullshit. That kitten DID NOT do those things.
@@menow. n fact she did, (and it was not difficult to train) Actually I am glad to share this bit of information. Cats are relatively easy to train for diabetic warning. When small (s on solid food ) begin keeping treats with diabetic supply and giving one whenever glucose is too high. Cat likes treats, Cat tells you when she should get one. Chasing small objects that fall to the ground is something cats love to do, provide the cat a reward and it will bolt across the room like a maniac to pick up your hair tie or find a lost wheelchair peg that rolled under the couch. Gladly showing off her wonderful hunting ability by dropping the object in your lap. These are basic Cat behaviors, and with consistency and patience, a cat can be very happy showing off her skills in taking care of the person she loves - equal (IMHO) to any dog I hope this information is helpful to you and anyone else who may want to work with cats ( they are intelligent motivated companions who can learn tricks and be trained to accept a lead and fulfill useful tasks as well as any other mammal.) The idea that cats are untrainable is just a misunderstanding of their motivations. I will add (although this is already very long) that MOST of what a cat does is trained, Most People just don't realize they trained the cat to do the things it does because they don't understand its motivations.
I agree that cats can do more than we think. I have known a few that fetch as avidly as any dog, and I, myself, have one that learned to work with us in hunting activities. I didn't know they could learn about telling you about your blood sugars, neat! And sounds simple enough to train.
Personally, I own a service dog. I trained her myself over the course of a little more than a year. I have traveled 14 states with her by my side everywhere the family went. She is always on her best behavior when you put her vest on. I feel that the support animals, as they stand now, are giving true service animal owners more grief than good. I have seen so many ESAs that are not trained well, or maybe not even at all. The businesses are starting to be upset about any animal on the property and i don't blame them. Its giving animals a bad name and look. I wish they had some regulations soon as well. Please train your animals before trying to go places with them. Its only fair to the rest of the public to do so. I hope some things change to put some standards in place soon.
If you personally trained the dog, it is NOT A SERVICE DOG. It is a trained PET, which could be a ESA, but NOT a service animal. You are NOT a professional trainer.
@johncampbell3979 lol how do you know I am not a professional trainer? So silly, my wife is a diabetic, and the service dog knows when her sugars are low and high and knows how to retrieve a bag that contains insulin and sugar shots. Don't make assumptions.
When he said he cringes every time he is asked to "certify" an ESA, I couldn't agree more. Even as I type this, my cat is cuddled up to my side purring away. My life is better for her being here, but I know I can never take her out in public to sooth my nerves as it would wreak hers. Could I apply for a certification just to make my landlord not charge me? Probably, but I would not have a clean conscience. I have had this discussion with many friends and had to bite my tounge for over a decade as to not start a fight. A particular pair is dug in hard and will not recognize that their self-trained "service" dogs barely make the standard of ESA. UGG if I have to listen to another 15 minute lecture starting with "The ADA says..." I saw what it took my 4-H friends in the specialized guide dog program had to do to get their puppies through basic into the next level of training (which was done by adult professionals). I know my friends love their dogs, but as the owners/trainers they never put in the work or proper discipline.
If someone truly feels that they can't go anywhere in public without their pet, isn't that a phobia issue that their therapist should be working with them on? Typically, therapists try to get their phobic patients to tackle small pieces at a time of whatever they fear (in this case, spending time away from Fido).
Omg! I am so glad I found this video. I 💯 agree that the system is being abused. Here in Portland, OR, I don't think you're even allowed to ask for papers. I use public transportation as my main way of getting around, and hence, I have strong feelings about this. I've never been attacked, but I have wondered what recourse I'd have. Admittedly, the fact that there seems to be no training or structured regulation has led me to see these pets and their owners as grifters and wimps. This is a shame given that I know there are those who need these animals.
Right, you can't ask anything. And when we had a dog attacking people management refused to kick them out. I guess it's ok for everyone else to be in distress, or get injured. You'd think worrying about your animal hurting someone possibly a child would give you anxiety. Image your dog biting a child making them have a fear of dogs the rest of their lives.
Therapists should NOT be forced to shoulder the responsibility of an ESA's actions. Therapists aren't pet trainers. They're not qualified to evaluate a pet for safety to other people. That responsibility should lie solely with the owner, and/or the professional trainer, if the ESA had one.
My dad works for a major US airline. He said never put your animal in the belly of the plane. Hes seen too many times when one is crushed, froze, or ran out of oxygen. Its not safe for them and they die cold and alone in the dark scared shitless.
Another quick comment on miniature horses as ASSISTANCE animals.... they have a significantly longer lifespan than dogs. You can imagine how tragic and stressful it is for the disabled person when an assistance animal passes.
I can imagine it's tragic, but can you imagine how tragic such a life is for a horse? Deprived of the companionship of other horses, expected to handle stressful, frightening situations, and live with a predator. Humans and dogs are predators, horses are prey. That's really a huge difference in body language and the nature of an animal. Like horses can get spooked of things that seem irrelevant to us. Not to mention proper care of a horse is much more difficult than caring for a dog, which is why so many people fail at it. Animals that live with chronic stress tend to develop problems that will shorten their lifespan. When you're thinking of horses that live up to 30 y/o and even older, you're thinking of animals that were well taken care of in a habitat that met their typical needs. This would not be a single horse living in an apartment in a city, taken care of by amateurs who only know the basics.
@@elainelouve It's called desensatitizing training. . . the same way you would with a dog and an understand that yes, a horse is a prey animal and sometimes they do literally spook at nothing. . .dogs do it too and we accept dogs everywhere. I would trust a well trained 'bomb proofed' (as the equestrians call it) horse over the average pug any day of my life. Part of getting a service animal is understand that they need time OFF to be themselves. Also, horses can live perfectly happy solo, you just need to enrich their lives. Saying a horse can't live without another horse is like saying a cat HAS to be allowed outside to be happy. Both statements are in fact false.
@@hallaloth3112 English isn't my first language. Cats can go out in a leash the same way dogs do. A responsible cat owner will do that. It isn't like cats need to either stay indoors or roam free. There can be cases where the welfare of an animal isn't the first consideration of course, but the argument that horses could replace dogs due to having a longer lifespan is problematic.
@@elainelouve I'm quite aware cats can go out on leash. I have an orange lad that begs to outside daily. . .at very high volume. >.> The goober. I'm also not saying Minis should replace dogs in every aspect, and their care should absolutely be considered when they are chosen as an alternative. . . just that . . .with proper care, and actual consideration for the needs of the animal they can still thrive in an environment the majority of their species would not. I would off course recommend 'off' time they could still be themselves, preferably with other horses at all possible. . .but plenty can live happily alone.
The fact that ESAs are not required to have any basic obedience training, public setting training, or literally any training at all is baffling to me. This would literally be the bare minimum. Would you bring your dog to the dog park if you knew they attacked other dogs? No. Would you bring your dog to a fireworks show if you knew the dog gets scared/aggressive if they hear loud noises? No. This is just common sense. ESAs either need to have higher standards and training so that they are equivalent to service animals or the process for acquiring one needs to be more sensible to weed out bad actors. Which is sad for people who actually need them since I'm sure the price would sky rocket if they required training. But that's what happens when selfish people try to abuse a system.
I Whis service animals could include cats. I think I would benefit from have a service cat, I have breathing issues, high blood pressure and phypoglicemia(low blood sugar). I have no since of smell from childhood abuse, I don't always know when I'm having a high blood pressure or low blood sugar event, sometimes to the point of passing out. I sometimes have mobility issues as well. I can't always get up and take a dog for a walk.....a cat would be easyer for me to care for. There mostly independent (which helps if I'm having trouble moving around). The cat can also go to the litter box, and I don't have to worry about having to walk it in the heat(I am very heat sensitive). Generally cats are quieter, and not as violent as some dogs for example. And if I need to evacuate I can walk or carry my cat, something I'd struggle with. Yes there's smaller dog breeds, toy breeds for example. Again I worry about the barking. No I don't think debarking a dog is a good option eather. I'd rather have a cat that could alert me when my sugars get too low or I'm having high blood pressure spike and have it at home or on the go. Especially since I'm very poor and live in a rule area, Wich makes access to more resources (both to help with my heath and deep property impossible to access without moving to a big city*I'd love to* but can't afford to because I'm so deep in property...)
There are indoor potty boxes for small dogs available. Can't say I'd recommend for a med-large dog, but it would relax the need for outdoors "walkies." Also, many small dogs can get their exercise indoors via indoor games. :) And the barking issue would definitely be addressed if you got a trained service dog for all of your needs. And not all small dogs are yappy...
@@melcat5606 thanks! I'll keep it in mind. I know all dogs can be loud lol. I Whis I had the money for a service dog. Unfortunately my current cercomstans won't allow for it. I'll definitely keep all this in my back pocket!(in my consideration) thanks again for sharing!!
Miniature horses are frequently used as mobility assistance, as they're large enough for a person to lean on if needed, and can be trained to pull a manual wheelchair.
With regards to animals, and entering a unit, either for a vendor, or for myself, I refuse to let any vendors in if there’s a loose animal in the apartment, and I will not enter an apartment when there’s a loose animal. The reasons for this are obvious. Number one, if the animal were to escape, I am not prepared to guarantee that I can catch it. There’s also the issue that you brought up of an animal Injuring a person, but there’s also the possibility of myself or a vendor injuring the animal. Not to mention that if work is being done on the unit, I can’t say for sure if any of that work will be harmful to the animal, for instance, fumes, etc. As a result, for tenants that have emotional support animals, I let them know that if any work is going to be done in their unit, either they have to be there with the animal, the animal needs to be crated, or the animal needs to not be in the unit. This does create some inconveniences, but I refuse to be responsible should someone’s animal escape, be injured, or injure someone else.
I agree with your concerns. I have one pushback: single moms raising sons. We don’t have a lot of money. What we do have pays rent, buys food, clothing, and an emotional support animal for our son. They teach him compassion, they comfort him, they require him to be respectful and responsible for another. If you don’t help us qualify for an apartment we can afford, our sons find other ways to channel their emotions. Does that mean we’re incapable parents? I once thought that. But no, as proof of our capability I kept a dog for my son. When I was forced out of the apartment I had for 12 years while he was growing up because the landlord turned it into low income housing and my low income wasn’t quite low enough, I couldn’t find an affordable alternative that allowed our dog. Would you have recommended that I take that animal away from my vulnerable teenage son? I found a therapist who wrote a letter for ESA. We kept our dog. Every situation is different and forcing all square pegs into round holes doesn’t work. Beware of using a few opportunists to justify tragedy for a single mom. Thank you
Off topic question: why did the owner want to change to low income housing? I'm not an owner or experienced, but my instinct says that it is better to have higher income renters. I'm often wrong about my beliefs, though.
@@eugenetswong Thank you for your question because I wasn’t the only one impacted by their decision. Elderly residents who had been living there for 20-30 years were also forced out and at least one died. Some of the residents gathered a group of us together and we consulted with an attorney but we had no rights as tenants. My understanding was that there were Federal funds available in the form of grants for low income housing. Those who qualified for my unit and the rest were/are allowed to pay a subsidized rate while the property owner is compensated with public funds for the balance. That’s my understanding and I’m sure there are details I’m leaving out because I’m not an attorney nor expert in low income housing. I was a single mother of two trying to stay off welfare and I did. My reward was the loss of my home. My own tax dollars paid for those who moved into it after I was gone.
@@michellejansen6165That's really painful. What you say overlaps with urbanism and strong towns and quality neighbourhoods. I don't think that people realize what they are doing, and as a result, they are destroying neighbourhoods and communities. A lot of what people are asking for are good in and of themselves, but they are misapplying the concepts I'm so frustrated that they kicked regular people out to make room for poor people. At the end of the day, it's 1 person's head without a roof vs. another's head. It seems wrong that we have the responsibility to house people. I'm a firm believer that the housing as to be limited to type of environment and the amount of people living there must be limited, too. It's illogical to kick out somebody for somebody else. I'm also a firm believer that property ownership must be permanent, and not a financial investment. This means that people can move to new homes, but we must return to the property for the entire 7th year according to the Bible. Housing should be cheap, too.
@@eugenetswong The people who moved in were largely immigrants. How do I know? Because I’m an insurance agent who writes renters insurance. I started getting requests from people who moved into low income housing from Afghanistan and they moved into my former community. I was forced out because the landlord could make more money and reduce cost by converting the property into low income housing which is often filled by people coming to the US from places like Afghanistan. I managed to keep my son out of trouble for the most part but had he lost his dog alongside his dad and his home I don’t know if I could have saved him. I’m not here to judge our government, I believe in it. But what happened to me and my neighbors was wrong. We were willing to pay more rent. We’d been there for decades and had a stable safe community with good neighbors who cared about each other and our city. We respected the property. But none of that mattered. Since then I have watched the families from Afghanistan drive without insurance. One drove without a license, too, and caused a collision. They seem to be able to live without working because I insure them and I don’t have any employment information. I also insure people from Russia. They don’t live in low income housing. They build large expensive homes with no mortgage. They have 4 or 5 vehicles with no loans. They build 2nd and 3rd homes for their kids. What is going on? Am I against immigration? No! We’re all immigrants unless we are Native American and look what happened to their lands? I’m not against immigration. But I am against forcing a tax paying single mom of two trying to stand on her own two feet out of her home.
@@michellejansen6165 This is so infuriating! Insuring them when they take over your neighbourhood is being forced to help them, while you watch them take over. You should be against immigration, though. Not all of us are immigrants. That stops after the first generations to arrive. Some of us are descendants of founding stock, and our ancestors have contributed to building our country, so that we have places to live in the first place. If we all must be immigrants, then the Indians must be considered immigrants, too.
Do you know why the Department of Transportation banned miniature service horses on planes, but kept the requirement that great Danes, mastiffs and Newfoundland dogs (all of which are bigger than mini horses) be allowed to fly? Because, by their own admission, they do not care about people who require a service animal but can't have a dog. The DOT genuinely believes that if you have a service animal but are allergic to dogs or your religion discourages dogs, you should not be allowed to fly. On an unrelated note, do you know if those ESA scam sites sell vests that would fit a snake?
I have an ESA for my PTSD and Anxiety. I don't take her anywhere animals aren't allowed. I need her to help with my panic attacks and dissociation. I have the letter simply so I can make sure my landlord can't kick me out for her she is pretty well trained but not specifically trained which is why she shouldn't be allowed in many places. Service animals are vastly different than ESAs and should be treated as such. 😊
Thank you for doing all the footwork to the in's and out's regarding ESA's, to include the differences with service animals. My daughter and I have talked about these online sites that take advantage of people over charging people for their services, but she continues to ignore the fact she's getting scammed. I will share this video with her, hoping it will make a difference AND save her a few bucks in the long run. She does need an ESA letter for her two cats to be able to have them in her apartment, but being educated on the requirements makes all the difference of being scammed or not being scammed. Thank you for explaining all this in the video.
I intentionally moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets because of my allergies and my horrible hatred for the smell of animals in small spaces. My roommate went behind my back and got an ESA letter and a cat.
My girlfriend and I have an emotional support animal. Well.. our dog is more for my girlfriend. She has anxiety and depression and was diagnosed with panic disorder when she was younger. Our dog Rigby, he’s a greyhound/Pitbull has helped her so much to keep her calm and collected. They say dogs can sense emotions or anxiety or panic attacks, ect. I didn’t really believe it until it happened to me… I had a random Panic Attack one day. Rigby was just so focused on me and just starting me down, like he was concerned… I don’t know how to explain it… I know he’s just a dog but I knew something was wrong.. then it hit me like a brick wall. I’m freaking out and sobbing and He immediately came to my aid. Started to lick me and rest this body over me. He’s a well trained dog but we didn’t train him too do that. I was in awe from the actions he displayed and I can’t imagine not having Rigby in my life.
I have had my cat for about 9 years and haven’t tried to unalive myself since then. Before then I had 2 attempts under my belt. The last one landing me in the hospital so I could get my stomach pumped. I’m someone that isn’t always the most mentally stable so having my cat and knowing it’s my responsibility to take care of him has kept me from trying again. Even if I’ve had my slip ups and have struggled with being suicidal through that time. I attribute my lack of recent attempts to my amazing cat
Thank you for making this. I'm disabled with many friends with service dogs. ESAs are a legit threat to the lives of my friends. They have 0 requirements for basic training that would allow them to be safe next to a service dog. Because service dogs are out and about with their handlers so frequently, they inevitably come across off leash dogs. And sadly, they get attacked a lot by off leash dogs. This oftentimes leads to PTSD in service dogs- they have to be retrained, oftentimes by professionals that work specifically with PTSD in service dogs, and that can cost thousands of dollars. All the while, the handler doesn't have access to that dog anymore. In the case of one of my friends, her mom had to come to college and follow her everywhere she went, 24/7, so if she had a black out, her mom would be there to catch her before she hit her head or injured herself some other way. So what do ESAs have to do with this? When the service dog comes back, it's not like they're good as new. They, like us, have triggers after trauma. And what has repeatedly happened to my friends with service dogs is their dog will come back, an ESA will be barking like crazy, running around them, and they get too triggered to actually queue into their handler's health queues. Once my friend's service dog came back from training and her mom left, her dog was distracted by an off leash emotional support animal, and was too stressed out to notice he had to signal to my friend that she was about to black out and fall if she didn't sit down ASAP. So, unfortunately, she fell and got hurt. And this isn't the first friend this has happened to. And it won't be the last. But I hope I never lose a friend because some unruly ESA is the reason why a service dog fails to tell my friends to sit down before they injure themselves in a way that takes their life. If you are in such emotional distress that you need a dog to keep you company, get a psychiatric support service dog, not an ESA.
also not super sure I loved the look you gave when saying you might make a video on service animals. Please don't make a video dissing them. They are vital to the lives of my friends who would otherwise not be able to hold jobs or have nearly as much independence and safety. They deserve access to public spaces. A lot of people get weirded out by the fact that there's no legal registry but the thing is, that's how it has to be for safety and access reasons. They are required to have basic training requirements and if they are visibly not obeying their handler, business owners are allowed to ask them to leave the premises. So people trying to pass off their regular animals as service animals can easily be spotted if you know what to look for and business owners need to get educated on that and stop taking their resentments out on service animal handlers just because they haven't educated themselves enough on their own legal options. The amount of times my friends have been refused service at businesses that didn't understand the law is ridiculous and discrimanatory. But yeah IDK man. I have a huge urge as a disabled woman to tell you to stay in your lane and keep it to ESAs. Because unless you have actually seen this shit up close for years, unless you've lived it, you're going to have gaps in knowledge that will inevitably add to the stigma my friends already face in just trying to survive in a system that equates ones worth with their ability to produce labor, a system that is already inherently ableist by design.
As a psychiatric service dog handler I absolutely love this video, there is way to many people who don't know the difference between service dogs and ESAs thank you for talking about this topic
My biggest issue with ESA’s is that there isn’t the same regulation that there is with service animals. Some people use it as an excuse to bring their pets everywhere with them.
ESA's can technically save lives with people who live with trauma and have a dangerous heart condition (where extreme emotions may cause death). Or people with ASD who have the inclination to self-harm (aka, hit themselves, scratch, or pull out hair), I think the fact that we (I mean landlords) are so hyper-aggressive (considering the rate so many people are signing up for ESA) against the mentally disabled to have a pet is concerning in itself.
When I was considering moving out of state, I had to think about whether or not it would be ethical for me to get a letter listing my two snakes as ESAs. They're quiet, well-behaved, and well-contained. One of them has done multiple educational programs and has probably been petted by almost 100 people in her 18 years of life. There were no affordable apartments in the area that didn't have a "no pets allowed" policy, and I've heard that many of those won't allow even small animals like guinea pigs and parakeets. Trouble is, my seasonal affective disorder isn't severe enough to warrant seeing a therapist, but the snakes are part of what keeps things under control. Plus, I have no idea where they would go if I couldn't find housing. It's not like I want to bring them into the grocery store or on a subway with me. I just needed affordable housing that wouldn't try to restrict me from bringing animals that literally carried zero risk of property damage, assuming the electrical is in good condition and won't blow up due to their little heater blankets. It ended up not working out, but this video made me revisit the thinking I had to do back then. It makes me wonder how many of the legitimate ESA owners exist in the same little gray area as me.
18:26 - 18:45 Unfortunately my mother likes to get her "Free housing" and she also likes her cat. So she told me to tell my therapist to make her emotional support for me. so I called up my therapist so that I could do that (bc if I didn't I would probably lose my house as a 15 year old, we will get into this one later though lol). My mom got some sort of paper and I am hoping that there isn't a lie about my mental health on there. (When I was younger my mom convinced me that I was autistic so that she could make money off of me and idk if she still does it). My mom likes the cat more than she likes me because in her opinion the cat couldn't do anything wrong (Apparently I am mean to the cat because I tease her). My mom has trigger words that I can't say in front of her without causing an argument (Which are usually more than an hour) and in those arguments she likes to tell me that SHE IS autistic and SHE can't HELP yelling at me and laughing at me. (She laughs at me in arguments)(she most likely is not autistic). So anyway in a few of these arguments my threatened to KICK ME OUT OF THE HOUSE. (usually for getting one crumb on the counter or leaving some trash on the table for less than an hour). My mom has kicked me out of the house before (Usually for just an hour) but this time she meant send me away (Also from the cat which is apparently my "Emotional Support"). So I have been at my dads house for the ENTIRE SUMMER and my mom barely talks to me (When she does she is visibly annoyed, because to her I am just an annoying teenage pregnancy and a way to get money from the government)(I guess to also keep that cat) I only saw that cat like 2 times this summer and my mom doesn't even feed her anymore, she just uses one of those automatic ones because she is probably never at the house (She left me alone alot so I know). The cat is fat now because of it. I am finally going back to her house today for school even though I literally start tomorrow and I probably need more than 5 hours to get ready and pack my bag for school tomorrow, especially because I am an pretty (easily distracted) slow worker. (Also because I want to go on a walk around town.) ): So anyway the emotional support animal doesn't even belong to me It just belongs to my mom and she uses it as an excuse to yell at me sometimes, but forgets that the cat isn't allowed in my room and has been letting her in my room for the entire summer as well. That is why I will tell someone that it isn't my emotional support when I move out or get kicked out of the house.
Just putting this out there, but if you no longer live in that house you could easily inform her landlord that the individual that the cat is the emotional support animal to no longer lives there. I know you're going back right now, but just wanted to remind you in case you end up kicked out long term again. Also, as an autistic person it bothers me that she tries to use her (probably not real) autism to bully you. Even if she was autistic, her autism wouldn't make her yell at and laugh at you. While autistic people might lash out during a meltdown, once autistic people recover, they're typically embarrassed by their behavior during the meltdown, and the solution would be to figure out what was causing the meltdowns to avoid it in the future rather than expecting you to put up with that.
Gosh. So sorry to read your post. The good news is you will be an adult in a few years and able to care for yourself. I hope you will look at trying to get into a tech school or something that will give you a good job skill so you can make a decent living when you’re out of there. You write well and seem very smart. Don’t get discouraged. You’re strong. You’re going to be fine. And your mom sounds like she has narcissistic tendencies. She’s abusive. Maybe your dad could have you with him. Even if the court ruled she had custody, once you’re 16 you may have more legal standing in your state. I left my senior year, had my own apartment. It was rough but I made it. I used to have to write my own notes if I missed a day so the school had something in their file, lol. It was all pretty bizarre. My biggest mistake was not getting a good job skill or going into the service. I’m retired now and have a good net worth and several rental properties. So I did ok for a homeless kid! 😂
Do you feel safe at your mom's house? Also, if mom is receiving a disability check for you then you have a right to know this info as you don't want mom taking those funds as your payee after 18, also if you are getting SSI you could likely emancipate yourself and get into your own housing without mom...
I’ve had an ESA letter for my dog about a year after I adopted him. I made sure to do all the research BEFORE to see what the true differences are. It comes down to the general public not really knowing these differences between ESAs and service animals. I’ve worked in both attractions and food service and have had to train my management on something that should be required knowledge. It makes me so mad when ESAs are not made to leave because people think they will get sued , even when they ask the legal questions. I don’t put up with it when I am in charge when true service animals need to be protected as they are specialized equipment. Plus, as much as I would LOVE to bring my dog to work as a “service” animal I don’t, so no one else gets to pull that crap on me.
This actually angers me. I can’t even watch to the end. People who won’t leave their pets at home, abusing laws meant to protect the blind and paralyzed with no conscience, and all of us letting it happen. I’m a pet lover, and people who pull this kind of irresponsible crap are the same ones who dump their pets when they become an emotional burden because they broke something. Selfish jerks. Grrrr
As someone with service roosters (they used to be psychologist certified before the ADA reform), I can attest to the ridiculousness of people thinking that any animal can be a service animal allowed in any and all public locations. My birds actively alert to anxiety and panic attacks, and force me to pay attention to them until the attack has passed. I only accepted by doctor's insistence that they ARE service animals after I ended up having a panic attack on my bike, going about 40mph, and blacked out. I was very resistant to the idea of my chickens being service animals, but I have issues with dogs (not due to the fault of any dogs in my life, but rather the people who own them), and there's no way I could support a horse, even miniature. I began rescuing and rehabilitating roosters over ten years ago, and you may be able to imagine that rehabilitation comes with training to help animals have a sense of structure to their lives as they learn to overcome their past traumas and become animals I feel comfortable adopting out to prospective new families. With that training, they learn patience, tolerance, and to rely on me as their source of safety and structure in the world. They're taught not to crow unless something is truly wrong (crowing is a sign of dominance and distress, and with their needs met and my being the dominant head of flock, they have very little reason to crow). They alert to people and animals around me, which helps me keep aware of my surroundings if I'm in a foggy head space. However, I don't think that it's reasonable to think that an untrained animal has the same rights in public as any other animal. I don't bring my birds into stores (anymore), but I've helped many store owners and managers understand what THEIR rights are in which animals they actually need to allow inside. I've talked to managers that have felt bullied into letting puppies into their stores, and let me tell you, very little infuriates me more than someone claiming that a baby animal is a fully trained service animal. Animals that are constantly vocalising for no reason, peeing and pooping all over the store, chewing on merchandise, etc. have NO PLACE in that store, and neither does their owner with such disrespect. In my opinion, it's these people who stripped the rights of my birds away from me. My birds provide a legitimate service to me, they're trained to be respectful of the places we go, and yet the only places we can go together anymore are public parks and a handful of establishments who have invited them in. I'm arguably more likely to have a bad panic attack that could result in my fight or flight being activated in a store than outside, and yet the very animals who keep me grounded aren't allowed because so very many people decided to abuse the rights of service animals. I'm furious that my birds can't legally be considered service animals anymore, but I begrudgingly support the ADAs attempts to curb the abuse of the rights they grant to the animals that serve us. I hope that someday my birds can again assist me in public commercial spaces, but until then, I accept what needs to be done to stop entitled people from abusing the system.
I would like to give my two cents as a legitimate ESA owner. I have a super sweet ESA Cat and I do in deed need her. I have only taken her into public a few times, mostly for vet visits, and I can list the other times. 1, we were coming back from the vet and needed to stop at walmart for some reason. It was too hot too wait out in the car, so I brought her inside in her kennel. The second time was also a vet visit and again, had to stop at walmart, but I waited in the front entrance and she stayed in her carrier the entire time. The third time was when we moved across the country and I brought her with me on the plane. I paid the extra pet fees, and let her out of her carrier when I could. I am hyper aware of how people abuse the system, and I am sad that these stigmas around ESAs exist. I am lucky to have my cat, shes mostly calm, very chill, and fits the profile of how one should act. I got her letter from a legitimate therapist too after lots of questions and examination. And bonus, when I’m sad, she can tell, and starts acting like a crackhead to cheer me up. I will never bring her into a place she doesn’t belong (unless its too hot outside while traveling to the vet, and even then she’d be in her carrier) and I will always check things for hers, and others safety
This drives me INSANE. I have an ESA as I have severe treatment-resistant depression. My dog has been vital in helping me get out of bed, get moving, and have a purpose, all of which help me cope with SI. I feel awkward talking to others about my ESA because all the fakes out there have given them a bad reputation. Once again, people’s selfishness damages tools needed for mental healthcare for people with actual disabilities/illnesses.
My dad's best friend owns properties that he rents. There was this lady that tried to rent (even though he said no pets), she then tried to sue him cuz he was 'discriminating' against her emotional support dog. Turned out this lady was going around and trying to rent from people with no pets allowed and then suing them. This is California so she didn't get in trouble but at least my dad's friend didn't have to go through her bogus lawsuit. I can't stand these people. If u have a no pets policy, there is a reason they don't want pets. And if ur a private land owner (not a large business or apartment complex, I'm talking about the random guy who owns an extra house/room and wants to rent it) then u should be able to discriminate all u want. It's ur property, so u should not be forced to rent to folks u don't want to.
For years now I've wanted to get my cat registered as an emotional support animal, because ever since I got her we've been a comfort for each other in the worst of times. I don't know what it is about her, she just magically knows whenever I'm upset and immediately lays on top of me, like a weight to help ground me. Even as I type this that's where she is! But I've been unable to afford a therapist to actually get that letter, and I worry that it'll only become more and more impossible as more and more people lie about their emotional attachment to their pets. It feels like these people just "can't stand" the thought of their sweet, little pookie bear being home for an hour and simply MUST bring the rat dog with them to bark up a storm in a restaurant; meanwhile I spiral into anxiety attacks whenever I walk into my empty home after a trip, since my cat was being watched by a family member while I was gone.
I had a customer walk into CVS with an ESA. I told her animals aren't permitted in the store, she said "it's an emotional support animal." I asked for proof and she said she didn't have to provide any, the law said so. Now, I don't know every Federal and state law in the U.S., but I'm reasonably certain that proof of anything is required in order for a law to be enforced.
The only friends I have claiming ESA animals are ones that have ONE pet like a cat or dog and to avoid paying pet rent and / or be allowed an animal in their rental. If they relaxed allowing pets at rentals or just made you pay a general deposit to cover any damages up front (these animals seem well behaved and less destructive than one of my friends kids drawing with crayons on the wall) then they probably wouldn't need to register it as ESA. Only one of my friends takes their "ESA" well trained German Shepherd that he registered to avoid paying monthly pet rent for to only pet friendly places / outside restaurants that allow pets and doesn't use it as an excuse to take it anywhere. I think people that are gonna do that are gonna do it regardless if its an ESA animal with a letter or not since a lot of public places say you're not allowed to ask for papers / proof of the animal being ESA or a service animal. Meanwhile I have one cat I rescued from the shelter and just board it at a kitty condo for the day when the landlord announces coming over. It would be less stressful to just allow the cat to chill in the house not causing any harm. He is a well trained cat and we consistently clean and vacuum and scoop his litter box daily. I thought about registering him as ESA which is why this video caught my attention.
I have my own ESAs, though we thankfully don't live in apartments anymore so I don't even ask for the letters anymore, I don't necessarily need it because there's nobody breathing down our necks about it. My disabilities are mental health related, so it becomes a "I can't see it, so you're lying" issue, which is so annoying. I have a lot of issues relating with other people and making and keeping friends because of those mental health issues, so it's a lot better on my mental health to have my ESAs. There's A LOT of websites that ask you to pay them ridiculous amounts of money for BS "certification" for your ESA. They're scams, they don't protect anything, don't give them money. My mother also used to bring her cat who was an ESA onto airplanes with her, which I have always thought was cruel for the animal. Her cat was always stressed out, to the point where my mother was giving her veterinary sedatives during flights, which almost killed the poor cat multiple times. I cannot imagine putting my ESAs through that.
I got an ESA letter for my new rescue dog from my doctor last year, but I only did it because my lease doesn't allow pets. In my city, you CANNOT find an apartment anywhere that allows dogs or cats, so every single person at the dog run has an ESA letter. But 99% of us understand to stick to our lane: we don't haul our dogs around the grocery store or mall, we don't expect to have them sit on our laps on an airplane, and we don't demand our dog be allowed everywhere with us. We know this is a means to an end to have a dog in our apartments, but that's where the special treatment ends. All other accommodations should be available only for people who have real needs such as seeing-eye dogs, people with diabetes, etc. It's the 1% of narcissistic entitled dog owners with ESA letters who demand accommodations they don't even need that are the problem and ruining it for everyone.
I have a cat who is my ESA . I don't care what any one says about her,she is trained to a point, as much as she wants, but we have a wonderful bond and support each other! I have been amazed by her over our 10 year relationship!😻❤⚘🌈
I have pet guinea pigs and they serve the purpose of an emotional support animal. Are they support animals? No. They are not trained to do that and even though they serve this purpose, they are my pets. Not support animals. I think people need to recognize that a pet and an emotional support animals are NOT THE SAME THING. Yes having a cuddle from your dog (or other animal) may help with anxiety and depression but a dog from the pet store is not an emotional support animal. Part of the reason I don't call my pets 'emotional support animals' is because I consider it disrespectful to the people who genuinely do need it for whatever reason.
I work security in a casino and people intentionally abuse this system all the time. Some even learn the laws and verbage for service animals because they know we cant request paperwork and all they have to say is "seizures" and then Karen gets to keep her chihuahua with a little hat on that is lunging, barking, and biting at peoples feet. In scarier situations, people with larger dogs like pit bulls and great danes pull the same trick, and people have been bit. Emotional Support animals create a saftey issue for the public when people abuse it. I love animals, and have had an emotional support animal myself in the past but the people that abuse this system are a menace and it needs to get cracked down on legally. We also have a lot of instances where people leave dogs in their hotel room for hours and hours, we get noise complaints for it barking. And then the person comes back to the room and says its a service animal..... what service is your animal providing you if youve left it alone for 9 hours while you are out and about??? sometimes with no food or water.
reminds me of people who use disabled parking spots because they have a sore leg or something. it cheapens the purpose and worth of the thing they are taking advantage of, and makes it increasingly difficult for those with legitimate reasons for accessing these things. it's easy to blame individuals cheating the system but really the problem is the system itself; as said in the video, a lot of people only register their animals as ESA's for housing reasons. i worked at a shelter for a few years and 80% of owned surrenders were due to housing limitations, and it was always a heartbreaking scene.
I'm 100% all for using emotional support animals against landlords. My cats definitely saved my life when I was suicidal. If a landlord said I couldn't have cats I might not be here. They have too much power and I'm all for taking some of that away. We don't need people bringing random animals into places of business where people might have allergies because they are sad without the animal. you can leave it at home for an hou rwhile you shop.
There are some people in my area with ESAs that are not trained. Dogs licking things in the grocery store, pissing in the pharmacy, trying to jump on tables in restuarants, etc. I thought ESAs didn't count as service animals and am constantly annoyed places don't just kick out the misbehaving animals. I'm thrilled to learn I'm in the ONE state that it's actually protected :(
Like I'm not against ESAs overall! I know people with ESAs where the animals are genuinely helpful and well behaved. Someone I know trains therapy dogs and that's super cool. There's this one dog in my neighborhood named Biscuit who is lovely. She's often at Starbucks when I go and she's an ESA. But she just follows her owner, then sits politely by her the whole time and a lot of the regulars will go greet her and she wiggles a bit (she's missing her tail so nothing to wag) then goes back to laying down. Only ever heard her bark once -- when someone brought their little rat of a dog in who immediately tried to run at her and then barked for 10 minutes nonstop before Biscuit's owner had to LEAVE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO NOISY AND STRESSING HER OUT. I almost left too because I have sensory issues so I'm sensitive to noise but I go to Starbucks specifically because I've only recently overcome agoraphobia and it's part of my treatment plan to get out in public spaces, wherein Starbucks is one of the few spaces that feel "safe" and I can get work done while I'm there. But like if I leave, I'm ending up back at home and that's... you know :/ But thank god you got to bring your little terror in with you for your latte run while bothering the people who ESAs were made for babe!!!! It's just INSANE that people think it's OK to take advantage of ESA rules like this.
Miniature horses are a huge benefit to programs trying to provide service animals to those who need them. If you think about it, it can take up to 3 years to train a service dog, and a lot of breeders are highly selective about the animals they produce for this purpose, which can add up to thousands of dollars for a single dog to get to a single person living with a disability. Most service dogs are large breeds, meaning they only live to around 15 years at the maximum, and that's a lot of time and resources invested in an animal that, on average, retires after 8 years due to seniority. Horses, on the other hand, are just as smart, loyal, and engaged as their canine counterparts, but they can live to be around 40 years old. That's why mini horses are a great choice for service animals and are included in legal frameworks. You get more bang for your "buck"!
All pets are technically emotional support animals. I think the bigger issue isn't the prevalence of animals, but humans trying to seperate ourselves from animals.
I recently had an "ESA" attack my epileisy alert and responce dog because the owner lied to get it in to a venue. It was INCREDIBLY aggressive towards any other dog (even the one pet who was let in but was well behaved). They're now being charged with impersonating a service team and damages to me and my dog. It's a realy fun game to play, until it costs you $60,000 in court fees, vet bills, and charges. Don't play these games. I've grown quite fond of calling the police on fakers, because it's easy to tell. Here in Canada a service dog requires specific behavioural control or, even if it is somehow registered as a SD, you can still be forced to leave. Intrestingly enough, as soon as I started this campaigne word seemed to have gotten out, because I do not see many "EAS's" out pretending to be srvice dogs in my area anymore. If we want them to stop, we need to make them pay for it. They're usually nascissist who only value themselves, so hitting their wallet is a great place to start.
This was very fascinating. I work at a beach where animals aren’t allowed (unless they’re working ofc) and people always love to claim ESA status. I’m just beach patrol and it’s not worth splitting hairs over. Still, I’ve always wondered if owners who have legitimate, trained ESAs feel that this practice of carelessly designating ESAs delegitimizes their struggles. Thanks for this video!
Many moons ago, I was training to be a therapist with a specialty on Animal Assisted Play Therapy, right before the absolute explosion of "Emotional Support Animals". It made me mad to see the classification and how... easy... it was to get, especially since it took down the credibility of organizations like Delta Society/Pet Partners, which has very strict standards that both handler and animal have to meet in order to be classified as a therapy animal, especially when they began offering these official looking vests. Again, that causes confusion and removes a delineation between therapy animals, service animals and these emotional support animals. By Pet Partners standards, an animal loses ability to get on a plane if it so much as has a single infraction during the entire hour plus of the training test, which covers everything from being able to be over 30 feet from its handler, surrounded by new people, and coming just at its voice alone. I won't deny that some people have need of emotional support animals and in fact support that they are getting them, but the standards-free world they are in not only risks the entire use of animals as a therapeutic medium in mental health, but also causes unnecessary confusion.
I have an ESA and a service dog. My cat stays home, hangs out and helps me with night terrors and genuine love. My service dog takes care of my actual medical needs, with my heart condition and my potential seizures and my other disabilities. Any ESA in public that isnt meeting the standards my service dog does can hurt or kill her, and or hurt or hospitalize me.
30:42 I really dislike people who put vests on their emotional support animals like this cause it really feels like they’re trying to obfuscate the fact that their animal isn’t a service animal and make you think they’ve met the same legal standards as service animals and are as important to normal function as service animals. When they could be, maybe, in a few outlier cases. But almost every time they’re not. And it’s really disingenuous to people with actual service animals who also have an actual reason for having that vest.
Due to TBI and high cortisol for over a year was stuck in fight or flight 24/7. I'm usually 170lbs with muscle and went to 125 without any, pacing any moment I was awake, couldn't eat, sleep or feel safe enough to leave my home. Finally was admitted and was told a kitten or cat that just loves to sleep on you and flood you with oxytocin and take your 100mg zoloft, heart medication, BP meds, and hydroxyzine. Stay home and sleep. Let your body rest. Kirby was the missing piece I think. She kept me still because cat nap paralysis. I was more concerned with not disturbing her than myself. She's amazing. I'm blessed my psychiatric nurse recommended her. BUT I understand her limits. She goes to pet friendly hotels, stores and pet stores. She's an Esa. She's not trained for anything but sticking by my side and being used to car rides.
Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a dog trainer and my fiance has a service dog, so this issue is really important to me. So many people are misinformed about this. It's so important that we educate people more about the differences between ESA's and service dogs!
If a therapist hasn't been trained in the use of emotional support animals, isn't it unethical for them to complete the paperwork? Are they recommending a treatment with no evidence of effectiveness or how to determine/assess if the treatment is appropriate for the person. I think there are often other forms of treatment for trauma, anxiety, depression... that have been proven effective and much less intrusive and problematic for the person than an animal. Positive relationships typically provide emotional support, so don't most pets provide emotional support to people? If you have 8 kids and the home only allows 4 people, you have to find another place. The landlord is not discriminating, it's an owner policy. I'm glad this is being discussed. I think it's great that people are comforted by their pets, but how do we respect the emotional support needs of those not comfortable or healthy with pets in confined spaces. What if the therapy protocol for ESA was to view the ESA as a home-based support rather than a 24/7 support.
people not knowing the difference between service dogs and ESAs is the worst. you get karens thinking they can bring their misbehaving animals anywhere and nobody can do anything about it 😤
Omg, agree. I had a guide dog as a young adult. Went into a shop and this lady’s “service dog “ got real aggressive with my dog. Currently, I’m training a mini schnauzer as a seizure response dog. I use crutches after having a lot of concussions which effects my balance. People who claim emotional support animals are really making it difficult on those of us with genuine service dogs . I have a mini schnauzer who I’m home training for seizure response. When I am working with him I legit have had people tell me that he couldn’t be for that purpose because Scooby isn’t a lab. I understand when the person has a genuine need for the dog, but there are those who legit just want to keep their animals with them.
It was suggested I get an ESA when I lived in Alabama and had I done so I would have been forced out of my apartment by being forced to pay a $600 monthly fee for having them regardless of paperwork. Between that fee and my rent I wouldn't have been able to afford to eat or pay utilities. I earned an average of $800-$1,000 per month. My rent was between $368-$425 monthly.
Unfortunately, as long as all of the apartments within my cost range don't allow dogs, I'll have to keep faking an ESA. I can't give up a family member.
I never refer to them as such because the law in my state also only allows dogs and horses to be recognized as service animals, but my two cats are in a way service animals (one senior, nearing retirement). They are ESAs, but in addition, are clicker trained to perform specific tasks. I don't want to get into it, but I have chronic illnesses and mental disorders that inhibit my day to day life and tasks and they help me out a lot both physically and emotionally. They're very good at their jobs and I do take them out in public outdoor spaces only, but I would never take them into an establishment even if I know they wouldn't cause trouble. Because I respect the law, and I don't want to contribute to the problems you went over in this video. A lot of the people that see my cats wonder how it even works, and even after I show them the tasks they're able to perform and how well trained they are, they still feel like, why not a dog? The simple reason is I'm quite afraid of them, and I personally didn't have a hard time clicker training them. Cats are wicked smart and hence can be really difficult to train, but my kitties took to it really well and my younger cat took to his duties even faster by watching my soon-to-retire senior cat and learning from her. I had to show that my cats were trained and trained well to the landlord to be allowed to keep them because he's had problems in the past with people and their "ESAs". I think the people that exploit these systems are so selfish and are contributing to worsening so many of the problems those of us that are disabled in some way already face on a day to day basis.
I'm a little disappointed you didn't draw attention to the fact that these untrained ESAs are causing discrimination for those with service dogs. And sadly even the police don't often understand the ada and what the requirements actually are so demand certifications that just don't exist. There's good reason for the lack of such as well, massive discrimination by the associated agencies. The saddest part is that if people actually understood the law and the requirements to be considered a service dog there'd be no issues. And it's not even complicated! They have to do a task or job related to a disability and be trained to behave in public. The end. And you can ask what the disability and job are. If a dog misbehaves you report it to police and the owner has to show they've completed public access behavior training before taking the dog in public again. It's not that hard!
I have been using my English cocker spaniel as my assistance dog for a few months now but due to her having a slight click to her knees I do not feel comfortable using her as a permanent/ regular is assistance dog even though she is so great at it and helps me much. Also due to her small size she cannot do as many of the tasks i fell i require out of an assistance dog unfortunately. Therefore I'm getting a labrador puppy next week and will be training her up to replace her. I'll still use my cocker for less demanding outings because short calm activities don't bother her at all and like I said she loves the work, she really is an amazing dog. But anyway back to the topic at hand, luckily here in the UK ESAs really aren't that common or atleast their owners do not claim any public access right very often from what I've seen. Also few people use assistance dogs that are not for the blind or deaf. So luckily for me I don't have to deal with the horrors that American service dog handles have to go through every day with fake service dogs or ESAs in places they shouldn't and acting up. Handlers have had to have their dogs "washed", which means that they are essentially de-trained to be normal dogs, because they have been permanently affected by attacks, some even get killed. All because some karen can't leave her agressive dog at home for some reason. This terrifies me. Even if it never happens here, it is still terrifying that my dog that is there to keep me safe is in danger. Like you said at the end of the video, the solution is tighter restrictions and proper punishments. ESAs should not be agressive in any way and under complete control of their owners which does not mean simply being leashed. Also, I think they should only permit certain animals (liek dogs and cats or other animals thay actually crave put attention) to be allowed any sort of special treatment outside of housing. There is not way a capybara is providing anything other than public attention outside the house. At home sure, they provide companionship, but I feel like 99.9% of people claiming their exotics as ESAs are doing it for attention. Governments seriously need to get their heads out of their backsides and sort out the real problems in their countries and stop focusing on "protecting" children from trans people or gay topic in schools or other stupid bigoted things like that. Focus on the real problems. Pur planet is dying and children are depressed. People are dying every day from dirty water in 2023. Sorry to get Political here but the legal parts of this video show that the government's clearly don't care for issues like this and it sickens me.
I'm on disability for mental illness and need to find a place to live. And it is exhausting to face housing discrimination based on the cats that I own. I finally found a place I thought I could afford that would work for me but I have 3 cats one of my own and 2 of my recently passed mother, and I was rejected for exceeding their unstated limit of 2 cats. Basically every place I look has states no pets are has something like 25 or 50 dollar per pet 'pet rent'. Its demoralizing. I don't think the ESA would help because they'd still just reject me they'd just have some other excuse, not that they'd need one. I can only dream of a time when we would have Vienna style public housing.
Imagine signing off on an emotional support dog for someone and then a small child is bitten and maimed or worse by this untrained emotional support dog. I can see why you would have concerns about signing off on an emotional support animal vs a trained service animal. Does it make you liable?
My Uncle has a “service dog” that actually makes me laugh at exactly how unhelpful this dog actually is, I think she will kill him oneday. The dog pulls him down the street, barks at people menacingly, jumps up on people to be intimidating, is mean to children especially and is an actual scary looking pit bull. She is the worst service dog ever! It’s actually laughable. I have no idea how she was certified and it scares me to think there are other dogs out there like her. I’m not afraid of dogs probably to a fault, I would beat the hell out of her and not even mean to if she bit me, so I don’t mind having her around but I feel scared for other people he brings her around, she likes to intimidate people who are afraid of her. She is also food aggressive to other dogs, like I tried to give my dog and her a treat and she grabbed my dog by the neck and I had to grab her by the neck and flip her around like a rag doll it was awful and my dog is a little guy, a Yorki he was actually hurt after and I was pissed, I still am and I won’t allow her in my house but that actually caused another problem later. I tied her in my yard and she was trying to intimidate every person who passed, especially dogs it was actually insane. She was definitely trained as a service dog and she is definitely certified I just have no idea how or why?
service animals are also legally considered medical equipment (generally with insurance reasons in mind because unless youre training your own, which you can do, they are very expensive to obtain and if something happens that's devastating to somebody who relies on their service animal for vital accessibility) where emotional support animals very much are not.
I know a few ladies that have been through a lot of physical and emotional trauma, and they have dogs for support animals. It helps them feel safer sleeping at night. I don’t judge them. It really doesn’t seem like it’s anyone’s right to judge someone for what they need if it helps them. It helps them in the story if you and I have not been through the physical trauma, they have gone through. We don’t have a right to judge them, but if you’re cringing every time you have to, sign your name you are judging my friend
I am a recently retired therapist (social worker). I share your uneasiness on this topic. We've probably all seen animals in restaurants and stores who are a nuisance to the other customers. There are some people who are taking unreasonable advantage of this allowance which, of course, tends to dampen the enthusiastic support that might otherwise exist for this. I like the standards you've set up for writing requested letters for emotional support animals. I wonder whether any of the professional organizations have set standards for this among licensed therapists. This is a nicely done, thorough video on a topic of widespread interest. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
As much as I loved my cat and she helped me through some tough stuff, I would never have DREAMED of taking her outside my house unless she was going to the vet. Because it would have distressed HER, not me.
I retired my gal (who actually liked going outside) for this very reason. She got more anxious leaving the house as she got older and I realized she was going deaf. She now only leaves for the vet or emergencies (like when we were evacuated for a tornado.)
As someone who has had their service dog attacked by un-trained ESA's.... thank you so much for this thoughtful video. If nothing else, you've raised awareness of the issue, and that is HUGE.
All is well with her. She's actually retired now as the incident was years ago. She's currently snoozing away happily at the moment. I actually stopped using a service dog as much when I started seeing more and more untrained dogs in public... Not out of fear for my dogs safety, but because I got tired of the untrained dogs loudly barking at my silent service dog in the middle of the store. I know I wasn't in the wrong, but it made me feel so singled out and like I was somehow in the wrong when I would cause someone else's dog to bark. It ended up causing a few panic attacks cuz I thought store management would be mad at me for it. It felt like being sent to the principal's office back in grade school (silly, I know... But anxiety is really good at making you think your in the wrong when your not).
@@CyrynDragoon Emotional support dog should be service pet? Pretty sure they need as much training as another service pets where I live (not in the US) because... They're working animals as much as a guide dog???
This is a much needed discussion. Unfortunately people taking untrained animals into public spaces is not just a problem for the people. It's extreme stress on many animals. The bad behaviors are a sign of the distress and fear the animal is experiencing. That's abuse. Like it or not the human is not the only living being in this equation. Service animals are tested, trained and tested more. Vast majority of them don't make it through till the end. Dogs are specially bred to be of calmer temperament to qualify and even then most are turned down. Requiring proper training and demonstrating the animal is suitably comfortable with public spaces and situations is as important for the well being of that animal as it is for the safety of people in the environment. Somehow no one ever speaks of the well being of the animals in all of this!
The wellbeing of animals is rarely ever part of the conversation because most of these people don’t act care about the pet, only what it can do for them. Kind of like how during the pandemic in the USA, people adopted animals to keep them company during the lonely moments that came with sheltering in place (if they actually did that), but as soon as the country officially opened “back” up, all these same animals ended up in shelters (or were taken back), abandoned, etc. There are articles about how Americans were dumping these animals they used as emotional support smh. I’d wager most of these people never actually cared about the animal, just the comfort and support they could take from them smh. I think that’s the case with most people, as they act the same way with human children. When the cuteness wears off, folks are ready to return to sender and don’t (completely) consider the soul they’ve been tasked with caring for or that the “emotional support” thing is a two-way street.
My son (Huntington's Disease/depression/severe ADHD) is getting a letter from his mental health support care for his little dog to be considered emotional support. We do not take this dog into businesses, though we do take him to outdoor events where dogs are welcome (on a leash) and he gets to ride in the car with us when we run errands. My sister trains actual service dogs, but also emotional support dogs who alert their owners that their mood is getting too high or low. My son's little dog will warn us when the emotional state is rising and will cuddle when my son is depressed. Most importantly, the landlord understands the dog (house broken and well maintained) is necessary. We are not abusing the system by taking a huge untrained dog or small horse into a grocery store or on a plane.
It really, really sucks that there are always ppl who are taking advantage. I have several medical conditions that aren't obvious or visible and struggle with feeling like my disability is "legitimate". It's upsetting and insulting when able bodied ppl co-opt things.
It’s awful that those of us who actually need our animals are affected by lax regulations that let people game the system I have ptsd and anxiety and having a pet helps me greatly but yah they have to be well behaved
My Gus was a Therapy Dog and did wonders, but I never took him where he wasn’t allowed …and he had to pass a pretty rigorous test to be certified …way more rigorous than what I see in the dogs in grocery stores today.
To me a dog can recognize a mood getting too high or low and knowing what to do is crazy, but I totally get how they can notice that stuff better than a person can. If you have an ESA and are taking car of them properly you're good. I think ESA's should have normal training (like how you'd normally train whatever animal you have) and be able to leash them when needed. We had an ESA dog staying in the hotel I work at and was generally pretty chill.
I have a Task Trained Service Dog. I think Most people are confusing ESA's with Psychiatric Service Dogs. It IS getting ridiculous though. My Legit Service Dog and I have Been Attacked on average 3-4 times a month, by Pet Dogs who are Untrained EAS's. Service Animals have to be Impeccably Well Behaved. Training is ongoing... 24/7/365. You're either teaching/training New skills/Tasks OR polishing the skills already known to stay sharp. I'm not the only Service Dog Handler who now calls Walmart, Hellmart or Satan's Anus. Just getting bread and milk can be a Nightmare. It's Very Frustrating. The ADA needs Drastic Revision. It's Archaic. Oh, and "The Seeing Eye" is an Organization/Company. Guide Dogs are just that... Guide Dogs. I know... semantics.
As someone who would have neverr finished college without the help of my service dog, thank you. My service dogs has been attacked by "emotional support animals" in the past and it is very difficult.
A lady in front of us at Walmart took her dog out of the stroller and told my daughter “you can pet him, he’s a service dog” and shortly after the dog started barking at people and she said “oh, gotta put him away… he has to be covered to not bother people” and if it wasn’t for my special needs son needing my attention, I was about to school her because she couldn’t answer any of the usual questions and then just before I had to go the other direction she said “He’s a service dog qualified as an ESA and if you need to, you can go online and make any dog a service dog for your son.” I know better though, I have been doing research to get my son a service dog and decided I would after we move out of this apartment. He would need a bigger dog and this place is too small. Through my research I know that a service dog wouldn’t be covered like that because then the dog isn’t doing any service. I have taught my children that dogs in stores are working, they’re not for play.
To expand on the miniature horse (from what I haven't seen addressed), horses are one of the most sensitive animals to human emotions. They have found that horses can service emotional connections harder to replicate in dogs. This emotional connection makes them great for those with PTSD, autism, and others. However, more studies are being done on it. Of course, there's support for animal-assisted therapy in both miniatures and larger ones.
I always thought emotional support animals are meant to be within your own private environment, and aid in management of your emotional and mental health. They are not the same as service animals.
Yes exactly. The legal distinction is mostly to help make pets accessible in apartments that otherwise ban pets. Not service dogs at all. There are such a thing as psychiatric service dogs and I think a lot of people don't understand the difference. Completely different things in a legal sense.
correct BUt entitled arsholes do not understand that and because of a SCAM online they THINK they can get an ID for 100s of $$s that will allow them to take their"ESA" everywhere LIKE a SD, Sighs which in turn confuses store owners and makes if dangerous for SD teams
That’s how my esa is. Sounds weird but I have an emotional support mouse because I got him for college and didn’t want to subject a cat or dog or rabbit to being in a pen/kennel all day like the rules regulated. I’m not good with social stuff so he kept me company and gave me a reason to take care of both myself and him, because nobody else was gonna look after him. Now I’m done w college after my certification & he is living a very spoiled life in my room in my family house. My mom always talks about making my dog an esa, but she has put no work into training her to be a well behaved normal dog, let alone an esa . There was an esa at a ren faire I went to the other day yipping and trying to get to other dogs & I just had to wonder if it had any training at all lol.
As someone suffering with PSTD who has an Emotional Support Dog, without whom I would have no companionship or, honestly, no reason to go on or try to get “better”, I know the importance of ESAs. Then again… there’s that Bushwick, hipster “artist“ who made headlines with her emotional support peacock. She, actually, lived down the street from me, and I can assure you, that poor bird was being abused. I have an ornithology degree and years of animal care experience, and can guarantee you that this is the truth. People like her have ruined everything for those of who lack a human support network and are struggling with mental and/or emotional challenges. Maybe more respect, and less exploitation, of animals is the answer here.
I agree with you. Exotic animals shouldn't be ESAs or even pets for that matter imo. I believe it's okay if it's a dog who's properly trained or in a carrying case where it's safe.
You can have a service dog for ptsd, just needs to be well trained, able to focus in public spaces, and trained in a task that helps the PTSD. At least in the USA
This reminds me a lot of the situation surrounding ADHD medication. Because so many people take it recreationally, I end up being treated like a criminal by my doctor to get the medication I need to function in my day to day life. It sucks that people have to ruin things like this for those with genuine struggles.
I was bitten by an ESA in a store. When I spoke up and ask the animal be removed from the area I was in, I was told that I upset the dog. I hope laws are changed soon. I can't go into a store anymore without fear of getting bitten again.
Can I ask what type? A pit bull nearly got my carotid. 100% would have killed me and no one will help about it either because the owner says it’s an ESA. Owner is my next door neighbour which makes it even worse. Also claimed the dog was “just playing.”
@@meriadocbrandybuck9833 Check with a lawyer. An out of control dog, that bites, hard enough to draw blood, in most areas warrants investigation by the local animal control, and could lead to being declared dangerous. Out side of it's home a dog, in most jurisdictions, must be kept on leash and under control. Even in "off leash" approved areas the dog must be under control at all times. ESA or not a dangerous dog usually is required to be muzzled, or destroyed if it attacks a person drawing blood off it's home property.
Sounds like you were in the pacific northwest. If I were attacked by any animal, period, they'd be screaming because I'd be actively neutralizing their animal in a permanent fashion.
@@meriadocbrandybuck9833 Not the person that commented, but a pug growled and tried to bite me when I was working retail. Maybe people wouldn't take it seriously due to the size of the animal, but it really pissed me off that someone would bring an aggressive dog like that out in public. A pitbull would be a thousand times more traumatic
Thanks for this. You mentioned someone allergic to another's animal. Not all people are comfortable with animals and increasing numbers of support animals can be scary for them, especially if they are elderly or infirm. This is worse of course with poorly trained animals. I spent a lot of years in Boston. The Franklin Institute for the Blind trains both the people, the dogs, and the blind with their dogs. There is a huge difference between well trained service animal and most pets. The public also gets trained. Leave the service dog alone.
Before receiving an ESA letter, I swear people should have to answer a short series of questions about ESAs in their provider's office and sign a statement that they understand what an ESA is and more importantly is NOT. As someone with a guide dog, the rise of ESAs is making my life a lot harder and more dangerous. Miniature horses can be used for service work in situations where a dog might not be big or sturdy enough!
It seems like it wouldn't create accessibility barriers or place undue burden on anyone getting an ESA, since they're already having to talk to a provider and are very likely there in person at some point. I hope it works out for you!!
What happens if the person is not smart enough to pass a test, but is still capable of telling a sob story? The reason that we are talking about this is that we are creating a society that favours victim rights, as opposed to favouring healthy people, who want no part of this.
@@its_jess4321I am saying that the main topic of ESAs is being discussed in the video and the comment section, because victims [both legit and fake] can make a claim and have the full force of the law behind them. As people continue to discover and invent new ways to be victims, then they can also take advantage of the law. If vitimhood were frowned upon, then normal people would have more rights. Society would be geared for them, and the law would favour them.
I had an esa who was a tabby cat named Julius. He passed away in June of this year. He specifically was prescribed by a therapist of mine who met him while she was volunteering at our local animal shelter. I have severe depression and he was the only thing that prevented me from killing myself several times in the 2010's. It specifically stated in his letter that he was not granted protected status anywhere outside of my apartment. It also stated that well my pet deposit was to be waived that if I refused to pay for any damages he caused anywhere in the building I could be evicted for destruction of my rental property
I hope you are managing ok and that you have enough support. I absolutely understand the importance of your cat. My son was saved from suic!de for years by his lovely cat, also a rescue, a former stray. When the cat disappeared my son went into crisis. He is finally stable now (we have three young cats and a service dog) ...and I hope you are too.
I'm sorry your Julius passed. My sister put it best "the most horrible thing about our animals is they don't live a whole human life span" I am still missing my big tabby boy asbo who passed Dec 2019. Current feline companion is short some brain cells. He's not very attuned to mental health state.
As a landlord the first time someone moves in and doesn’t inform me of their support animal before they sign the lease, I instantly will #1 never renew the lease and #2 I’ll look for any and every legal reason to terminate the lease . People who game the system to basically save money on pet rent and deposits make my blood boil. All these people saying well if the pet destroys something then evict the person doesn’t understand how costly it is to evict and the biggest problem the damage has already happened and now must be repaired. Carpet costs $2500 alone for a modest 1000 square foot house that’s more than most deposits even cover
@@dirkdiggler9379 oh absolutely I told my current apartment about Julius when I got the application. People who aren't responsible with esa's make it hard for people like me.
Yesterday witnessed someone and their EmotionalSA on a table top at an outdoor eatery. I was disgusted at the entitlement and lack of manners. Have never seen a SERVICE animal on a table top. This seems to be the standard of ESA pet owners. No training, no manners, no consideration for others, only self. Another time was at Target when a stinky dog was on a 20 foot lead, soiled my fress pant leg with it's facial fluids. What about my 5 year old's rights? She was bitten in the face by an untrained dog. Suffered permanent emotional and physical damage, and is terrified everytime she encounters one of these dogs meandering unsupervised.
Your five year old has the same rights as an ESA- i.e. landlords aren't allowed to say "you gotta give your kid to the shelter or I'll put you both on the street"
I keep seeing companies offering "Esa certificates" for money. It aggravates me so much. I'm disabled and do have an ESA (cat) and trying to get a service dog. It's annoying that people are doing this simply to be able to confront and cause arguments!
thanks for the dive into such interesting topic. Regarding miniature horses , they have 3 main advantages over service dogs: 1) they can guide blind people with the same efficiency as guide dogs, plus they can be more stable and strong for assisting people with balance or mobility disparities, 2) they can also learn potty training very well (thus they can also live in apartments and use public transportation) and 3) and most importantly, while the service span of a guide dog is only about 7 years (dogs' life expectancy is about 14 years), miniature horses have a service span of 20 years (and their life expectancy is between 25 to 35). During the service working life span of a miniature horse, 3 service dogs would be needed.... The retirement of a service dog and the acquirement of a new one, it's a process of high emotional burden for the disable people. So just that would also compensate psychologically. The expenses of the training of a dog and a miniature horse are similar (very high), thus in dogs one would spend 3 times as much money in training than in a miniature horses. It will be interesting to compare, though, for the long run the overall expenses (taking into consideration also veterinarian check ups, food/ supplements and treats, accessories ) of one service Miniature horse versus 3 service dogs.
That is an interesting idea. I thought of getting a minni horse as a guide, but then i go how would my landlord like this? also the food and such. I am all ready broke and broken, so yeah. its easy for me to take care of alley aka alucard the kitty and let my bf work with the dog as far as walking her, but yeah. i love animals, and love to snuggle up with them and watch tv and the like and I just don't get out enough for a guide. i am trying to think of what else i can contribute here. Oh someone once had a guide donkey or something maybe some sort of goat. well they wanted to bring it to the college i was at I heard this story second hand. I quipped um lawn care, cause keeping all that hay and whatnot well that would shrink your dorm room down.
People can be allergic to horses as well. But the problem I have with this is horses are very different kind of animals than dogs. Dogs will easily accept humans as similar to them, and thrive in their pack of humans. Horses are herbivores and thus prey animals. They love the company of their own kind, and don't connect with humans the way dogs do. Both humans and dogs are hunters and have hunter body language, which can make horses very nervous. Of course horses can be taught a lot, but it doesn't make them any less a horse. And having one live only with humans, in human environments seems abusive to me. I don't like the idea that we should just take whatever we feel like without considering the other side. Horses love to live in a herd with other horses. They get stressed up quite easily and can develop ulcers, behavioral issues and various health issues if their needs aren't met properly.
I sort of waved away conversation regarding economics and animal rights in order to keep the video focused, but it's worth summarizing how these two issues have also led to the abuse and degradation of the system.
First off, it's fair to say that the costs associated with animal ownership can be quite high. Even just necessary items like food, habitat supplies, veterinary care, or medicines. Adding the additional cost of a "pet rent" can be a substantial burden on folks. It's worth acknowledging that people with a lower socioeconomic status would see the largest benefit from classifying their animal as an ESA. You could make an argument that ESAs are a class issue and that having lax rules advantages those at the bottom. This points to larger issues with our country's social support systems and the economic disparities that disadvantage those at the low end. As the saying goes, "it's expensive to be poor".
Second, it is my opinion that more property owners should allow pets in their rentals. Pet owners tend to be responsible and conscientious, and there's a good argument to make that pets are not any more destructive than, say, children. There are legitimate reasons to not want pets on the premises, particularly dogs since they are often the largest, can be the most disruptive, and are in public spaces the most. However, many pet-related issues could be addressed in the same way that you would with any tenant issue described in a rental agreement. If the law changed to provide housing protections against discrimination of pets, everyone could have the option to experience the benefits of having pets without worrying about limiting where they live. And ESAs would be prescribed for their intended purpose of helping individuals manage their symptoms, rather than as a tool to remove barriers to housing.
Finally, I'm starting to see some comments role in already and I want to make it very clear that I'm not trying to take away anybody's pets. What I'm saying is that the ESA system was not designed for pets. I think pets are great and I want everyone to have the freedom to have pets without being overly burdened. But using this legal protection as a "loophole" is bad for everyone in the long run. The rights of pet owners need to be addressed in their own right, through separate legislation. Additionally, if there are any changes to ESA law, they must be done carefully so that you do not create unintended barriers for the people who really need them. This is why I believe that training and the costs to obtain a trained animal should be covered by insurance.
But an ESA is only just a pet. ADA law protects disabled person’s rights-not rights of pets or animals. The ADA does not grant any rights to my service animal-it protects MY rights to equal access as a disabled person-so that I can live, travel, and I can access public spaces with the aid of my trained service dog. There is no “loop hole” for non-ESA pets or ESA’s pretending to be service animals. People doing that are breaking the law and they can and should be fined and/or prosecuted. We need more education and awareness about service animals and ESA’s. Some people may be gaming the system unwittingly…like they legit actually believe that they still have access to non-pet friendly public establishments with their ESA. The audio clip included in this video may be one of those situations. Maybe instead of acting as a gate keeper to disabled access, therapists should a) be trained and informed about all things ADA including assistance animals and the differences between
ESA and Service animals and b) help to inform their disabled patients who are seeking access and/or reasonable accommodations in their living situation and/or employment.
Maybe instead of more “gate keeping” and adding more barriers to disabled access, we just need everyone to be more informed.
If you are a therapist or others watching this are aspiring to become therapist, maybe instead of trying to gate-keep access for your disabled patients, maybe just be informed and help inform your patients so they know what is legal and lawful and they know what is illegal and unlawful regarding pets or ESAs. It is not up to the therapist or doctor to evaluate whether any particular pet is suitable as an ESA-all you are qualified and needed to do is to write a letter that states “____, is a patient under my care and has a Disabilty listed in the DSM V, for which an ESA MIGHT be of benefit.”
That’s all! It has nothing to do with the pet they intend as an ESA-all the theripst can determine is that the person has a diagnosis in the DSM, and an ESA MIGHT help ameliorate the person’s symptoms. The wording MIGHT is key here because there is no guarantee that an animal or a pet WILL help a persons symptoms-in fact there is always a possibility that an animal could WORSEN a person’s symptoms.
I can personally attest that a pet intended as an ESA or SA can actually worsen the symptoms they were intended to help ameliorate. My first intended service dog in training turned out to be unsuitable for the job, and her high-strung/high-energy constant and sudden barking all throughout the day, actually drastically increased my anxiety and panic rather than help mitigate it! I invested a lot of time and money into her training but ultimately she was my SDIT washout and I rehomed her and had to start all over again with a new candidate, luckily with better success and he’s literally saved my life.
At any rate, I gave this video a thumbs down because it smacks of gate-keepery. The disabled don’t need more gate keeping and barriers to access! We just want to live our best lives and have the same access as everyone else. Don’t get me wrong-I totally get the frustration towards those who would abuse the system and break the law…they have made things harder for the legitimately disabled and using the ADA appropriately for access.
But don’t punish the rest of us for the bad acts of those who would break the law and take advantage of people’s ignorance about the ADA.
As a therapist, you should not be adding more requirements or restrictions on who is allowed to have an ESA-like certain breeds, non barking, and requiring training. An ESA does not require training and the ADA protects the disabled’s rights to have an ESA if that helps them. The therapist is only qualified to evaluate/diagnose and certify that the person does have a diagnosis…not that the dog isn’t going to attack the landlord. That is a risk that the handler takes upon themselves! And in some cases the landlord may share a responsibility in getting attacked….I’m sure there are situations in which a person deliberately provokes an attack or they messed with a handler or with their SD and they got themselves injured-at any rate this is something that the court system is designed to sort out-and a therapist should have no party in if he’s writing his letters correctly. Which again-all you are qualified and required to do is to affirm they are your patient, that they do have a diagnosis in the DSM, and that an ESA might help the person’s symptoms. If you are evaluating pets and requesting training certificates, you are already violating the disabled persons rights if they are indeed disabled. Keep it simple for yourself. Don’t complicate things and don’t try to step beyond your scope of training and job description. You’re a therapist and your patient is a human. You are not an animal trainer and you don’t treat or evaluate dogs (or cats or other animal).
@@heatherreddick4635 yes, exactly. This comment needs more 👍
@@heatherreddick4635if it's against someone's principles to be a party to gaming the system telling them to just do their job's not too cool. Makes sense disability can rob someone of their sense of reciprocity but seems like the unprincipled part maybe not so much.
@@Zarathustran if you assume that it’s not against my principles to game the system, then you are wrong. I very much am concerned about people gaming the system because as rightly pointed out, the people who masquerade there ESA as a service animal, tends to make things harder for the rest of us with actual service dogs.
But I oppose unlawfulness on both sides of the issue, in particular, what I was commenting about is concerning “gatekeeping”, or unlawfully asking or demanding extra requirements beyond what is legal to ask or require. That’s where I feel that the essence of this video dwells-in gatekeeping. Even the title evokes that there is something wrong about ESA’s. Instead of addressing the problem with people who bring their ESA into public spaces were pets are not allowed, he attacks “the problem with ESA’s.” On the one hand he wants to say that he supports the idea of a disabled person having an ESA, but then he admits that he imposes his own set of criteria in order to sign a letter for a client. All that is required in the letter is 1) this person has a diagnosis that is in the DSM and 2) an ESA might be of benefit for this person’s symptoms. The ADA is very clear about the definition of an ESA vs a SD, and an ESA requires NO training. So then for a therapist to require that an ESA gets training….well, that is unlawful, ie, goes against the ADA. It’s the same for those of us with service animals-if someone requires some sort of training certificate or SD registration/documention or whatever, that would be a very clear and prosecutable violation of the ADA law. Although a service animal is by definition highly trained and trained to do tasks to mitigate a persons disability in public, the ada prohibits any certification or registration or documentation requirements. It’s the handler’s one prerogative to keep any training records and documentation of training given as to keep evidence to protect themselves in case of a potential lawsuit or whatever, but access and accommodations cannot be hinged upon whether or not the handler presents some type of certificate or documentation and it is illegal for someone to ask you present such.
Anyway, although I am a firm believer in every dog a “canine good citizen” or equivalent level of training or beyond, it however sounds ridiculous to me that a therapist as a matter of policy doesn’t sign letters for disabled patients who’s dog or cat even, has no training. But regardless of what I think about it-it’s just contradictory to the ADA and all I’m saying is that this video, from its title to its content, smacks of “gatekeepery”.
First, the ADA says nothing about ESAs and does not establish laws regarding ESAs. The laws come from the fair housing act, as discussed in the video. It is true that there are no laws requiring training. I take issue with you describing it as "gatekeeping". As a therapist, I have a responsibility to ensure that ESA recommendations are appropriate and aligned with my professional judgment. An ESA letter is a legal document that grants certain privileges and I have to evaluate a person's mental health needs and determine if an emotional support animal genuinely contributes to their well-being. There is no defined guidelines to do this and, given the legal nature of this, I will do it in a way that I feel is therapeutically appropriate, that best serves clients, and that protects my license. I'm not denying ESAs to people who need it, I'm establishing guidelines that allow me to fully assess the need. This is fully legal and, in my mind, the most ethical approach. If you have an issue with this, then this only further supports the points of my video that call for changes to legislation to clarify the nature of ESAs.
My dad is one of those AH who abuse the system. His dog is a terror. It pees everywhere. He doesn’t bath it. It hates anyone who isn’t him. It doesn’t come when called. It barks at everything. It bites my dog. But because he bought a vest off the internet he insists it’s an ESA and demands it be allowed into restaurants, sports centers, businesses, everywhere. I hate it. He’s exactly the problem.
The businesses don't have to allow a dog that is misbehaving. It's on the businesses to make their space safe.
esa does not have public access. they dont have the rights SD have and its federal chime to fake a SD.
it's really sad how people abuse the fact that a lot of people don't know that esas don't actually have public access rights, and businesses can remove legitimate service dogs if they are disruptive (like pooping in the store, barking, biting, or being out of the handler's control)
There goes the “pet owners are conscientious” bs.
Ask landlords how much damage pets (especially dogs) do to a place!
@@silverrraven5349 It's sad how many businesses don't bother to look at the law and provide a 2 minute training to their employees to ensure they are creating equal access for people with disabilities too.
The miniature horses: some people are allergic to dogs and horses are able to be trained to lead the blind as well as a dog. They have much different care needs so are not for everyone but mini horses typically lead the blind
They are also used by some the Muslim community who may view dogs as unclean or forbidden.
@@jenniferboyd1547🥺 How dare they 😭
Miniature horses , they have 3 main advantages over service dogs:
1) they can guide blind people with the same efficiency as guide dogs, plus they can be more stable and strong for assisting people with balance or mobility disparities, 2) they can also learn potty training very well (thus they can also live in apartments and use public transportation)
and 3) and most importantly, while the service span of a guide dog is only about 7 years (dogs' life expectancy is about 14 years), miniature horses have a service span of 20 years (and their life expectancy is between 25 to 35). During the service working life span of a miniature horse, 3 service dogs would be needed.... The retirement of a service dog and the acquirement of a new one, it's a process of high emotional burden for the disable people. So just that would also compensate psychologically. The expenses of the training of a dog and a miniature horse are similar (very high), thus in dogs one would spend 3 times as much money in training than in a miniature horses. It will be interesting to compare, though, for the long run the overall expenses (taking into consideration also veterinarian check ups, food/ supplements and treats, accessories ) of one service Miniature horse versus 3 service dogs.
@@kayleighgroenendal8473 Let's remember that landlords of many Christian and agnostic and Atheist communities (thus most of the western countries) also think of dogs as dirty and destroyers and thus they are forbidding dogs to tenants.Thus , to state that some Muslim communities consider them as dirty and forbidden, it's quite a bias (probably unconscious ly) and it's untrue, since in all countries with a Muslim majority that i have visited they have dogs in the streets.
What I have found is that in countries with muslim mayority, they have linguistic expressions that show that "unconditional loyalty or subordinance" of dogs are not (or were not) appreciated. But westerners , we also have cultural expressions with negative cognitions to pigs and cats, when the reality is that pigs are clean (they defecate out of the places they would sleep on) and cats can be loyal, trustworthy and even trained joyfully.
@@jenniferboyd1547 That is what I was thinking. Certain religions do not allow dogs in house. Only for patrolling yards for invaders; human or predators attacking sheep, goat, and cattle herds.
I was at Disneyland recently and I witnessed a guest with a very small dog strapped their waist. The guest had been riding attractions all day with the dog. Both the guest and the dog smelled like urine and the dog appeared to be heavily sedated. When does it become animal abuse vs. ESA? It was an awkward situation and no employee seemed to be concerned by the situation.
That was clearly animal abuse. I don't know if it legally counts as such, but a dog shouldn't be put into that situation. The guest should bring a stuffed toy instead, since clearly they're treating the dog as one.
Please tell me this didn't actually happen
@@elainelouvehow’s it animal abuse to sedate a dog before bringing it in a stressful place
@@RockPile_ did you even read the original comment? 1. Amusement park is no place for ordinary dogs. Actual service animals are trained for various things and don't need to be sedated. 2. Rides are for humans. Period. There's no excuse to bring an animal on a ride, sedated or not. Mental health struggles are no excuse for abusing animals. A dog that pissed itself is feeling extreme panic.
@@elainelouve a dog smelling like pee isn’t necessarily scared at all. Which cares if they’re for humans
Miniature horses are included because they can be trained similarly to dogs, but can live much, much longer, so the same person can retain the same service animal potentially for decades. This reducing the need for training and transitioning between animals. They can also provide stability support, i.e. they are sturdy enough for the human to lean heavily on them without harming them as they would a dog. Fun fact, they often wear the shoes made by Build-a-Bear as the little shoes they put on their bears just so happen to be the right size for a lot of miniature horse service animals.
I understand where ur coming from, dogs are 1: more accessible and 2: they can be smaller and therefore able to fit comfortably in more spaces (although I’ve also seen mini horses on the smaller side) such as schools, work places etc. it’s strange to take a mini horse everywhere you go.
As someone with an ESA, who took an entire class in college on service animals and ESAs and generally is the person who knows the laws and advocates for them all the time to people, thank you for correcting the people with "ESA's" that are abusing the very important thing that is having an ESA
Edit to add: mine is a cat named Oliver and he helps me keep a more normal schedule which helps me with my ADHD
Could you provide some examples of how Oliver helps you in your day-to-day? I've been researching getting an ESA for anxiety and depression and would love to know how one might aid ADHD
@@slowyourroll1146I have ADHD that can’t be medicated due to my heart. I got my cat just for a pet but she’s turned into an ESA mainly for my depression and anxiety, especially after recently losing two loved ones.
My cat helps me keep a routine because I build my routine around her.
EG:
I wake up, make my bed then go to the kitchen. I feed her WHILE making my breakfast so I ensure I make myself food. Then I sit with her for 10 minutes before I leave my apartment.
At night, I eat dinner, then feed her and she eats while I shower.
I’m a college student, so if I dont have motivation to do homework/laundry/cleaning - I give myself a break to play with her instead of going on my phone. It keeps me from falling down the rabbit holes
What? How? I could certainly use that…
As a fellow ADHDer, would also love to know how Oliver helps!
How does Oliver help you with ADHD? Is it the feeding him on time and stuff? I have two kids 🥴 and I need to get mine under control. On meds but with the shortage and various manufacturers, meds are unreliable.
I think that they should definitely be some training guidelines for an animal to be considered an ESA. I don't care if a person has a dog a Zebra with them as long as the animals behaves. I had a client come in for a massage once who told the front desk her dog was an ESA. The dog barked at me for 90 minutes straight. that is not a relaxing environment for me or anyone else in the building
I disagree, because ESAs aren't allowed in massage parlors or anywhere else unless pet dogs in general are allowed. All having a dog as an ESA allows you to do is override rental restrictions, which is why I think any provider writing an ESA letter should discuss with anyone requesting one whether they even have rental restrictions barring them from getting a pet, and make sure they understand that's all the letter will allow.
@@PixieoftheWood I know that and you know that the lady with the Barking Dog knew that but the girls at the front desk didn't understand that distinction.
For future reference please refer to it as a spa, massage parlor has a negative connotation. 🙂
@@PixieoftheWood that’s a good idea.
"Ma'am, you can't bring a hyena on the plane."
"But he's my emotional support animal!"
"Really?"
"He makes me laugh."
I'm a librarian in an urban library in Los Angeles. We also deal with service animals and ESAs. We have a policy now that basically follows what you have described to deal with abuse. We have even needed to apply the issue of a dog not being under the handler's control to ban a patron. We, as a public space need to be compassionate, and typically don't have an issue with animals, but as you described, qualifications regarding training and the animal's behavior. Even service animals, such as seeing-eye-dogs need to be trained, and if such a dog makes noise, soils the floor, or threatens the public or staff, we can ban them.
You don't deal with ESAs. ESAs as defined by the Fair Housing Act are not pets and they don't receive protections outside the owner's home. The Fair Housing Act is the piece of federal legislation that defines what an ESA is and what protections it has. This was left out of the video on purpose to strengthen his complaints.
@geisenm I literally talk about the fair housing act at 7:51?
@@neurotransmissions so you’re just here to shit on the Rehabilitation Act side of things at the expense of people’s perception of the housing side. Wow
@@geisenmI think your comprehension of the discussion might be skewed by bias, he was pretty clear that his concern is people not knowing or not following their restrictions and the lack of standardization or protections for clinicians to follow
@@geisenm I’m not really sure what that comment even means, but it’s pretty silly that you didn’t pay attention to the video, wrote an accusatory comment and then followed that up by writing an aggro email to me trying to educate me about something I very obviously talked about in the video. I particularly liked the line in your email where you said, “Can’t have facts and clarity get in the way if your pathetic RUclips whoring, can we?” Very nice lmao.
I have seen several people bragging how they easily got a special coat, badge, or letter online declaring their pets “support animals”. They were super proud of the fact that they were taking advantage of a system that was designed to help people with legitimate needs.
I,see thos ads on how easynitbisnto get a ESA vest, patch or “certification” for an ESA , on FB all the time! And these ads are so infuriating and entitled! They go on about how it’s so easy to be able to take your pet anywhere you like, and how you don’t have to leave your poor dog alone at home anymore etc. it just reeks of entitlement! “ oh look at me! I’m so special! I can take my pet everywhere and no one can say anything about it!”
I want to make more people aware that just ordering the vest and patch and a bogus “ certificate” just so you can take your pet with you everywhere, when you DO NOT NEED an Emotional Support animal but just want to take your pet with you when you go places, , is a horrible idea. And is actually causing alot of harm to people who NEED an ESA or See ice Animal.
Some Restaurants and other places who have had an experience wirh a badly behaved fake ESA now refuse to allow people wirh service Animals .
I usually try to wrote a post about the difference between service animals and ESA and and about how it’s the responsibility of the animal,owner ro make sure the animals is well behaved in any enviroment they take their ESA in. And and that they wouid real,y have a need for that ESA, not just wanting to,drag their pet with them everywhere they go…..
Also how badly behaved ESA are making it very difficult for people with service Animals.
Side note. I saw a program once about how small monkeys were being trained ro provide help for people who,were paralyzed from the neck down….fetching drinks, picking up,objects, adjusting the devices on the mobile chairs that enable the person to type or speak….
I dont know how prevalent the use of monkeys is for this purpose.
You can get them that say Service animal as well, just because you "say" it is a service animal, doesn't prove it. There is no national registration or certification to prove the animal is, in fact, a service trained animal. Business are only allowed to ask 2 questions, Is the animal a service animal, and what tast is it trained for. Thats it. Anything else is discrimination against the disabled
Probably the same people that would abuse a handicap placard.
@@VolCanixWorx Which doesn't make sense. What's wrong with a government mandated certificate or license? If anything, those can clarify a lot of misunderstanding. And there won't be any discrimination. As soon as the animal is proven as what it is, a service animal, make it illegal to deny service (unless it's for safety reasons). And make it acceptable to report and charge places that discriminate.
@@blenderpain8249there is certification in some Canadian provinces. I assure you fake service dogs are still common according to handlers there and so is discrimination from businesses
I had a service dog for PTSD, and it was super frustrating how often people would go "oh so an ESA?" NO. They are two different things. He was highly trained. I did get to the point where I no longer needed a service dog, so he was able to retire and downgraded to being an ESA, but he was trained as a service dog and when he was out and doing his job before he retired, he was not an ESA. People used to refuse services or try to charge pet fees because of "bad experiences with past service dogs" (which I assume were people bringing their pets in claiming that they were service dogs) or because I couldn't provide a registry ID that other people had provided (even though they don't exist) or because they were convinced that a psychiatric service dog was the same as an ESA (probably due in part to the fact that my disabilities are invisible). It was exhausting. Honestly, until knowledge of how service dogs work and what they are becomes far more mainstream, I would not recommend having a service dog unless absolutely necessary with no other reasonable options. Even when it does become more accessible, it is not a choice that should be taken lightly.
Yeah that whole registery myth is so hard to combat because people are so unschooled in what is actually legal or not.
Is your dog a service dog?
If so, what is it trained to do?
I've never heard of a downgraded service dog. Retired dog left to roll in the grass and chase squirrels? Sure!
@@denisemarie6997 Yes he was a service dog. He was a highly trained PTSD response dog. He was trained to notice signs that my PTSD induced panic attacks were coming on and to get my attention so that I focused on him and came down from the panic attack safely and quickly. One of his main tools for this was deep pressure therapy. He was also trained to stand between me and large groups of people to act as a buffer and physical barrier since that is something that was a big trigger for me (I'm better at handling that now, though it's still anxiety-inducing). He retired when he was a senior and no longer physically fit to do his job due to health issues. He got to live out his last year treated mostly as a regular pet, though a very well trained one. I did not get a new service dog because by the time he retired I had gotten to the point where I could mostly manage the symptoms that he helped me to manage on my own. I did however still struggle with my PTSD, it hasn't gone away completely, as well as some pretty intense anxiety and depression which he served as an ESA for during his last year. There is no rule saying that a retired service dog cannot be an ESA, and he certainly filled that role. He may not have had to actively do his job anymore, but he still filled an important role tangentially related to the job he had retired from.
I was attacked by my neighbour’s ESA, a pit bull, and the complex refuses to do anything about it because the dog is registered as an ESA. It snapped at my throat. It only missed because I’m hyper aware thanks to PTSD and stepped back at the last possible second. It missed my carotid artery by 1/2 an inch. I have a 7 month old son. When I complained to them and animal control, they said there was nothing they could do. The cops suggested I buy a gun and shoot it if it ever charges me. Absolutely excellent for my PTSD. I’m now looking at selling my home and moving.
Report every single incident to animal control. Once can be a one off, twice can be happenstance. . .after that? Its patterned behavior and documentation goes a long way when it comes to legal action.
Should've shot the dog
if you have proof report it because if its registered that should take the registry away because the dog is not safe
Sweetie, that’s a fun story and all, but there is no ESA registry.
@@sexygirlmax2019ESA registries aren’t real. All the ones you see online are fake.
ESAs are recommended by mental health or medical professionals, that’s it!
There is no other protocol or stipulation.
my partner had his leg amputated during the pandemic. We lost our home due to spending so much time without work and needing him to be in skilled nursing after the stump became infected. He was on the verge of suicide, and his kitten ( Who did fill the role of a service animal, picking things up off the floor when he dropped them, and reminding him to take his insulin.) was granted ESA so she could be with him during physical therapy. (because as a cat she could not be a service animal) - In addition, the certification of ESA is only for 1 year, so a new letter is required after that time.
My suggestion is that instead of "type" of animal, Service animals should be based on the task they do. Mental disabilities (like autistics) Do have specific needs, and it is not difficult to find and specify exactly what that animal does, require proper training and sociability.
Autistic here - so what you are describing is not an ESA, it’s a specific category of service animals. Service dogs for autism have to perform special skills and it typically costs at least $10,000 to acquire a trained autism service dog (I’ve heard of the range being anywhere from 10-20k).
I have a small dog that I trained to do one of the skills that service animals for autistics perform (deep pressure - my dog recognizes when I am having an autistic meltdown and will initiate lying on my chest or on my lap, adding weight and pressure that helps me to get through the meltdown).
Sometimes autistic people who cannot afford a service dog for autism will train dogs to do support skills like I did, just because those skills are so helpful. I also did not ask a therapist for an ESA letter, either. I just needed to train my dog to be able to help me with meltdown, so I did. Right now that means my dog can only help me at home, but that’s a hell of a lot better than nothing. If I could have afforded to have him trained and certified, I would have.
Just sharing all this to raise awareness that service dogs for autism already exist, but are difficult for autistic people and their families/caretakers to afford. An ESA is not a substitute for a support animal and if autistic people are stuck with ESAs, it’s a failure of our support structures for autistic people. More of us should have trained service dogs. This is an issue our governments need to deal with and provide more structural/financial support for, so that ASD people can have improved disability rights.
@@JaneTheMessage I absolutely agree. The problem is, when you have a Non-Dog animal or a Misunderstood disability you are left with little choice.
Should your landlord decide that pets are not allowed , you would br left with only 2 options, ESA or Eviction. I belive the issue to be addressed is the NEED for more diverse definitions of Disability & Service Animal. A regulated ESA system would be a good start, but really what we need is a better understamding of What Disabled persons is / needs and what an Animal does.
When I see an ESA peacock is have to wonder.. What EXACTLY does it do for you. I do not deny that Depression/ Anxiety. Etc are very real disabilities, my question is What does the animal do. If an animal cannot be housebroken I find it difficult to rationalize requiring it be allowed in public space ( where people walk ) However, often the task requires is not done by a dog. ( I know of a quadraplegic who has an ESA monkey, because he can not use his hands, a dog would not be able to act as his service animal because it also does not have hands. And yet it is not recognized as a service animal.
"and his kitten ( Who did fill the role of a service animal, picking things up off the floor when he dropped them, and reminding him to take his insulin."
I call bullshit. That kitten DID NOT do those things.
@@menow. n fact she did, (and it was not difficult to train) Actually I am glad to share this bit of information. Cats are relatively easy to train for diabetic warning. When small (s on solid food ) begin keeping treats with diabetic supply and giving one whenever glucose is too high. Cat likes treats, Cat tells you when she should get one.
Chasing small objects that fall to the ground is something cats love to do, provide the cat a reward and it will bolt across the room like a maniac to pick up your hair tie or find a lost wheelchair peg that rolled under the couch. Gladly showing off her wonderful hunting ability by dropping the object in your lap.
These are basic Cat behaviors, and with consistency and patience, a cat can be very happy showing off her skills in taking care of the person she loves - equal (IMHO) to any dog
I hope this information is helpful to you and anyone else who may want to work with cats ( they are intelligent motivated companions who can learn tricks and be trained to accept a lead and fulfill useful tasks as well as any other mammal.) The idea that cats are untrainable is just a misunderstanding of their motivations.
I will add (although this is already very long)
that MOST of what a cat does is trained, Most People just don't realize they trained the cat to do the things it does because they don't understand its motivations.
I agree that cats can do more than we think. I have known a few that fetch as avidly as any dog, and I, myself, have one that learned to work with us in hunting activities.
I didn't know they could learn about telling you about your blood sugars, neat! And sounds simple enough to train.
Personally, I own a service dog. I trained her myself over the course of a little more than a year. I have traveled 14 states with her by my side everywhere the family went. She is always on her best behavior when you put her vest on. I feel that the support animals, as they stand now, are giving true service animal owners more grief than good. I have seen so many ESAs that are not trained well, or maybe not even at all. The businesses are starting to be upset about any animal on the property and i don't blame them. Its giving animals a bad name and look. I wish they had some regulations soon as well. Please train your animals before trying to go places with them. Its only fair to the rest of the public to do so. I hope some things change to put some standards in place soon.
If you personally trained the dog, it is NOT A SERVICE DOG. It is a trained PET, which could be a ESA, but NOT a service animal. You are NOT a professional trainer.
@johncampbell3979 lol how do you know I am not a professional trainer? So silly, my wife is a diabetic, and the service dog knows when her sugars are low and high and knows how to retrieve a bag that contains insulin and sugar shots. Don't make assumptions.
When he said he cringes every time he is asked to "certify" an ESA, I couldn't agree more. Even as I type this, my cat is cuddled up to my side purring away. My life is better for her being here, but I know I can never take her out in public to sooth my nerves as it would wreak hers. Could I apply for a certification just to make my landlord not charge me? Probably, but I would not have a clean conscience. I have had this discussion with many friends and had to bite my tounge for over a decade as to not start a fight. A particular pair is dug in hard and will not recognize that their self-trained "service" dogs barely make the standard of ESA. UGG if I have to listen to another 15 minute lecture starting with "The ADA says..." I saw what it took my 4-H friends in the specialized guide dog program had to do to get their puppies through basic into the next level of training (which was done by adult professionals). I know my friends love their dogs, but as the owners/trainers they never put in the work or proper discipline.
If someone truly feels that they can't go anywhere in public without their pet, isn't that a phobia issue that their therapist should be working with them on? Typically, therapists try to get their phobic patients to tackle small pieces at a time of whatever they fear (in this case, spending time away from Fido).
Omg! I am so glad I found this video. I 💯 agree that the system is being abused. Here in Portland, OR, I don't think you're even allowed to ask for papers. I use public transportation as my main way of getting around, and hence, I have strong feelings about this. I've never been attacked, but I have wondered what recourse I'd have. Admittedly, the fact that there seems to be no training or structured regulation has led me to see these pets and their owners as grifters and wimps. This is a shame given that I know there are those who need these animals.
Right, you can't ask anything. And when we had a dog attacking people management refused to kick them out. I guess it's ok for everyone else to be in distress, or get injured. You'd think worrying about your animal hurting someone possibly a child would give you anxiety. Image your dog biting a child making them have a fear of dogs the rest of their lives.
Therapists should NOT be forced to shoulder the responsibility of an ESA's actions.
Therapists aren't pet trainers. They're not qualified to evaluate a pet for safety to other people.
That responsibility should lie solely with the owner, and/or the professional trainer, if the ESA had one.
miniature horses as service animals are primarily for mobility, like helping support someone's weight while they walk together.
or eg, for someone prone to losing consciousness or leg strength, as a support to help avoid injury in sudden situations.
My dad works for a major US airline. He said never put your animal in the belly of the plane. Hes seen too many times when one is crushed, froze, or ran out of oxygen. Its not safe for them and they die cold and alone in the dark scared shitless.
Another quick comment on miniature horses as ASSISTANCE animals.... they have a significantly longer lifespan than dogs. You can imagine how tragic and stressful it is for the disabled person when an assistance animal passes.
I have no problem with them if they are potty trained. Urinating or defecating at will makes them a problem for others. ✌🏼💖
I can imagine it's tragic, but can you imagine how tragic such a life is for a horse? Deprived of the companionship of other horses, expected to handle stressful, frightening situations, and live with a predator. Humans and dogs are predators, horses are prey. That's really a huge difference in body language and the nature of an animal. Like horses can get spooked of things that seem irrelevant to us. Not to mention proper care of a horse is much more difficult than caring for a dog, which is why so many people fail at it.
Animals that live with chronic stress tend to develop problems that will shorten their lifespan. When you're thinking of horses that live up to 30 y/o and even older, you're thinking of animals that were well taken care of in a habitat that met their typical needs. This would not be a single horse living in an apartment in a city, taken care of by amateurs who only know the basics.
@@elainelouve It's called desensatitizing training. . . the same way you would with a dog and an understand that yes, a horse is a prey animal and sometimes they do literally spook at nothing. . .dogs do it too and we accept dogs everywhere. I would trust a well trained 'bomb proofed' (as the equestrians call it) horse over the average pug any day of my life. Part of getting a service animal is understand that they need time OFF to be themselves.
Also, horses can live perfectly happy solo, you just need to enrich their lives. Saying a horse can't live without another horse is like saying a cat HAS to be allowed outside to be happy. Both statements are in fact false.
@@hallaloth3112 English isn't my first language.
Cats can go out in a leash the same way dogs do. A responsible cat owner will do that. It isn't like cats need to either stay indoors or roam free.
There can be cases where the welfare of an animal isn't the first consideration of course, but the argument that horses could replace dogs due to having a longer lifespan is problematic.
@@elainelouve I'm quite aware cats can go out on leash. I have an orange lad that begs to outside daily. . .at very high volume. >.> The goober.
I'm also not saying Minis should replace dogs in every aspect, and their care should absolutely be considered when they are chosen as an alternative. . . just that . . .with proper care, and actual consideration for the needs of the animal they can still thrive in an environment the majority of their species would not. I would off course recommend 'off' time they could still be themselves, preferably with other horses at all possible. . .but plenty can live happily alone.
The fact that ESAs are not required to have any basic obedience training, public setting training, or literally any training at all is baffling to me. This would literally be the bare minimum. Would you bring your dog to the dog park if you knew they attacked other dogs? No. Would you bring your dog to a fireworks show if you knew the dog gets scared/aggressive if they hear loud noises? No. This is just common sense. ESAs either need to have higher standards and training so that they are equivalent to service animals or the process for acquiring one needs to be more sensible to weed out bad actors. Which is sad for people who actually need them since I'm sure the price would sky rocket if they required training. But that's what happens when selfish people try to abuse a system.
I Whis service animals could include cats. I think I would benefit from have a service cat, I have breathing issues, high blood pressure and phypoglicemia(low blood sugar). I have no since of smell from childhood abuse, I don't always know when I'm having a high blood pressure or low blood sugar event, sometimes to the point of passing out. I sometimes have mobility issues as well. I can't always get up and take a dog for a walk.....a cat would be easyer for me to care for. There mostly independent (which helps if I'm having trouble moving around). The cat can also go to the litter box, and I don't have to worry about having to walk it in the heat(I am very heat sensitive). Generally cats are quieter, and not as violent as some dogs for example. And if I need to evacuate I can walk or carry my cat, something I'd struggle with. Yes there's smaller dog breeds, toy breeds for example. Again I worry about the barking. No I don't think debarking a dog is a good option eather. I'd rather have a cat that could alert me when my sugars get too low or I'm having high blood pressure spike and have it at home or on the go. Especially since I'm very poor and live in a rule area, Wich makes access to more resources (both to help with my heath and deep property impossible to access without moving to a big city*I'd love to* but can't afford to because I'm so deep in property...)
There are indoor potty boxes for small dogs available. Can't say I'd recommend for a med-large dog, but it would relax the need for outdoors "walkies." Also, many small dogs can get their exercise indoors via indoor games. :)
And the barking issue would definitely be addressed if you got a trained service dog for all of your needs. And not all small dogs are yappy...
@@melcat5606 thanks! I'll keep it in mind. I know all dogs can be loud lol. I Whis I had the money for a service dog. Unfortunately my current cercomstans won't allow for it. I'll definitely keep all this in my back pocket!(in my consideration) thanks again for sharing!!
Miniature horses are frequently used as mobility assistance, as they're large enough for a person to lean on if needed, and can be trained to pull a manual wheelchair.
With regards to animals, and entering a unit, either for a vendor, or for myself, I refuse to let any vendors in if there’s a loose animal in the apartment, and I will not enter an apartment when there’s a loose animal. The reasons for this are obvious. Number one, if the animal were to escape, I am not prepared to guarantee that I can catch it. There’s also the issue that you brought up of an animal Injuring a person, but there’s also the possibility of myself or a vendor injuring the animal. Not to mention that if work is being done on the unit, I can’t say for sure if any of that work will be harmful to the animal, for instance, fumes, etc.
As a result, for tenants that have emotional support animals, I let them know that if any work is going to be done in their unit, either they have to be there with the animal, the animal needs to be crated, or the animal needs to not be in the unit. This does create some inconveniences, but I refuse to be responsible should someone’s animal escape, be injured, or injure someone else.
I agree with your concerns. I have one pushback: single moms raising sons. We don’t have a lot of money. What we do have pays rent, buys food, clothing, and an emotional support animal for our son. They teach him compassion, they comfort him, they require him to be respectful and responsible for another. If you don’t help us qualify for an apartment we can afford, our sons find other ways to channel their emotions. Does that mean we’re incapable parents? I once thought that. But no, as proof of our capability I kept a dog for my son. When I was forced out of the apartment I had for 12 years while he was growing up because the landlord turned it into low income housing and my low income wasn’t quite low enough, I couldn’t find an affordable alternative that allowed our dog. Would you have recommended that I take that animal away from my vulnerable teenage son?
I found a therapist who wrote a letter for ESA. We kept our dog.
Every situation is different and forcing all square pegs into round holes doesn’t work. Beware of using a few opportunists to justify tragedy for a single mom. Thank you
Off topic question: why did the owner want to change to low income housing?
I'm not an owner or experienced, but my instinct says that it is better to have higher income renters. I'm often wrong about my beliefs, though.
@@eugenetswong Thank you for your question because I wasn’t the only one impacted by their decision. Elderly residents who had been living there for 20-30 years were also forced out and at least one died. Some of the residents gathered a group of us together and we consulted with an attorney but we had no rights as tenants. My understanding was that there were Federal funds available in the form of grants for low income housing. Those who qualified for my unit and the rest were/are allowed to pay a subsidized rate while the property owner is compensated with public funds for the balance. That’s my understanding and I’m sure there are details I’m leaving out because I’m not an attorney nor expert in low income housing. I was a single mother of two trying to stay off welfare and I did. My reward was the loss of my home. My own tax dollars paid for those who moved into it after I was gone.
@@michellejansen6165That's really painful.
What you say overlaps with urbanism and strong towns and quality neighbourhoods. I don't think that people realize what they are doing, and as a result, they are destroying neighbourhoods and communities. A lot of what people are asking for are good in and of themselves, but they are misapplying the concepts
I'm so frustrated that they kicked regular people out to make room for poor people. At the end of the day, it's 1 person's head without a roof vs. another's head. It seems wrong that we have the responsibility to house people.
I'm a firm believer that the housing as to be limited to type of environment and the amount of people living there must be limited, too. It's illogical to kick out somebody for somebody else.
I'm also a firm believer that property ownership must be permanent, and not a financial investment. This means that people can move to new homes, but we must return to the property for the entire 7th year according to the Bible.
Housing should be cheap, too.
@@eugenetswong The people who moved in were largely immigrants. How do I know? Because I’m an insurance agent who writes renters insurance. I started getting requests from people who moved into low income housing from Afghanistan and they moved into my former community. I was forced out because the landlord could make more money and reduce cost by converting the property into low income housing which is often filled by people coming to the US from places like Afghanistan. I managed to keep my son out of trouble for the most part but had he lost his dog alongside his dad and his home I don’t know if I could have saved him. I’m not here to judge our government, I believe in it. But what happened to me and my neighbors was wrong. We were willing to pay more rent. We’d been there for decades and had a stable safe community with good neighbors who cared about each other and our city. We respected the property. But none of that mattered. Since then I have watched the families from Afghanistan drive without insurance. One drove without a license, too, and caused a collision. They seem to be able to live without working because I insure them and I don’t have any employment information.
I also insure people from Russia. They don’t live in low income housing. They build large expensive homes with no mortgage. They have 4 or 5 vehicles with no loans. They build 2nd and 3rd homes for their kids.
What is going on?
Am I against immigration? No! We’re all immigrants unless we are Native American and look what happened to their lands? I’m not against immigration. But I am against forcing a tax paying single mom of two trying to stand on her own two feet out of her home.
@@michellejansen6165 This is so infuriating! Insuring them when they take over your neighbourhood is being forced to help them, while you watch them take over.
You should be against immigration, though. Not all of us are immigrants. That stops after the first generations to arrive. Some of us are descendants of founding stock, and our ancestors have contributed to building our country, so that we have places to live in the first place. If we all must be immigrants, then the Indians must be considered immigrants, too.
Do you know why the Department of Transportation banned miniature service horses on planes, but kept the requirement that great Danes, mastiffs and Newfoundland dogs (all of which are bigger than mini horses) be allowed to fly? Because, by their own admission, they do not care about people who require a service animal but can't have a dog. The DOT genuinely believes that if you have a service animal but are allergic to dogs or your religion discourages dogs, you should not be allowed to fly.
On an unrelated note, do you know if those ESA scam sites sell vests that would fit a snake?
I have an ESA for my PTSD and Anxiety. I don't take her anywhere animals aren't allowed. I need her to help with my panic attacks and dissociation. I have the letter simply so I can make sure my landlord can't kick me out for her she is pretty well trained but not specifically trained which is why she shouldn't be allowed in many places. Service animals are vastly different than ESAs and should be treated as such. 😊
Thank you for doing all the footwork to the in's and out's regarding ESA's, to include the differences with service animals. My daughter and I have talked about these online sites that take advantage of people over charging people for their services, but she continues to ignore the fact she's getting scammed. I will share this video with her, hoping it will make a difference AND save her a few bucks in the long run. She does need an ESA letter for her two cats to be able to have them in her apartment, but being educated on the requirements makes all the difference of being scammed or not being scammed. Thank you for explaining all this in the video.
I intentionally moved into an apartment that didn't allow pets because of my allergies and my horrible hatred for the smell of animals in small spaces.
My roommate went behind my back and got an ESA letter and a cat.
My girlfriend and I have an emotional support animal. Well.. our dog is more for my girlfriend. She has anxiety and depression and was diagnosed with panic disorder when she was younger. Our dog Rigby, he’s a greyhound/Pitbull has helped her so much to keep her calm and collected. They say dogs can sense emotions or anxiety or panic attacks, ect. I didn’t really believe it until it happened to me… I had a random Panic Attack one day. Rigby was just so focused on me and just starting me down, like he was concerned… I don’t know how to explain it… I know he’s just a dog but I knew something was wrong.. then it hit me like a brick wall. I’m freaking out and sobbing and He immediately came to my aid. Started to lick me and rest this body over me. He’s a well trained dog but we didn’t train him too do that. I was in awe from the actions he displayed and I can’t imagine not having Rigby in my life.
I have had my cat for about 9 years and haven’t tried to unalive myself since then. Before then I had 2 attempts under my belt. The last one landing me in the hospital so I could get my stomach pumped. I’m someone that isn’t always the most mentally stable so having my cat and knowing it’s my responsibility to take care of him has kept me from trying again. Even if I’ve had my slip ups and have struggled with being suicidal through that time. I attribute my lack of recent attempts to my amazing cat
Thank you for making this. I'm disabled with many friends with service dogs. ESAs are a legit threat to the lives of my friends. They have 0 requirements for basic training that would allow them to be safe next to a service dog. Because service dogs are out and about with their handlers so frequently, they inevitably come across off leash dogs. And sadly, they get attacked a lot by off leash dogs. This oftentimes leads to PTSD in service dogs- they have to be retrained, oftentimes by professionals that work specifically with PTSD in service dogs, and that can cost thousands of dollars. All the while, the handler doesn't have access to that dog anymore. In the case of one of my friends, her mom had to come to college and follow her everywhere she went, 24/7, so if she had a black out, her mom would be there to catch her before she hit her head or injured herself some other way. So what do ESAs have to do with this? When the service dog comes back, it's not like they're good as new. They, like us, have triggers after trauma. And what has repeatedly happened to my friends with service dogs is their dog will come back, an ESA will be barking like crazy, running around them, and they get too triggered to actually queue into their handler's health queues. Once my friend's service dog came back from training and her mom left, her dog was distracted by an off leash emotional support animal, and was too stressed out to notice he had to signal to my friend that she was about to black out and fall if she didn't sit down ASAP. So, unfortunately, she fell and got hurt. And this isn't the first friend this has happened to. And it won't be the last. But I hope I never lose a friend because some unruly ESA is the reason why a service dog fails to tell my friends to sit down before they injure themselves in a way that takes their life. If you are in such emotional distress that you need a dog to keep you company, get a psychiatric support service dog, not an ESA.
also not super sure I loved the look you gave when saying you might make a video on service animals. Please don't make a video dissing them. They are vital to the lives of my friends who would otherwise not be able to hold jobs or have nearly as much independence and safety. They deserve access to public spaces. A lot of people get weirded out by the fact that there's no legal registry but the thing is, that's how it has to be for safety and access reasons. They are required to have basic training requirements and if they are visibly not obeying their handler, business owners are allowed to ask them to leave the premises. So people trying to pass off their regular animals as service animals can easily be spotted if you know what to look for and business owners need to get educated on that and stop taking their resentments out on service animal handlers just because they haven't educated themselves enough on their own legal options. The amount of times my friends have been refused service at businesses that didn't understand the law is ridiculous and discrimanatory. But yeah IDK man. I have a huge urge as a disabled woman to tell you to stay in your lane and keep it to ESAs. Because unless you have actually seen this shit up close for years, unless you've lived it, you're going to have gaps in knowledge that will inevitably add to the stigma my friends already face in just trying to survive in a system that equates ones worth with their ability to produce labor, a system that is already inherently ableist by design.
As a psychiatric service dog handler I absolutely love this video, there is way to many people who don't know the difference between service dogs and ESAs thank you for talking about this topic
My biggest issue with ESA’s is that there isn’t the same regulation that there is with service animals. Some people use it as an excuse to bring their pets everywhere with them.
ESA's can technically save lives with people who live with trauma and have a dangerous heart condition (where extreme emotions may cause death). Or people with ASD who have the inclination to self-harm (aka, hit themselves, scratch, or pull out hair), I think the fact that we (I mean landlords) are so hyper-aggressive (considering the rate so many people are signing up for ESA) against the mentally disabled to have a pet is concerning in itself.
When I was considering moving out of state, I had to think about whether or not it would be ethical for me to get a letter listing my two snakes as ESAs. They're quiet, well-behaved, and well-contained. One of them has done multiple educational programs and has probably been petted by almost 100 people in her 18 years of life. There were no affordable apartments in the area that didn't have a "no pets allowed" policy, and I've heard that many of those won't allow even small animals like guinea pigs and parakeets. Trouble is, my seasonal affective disorder isn't severe enough to warrant seeing a therapist, but the snakes are part of what keeps things under control. Plus, I have no idea where they would go if I couldn't find housing. It's not like I want to bring them into the grocery store or on a subway with me. I just needed affordable housing that wouldn't try to restrict me from bringing animals that literally carried zero risk of property damage, assuming the electrical is in good condition and won't blow up due to their little heater blankets. It ended up not working out, but this video made me revisit the thinking I had to do back then. It makes me wonder how many of the legitimate ESA owners exist in the same little gray area as me.
Yay! Thank you for this intelligent overview and your personal insights; very much appreciated.
18:26 - 18:45 Unfortunately my mother likes to get her "Free housing" and she also likes her cat. So she told me to tell my therapist to make her emotional support for me. so I called up my therapist so that I could do that (bc if I didn't I would probably lose my house as a 15 year old, we will get into this one later though lol). My mom got some sort of paper and I am hoping that there isn't a lie about my mental health on there. (When I was younger my mom convinced me that I was autistic so that she could make money off of me and idk if she still does it). My mom likes the cat more than she likes me because in her opinion the cat couldn't do anything wrong (Apparently I am mean to the cat because I tease her). My mom has trigger words that I can't say in front of her without causing an argument (Which are usually more than an hour) and in those arguments she likes to tell me that SHE IS autistic and SHE can't HELP yelling at me and laughing at me. (She laughs at me in arguments)(she most likely is not autistic). So anyway in a few of these arguments my threatened to KICK ME OUT OF THE HOUSE. (usually for getting one crumb on the counter or leaving some trash on the table for less than an hour). My mom has kicked me out of the house before (Usually for just an hour) but this time she meant send me away (Also from the cat which is apparently my "Emotional Support"). So I have been at my dads house for the ENTIRE SUMMER and my mom barely talks to me (When she does she is visibly annoyed, because to her I am just an annoying teenage pregnancy and a way to get money from the government)(I guess to also keep that cat) I only saw that cat like 2 times this summer and my mom doesn't even feed her anymore, she just uses one of those automatic ones because she is probably never at the house (She left me alone alot so I know). The cat is fat now because of it. I am finally going back to her house today for school even though I literally start tomorrow and I probably need more than 5 hours to get ready and pack my bag for school tomorrow, especially because I am an pretty (easily distracted) slow worker. (Also because I want to go on a walk around town.) ): So anyway the emotional support animal doesn't even belong to me It just belongs to my mom and she uses it as an excuse to yell at me sometimes, but forgets that the cat isn't allowed in my room and has been letting her in my room for the entire summer as well. That is why I will tell someone that it isn't my emotional support when I move out or get kicked out of the house.
Please talk to your therapist and tell them everything. You should not have to live in that type of situation. Good luck.
Just putting this out there, but if you no longer live in that house you could easily inform her landlord that the individual that the cat is the emotional support animal to no longer lives there. I know you're going back right now, but just wanted to remind you in case you end up kicked out long term again. Also, as an autistic person it bothers me that she tries to use her (probably not real) autism to bully you. Even if she was autistic, her autism wouldn't make her yell at and laugh at you. While autistic people might lash out during a meltdown, once autistic people recover, they're typically embarrassed by their behavior during the meltdown, and the solution would be to figure out what was causing the meltdowns to avoid it in the future rather than expecting you to put up with that.
Gosh. So sorry to read your post. The good news is you will be an adult in a few years and able to care for yourself. I hope you will look at trying to get into a tech school or something that will give you a good job skill so you can make a decent living when you’re out of there. You write well and seem very smart. Don’t get discouraged. You’re strong. You’re going to be fine. And your mom sounds like she has narcissistic tendencies. She’s abusive. Maybe your dad could have you with him. Even if the court ruled she had custody, once you’re 16 you may have more legal standing in your state. I left my senior year, had my own apartment. It was rough but I made it. I used to have to write my own notes if I missed a day so the school had something in their file, lol. It was all pretty bizarre. My biggest mistake was not getting a good job skill or going into the service. I’m retired now and have a good net worth and several rental properties. So I did ok for a homeless kid! 😂
Do you feel safe at your mom's house? Also, if mom is receiving a disability check for you then you have a right to know this info as you don't want mom taking those funds as your payee after 18, also if you are getting SSI you could likely emancipate yourself and get into your own housing without mom...
I’ve had an ESA letter for my dog about a year after I adopted him. I made sure to do all the research BEFORE to see what the true differences are. It comes down to the general public not really knowing these differences between ESAs and service animals. I’ve worked in both attractions and food service and have had to train my management on something that should be required knowledge. It makes me so mad when ESAs are not made to leave because people think they will get sued , even when they ask the legal questions. I don’t put up with it when I am in charge when true service animals need to be protected as they are specialized equipment. Plus, as much as I would LOVE to bring my dog to work as a “service” animal I don’t, so no one else gets to pull that crap on me.
This actually angers me. I can’t even watch to the end. People who won’t leave their pets at home, abusing laws meant to protect the blind and paralyzed with no conscience, and all of us letting it happen.
I’m a pet lover, and people who pull this kind of irresponsible crap are the same ones who dump their pets when they become an emotional burden because they broke something. Selfish jerks. Grrrr
As someone with service roosters (they used to be psychologist certified before the ADA reform), I can attest to the ridiculousness of people thinking that any animal can be a service animal allowed in any and all public locations. My birds actively alert to anxiety and panic attacks, and force me to pay attention to them until the attack has passed. I only accepted by doctor's insistence that they ARE service animals after I ended up having a panic attack on my bike, going about 40mph, and blacked out. I was very resistant to the idea of my chickens being service animals, but I have issues with dogs (not due to the fault of any dogs in my life, but rather the people who own them), and there's no way I could support a horse, even miniature.
I began rescuing and rehabilitating roosters over ten years ago, and you may be able to imagine that rehabilitation comes with training to help animals have a sense of structure to their lives as they learn to overcome their past traumas and become animals I feel comfortable adopting out to prospective new families. With that training, they learn patience, tolerance, and to rely on me as their source of safety and structure in the world. They're taught not to crow unless something is truly wrong (crowing is a sign of dominance and distress, and with their needs met and my being the dominant head of flock, they have very little reason to crow). They alert to people and animals around me, which helps me keep aware of my surroundings if I'm in a foggy head space.
However, I don't think that it's reasonable to think that an untrained animal has the same rights in public as any other animal. I don't bring my birds into stores (anymore), but I've helped many store owners and managers understand what THEIR rights are in which animals they actually need to allow inside. I've talked to managers that have felt bullied into letting puppies into their stores, and let me tell you, very little infuriates me more than someone claiming that a baby animal is a fully trained service animal. Animals that are constantly vocalising for no reason, peeing and pooping all over the store, chewing on merchandise, etc. have NO PLACE in that store, and neither does their owner with such disrespect.
In my opinion, it's these people who stripped the rights of my birds away from me. My birds provide a legitimate service to me, they're trained to be respectful of the places we go, and yet the only places we can go together anymore are public parks and a handful of establishments who have invited them in. I'm arguably more likely to have a bad panic attack that could result in my fight or flight being activated in a store than outside, and yet the very animals who keep me grounded aren't allowed because so very many people decided to abuse the rights of service animals.
I'm furious that my birds can't legally be considered service animals anymore, but I begrudgingly support the ADAs attempts to curb the abuse of the rights they grant to the animals that serve us. I hope that someday my birds can again assist me in public commercial spaces, but until then, I accept what needs to be done to stop entitled people from abusing the system.
Ironically the ad I got before the video was for ESA’s. They were selling cheap certificates for em
I would like to give my two cents as a legitimate ESA owner. I have a super sweet ESA Cat and I do in deed need her. I have only taken her into public a few times, mostly for vet visits, and I can list the other times. 1, we were coming back from the vet and needed to stop at walmart for some reason. It was too hot too wait out in the car, so I brought her inside in her kennel. The second time was also a vet visit and again, had to stop at walmart, but I waited in the front entrance and she stayed in her carrier the entire time. The third time was when we moved across the country and I brought her with me on the plane. I paid the extra pet fees, and let her out of her carrier when I could. I am hyper aware of how people abuse the system, and I am sad that these stigmas around ESAs exist. I am lucky to have my cat, shes mostly calm, very chill, and fits the profile of how one should act. I got her letter from a legitimate therapist too after lots of questions and examination. And bonus, when I’m sad, she can tell, and starts acting like a crackhead to cheer me up. I will never bring her into a place she doesn’t belong (unless its too hot outside while traveling to the vet, and even then she’d be in her carrier) and I will always check things for hers, and others safety
This drives me INSANE. I have an ESA as I have severe treatment-resistant depression. My dog has been vital in helping me get out of bed, get moving, and have a purpose, all of which help me cope with SI. I feel awkward talking to others about my ESA because all the fakes out there have given them a bad reputation. Once again, people’s selfishness damages tools needed for mental healthcare for people with actual disabilities/illnesses.
My dad's best friend owns properties that he rents. There was this lady that tried to rent (even though he said no pets), she then tried to sue him cuz he was 'discriminating' against her emotional support dog. Turned out this lady was going around and trying to rent from people with no pets allowed and then suing them. This is California so she didn't get in trouble but at least my dad's friend didn't have to go through her bogus lawsuit. I can't stand these people. If u have a no pets policy, there is a reason they don't want pets. And if ur a private land owner (not a large business or apartment complex, I'm talking about the random guy who owns an extra house/room and wants to rent it) then u should be able to discriminate all u want. It's ur property, so u should not be forced to rent to folks u don't want to.
For years now I've wanted to get my cat registered as an emotional support animal, because ever since I got her we've been a comfort for each other in the worst of times. I don't know what it is about her, she just magically knows whenever I'm upset and immediately lays on top of me, like a weight to help ground me. Even as I type this that's where she is! But I've been unable to afford a therapist to actually get that letter, and I worry that it'll only become more and more impossible as more and more people lie about their emotional attachment to their pets. It feels like these people just "can't stand" the thought of their sweet, little pookie bear being home for an hour and simply MUST bring the rat dog with them to bark up a storm in a restaurant; meanwhile I spiral into anxiety attacks whenever I walk into my empty home after a trip, since my cat was being watched by a family member while I was gone.
I had a customer walk into CVS with an ESA. I told her animals aren't permitted in the store, she said "it's an emotional support animal." I asked for proof and she said she didn't have to provide any, the law said so.
Now, I don't know every Federal and state law in the U.S., but I'm reasonably certain that proof of anything is required in order for a law to be enforced.
The only friends I have claiming ESA animals are ones that have ONE pet like a cat or dog and to avoid paying pet rent and / or be allowed an animal in their rental. If they relaxed allowing pets at rentals or just made you pay a general deposit to cover any damages up front (these animals seem well behaved and less destructive than one of my friends kids drawing with crayons on the wall) then they probably wouldn't need to register it as ESA.
Only one of my friends takes their "ESA" well trained German Shepherd that he registered to avoid paying monthly pet rent for to only pet friendly places / outside restaurants that allow pets and doesn't use it as an excuse to take it anywhere. I think people that are gonna do that are gonna do it regardless if its an ESA animal with a letter or not since a lot of public places say you're not allowed to ask for papers / proof of the animal being ESA or a service animal.
Meanwhile I have one cat I rescued from the shelter and just board it at a kitty condo for the day when the landlord announces coming over. It would be less stressful to just allow the cat to chill in the house not causing any harm. He is a well trained cat and we consistently clean and vacuum and scoop his litter box daily. I thought about registering him as ESA which is why this video caught my attention.
I have my own ESAs, though we thankfully don't live in apartments anymore so I don't even ask for the letters anymore, I don't necessarily need it because there's nobody breathing down our necks about it. My disabilities are mental health related, so it becomes a "I can't see it, so you're lying" issue, which is so annoying. I have a lot of issues relating with other people and making and keeping friends because of those mental health issues, so it's a lot better on my mental health to have my ESAs.
There's A LOT of websites that ask you to pay them ridiculous amounts of money for BS "certification" for your ESA. They're scams, they don't protect anything, don't give them money.
My mother also used to bring her cat who was an ESA onto airplanes with her, which I have always thought was cruel for the animal. Her cat was always stressed out, to the point where my mother was giving her veterinary sedatives during flights, which almost killed the poor cat multiple times. I cannot imagine putting my ESAs through that.
I got an ESA letter for my new rescue dog from my doctor last year, but I only did it because my lease doesn't allow pets. In my city, you CANNOT find an apartment anywhere that allows dogs or cats, so every single person at the dog run has an ESA letter. But 99% of us understand to stick to our lane: we don't haul our dogs around the grocery store or mall, we don't expect to have them sit on our laps on an airplane, and we don't demand our dog be allowed everywhere with us. We know this is a means to an end to have a dog in our apartments, but that's where the special treatment ends. All other accommodations should be available only for people who have real needs such as seeing-eye dogs, people with diabetes, etc. It's the 1% of narcissistic entitled dog owners with ESA letters who demand accommodations they don't even need that are the problem and ruining it for everyone.
I have a cat who is my ESA . I don't care what any one says about her,she is trained to a point, as much as she wants, but we have a wonderful bond and support each other! I have been amazed by her over our 10 year relationship!😻❤⚘🌈
I have pet guinea pigs and they serve the purpose of an emotional support animal. Are they support animals? No. They are not trained to do that and even though they serve this purpose, they are my pets. Not support animals. I think people need to recognize that a pet and an emotional support animals are NOT THE SAME THING. Yes having a cuddle from your dog (or other animal) may help with anxiety and depression but a dog from the pet store is not an emotional support animal. Part of the reason I don't call my pets 'emotional support animals' is because I consider it disrespectful to the people who genuinely do need it for whatever reason.
I work security in a casino and people intentionally abuse this system all the time. Some even learn the laws and verbage for service animals because they know we cant request paperwork and all they have to say is "seizures" and then Karen gets to keep her chihuahua with a little hat on that is lunging, barking, and biting at peoples feet. In scarier situations, people with larger dogs like pit bulls and great danes pull the same trick, and people have been bit. Emotional Support animals create a saftey issue for the public when people abuse it.
I love animals, and have had an emotional support animal myself in the past but the people that abuse this system are a menace and it needs to get cracked down on legally.
We also have a lot of instances where people leave dogs in their hotel room for hours and hours, we get noise complaints for it barking. And then the person comes back to the room and says its a service animal..... what service is your animal providing you if youve left it alone for 9 hours while you are out and about??? sometimes with no food or water.
reminds me of people who use disabled parking spots because they have a sore leg or something. it cheapens the purpose and worth of the thing they are taking advantage of, and makes it increasingly difficult for those with legitimate reasons for accessing these things.
it's easy to blame individuals cheating the system but really the problem is the system itself; as said in the video, a lot of people only register their animals as ESA's for housing reasons.
i worked at a shelter for a few years and 80% of owned surrenders were due to housing limitations, and it was always a heartbreaking scene.
Be careful about knowing why people are using handicapped spaces. If they have a badge, they need the space. Not all disabilities are visible.
I'm 100% all for using emotional support animals against landlords. My cats definitely saved my life when I was suicidal. If a landlord said I couldn't have cats I might not be here. They have too much power and I'm all for taking some of that away. We don't need people bringing random animals into places of business where people might have allergies because they are sad without the animal. you can leave it at home for an hou rwhile you shop.
There are some people in my area with ESAs that are not trained. Dogs licking things in the grocery store, pissing in the pharmacy, trying to jump on tables in restuarants, etc. I thought ESAs didn't count as service animals and am constantly annoyed places don't just kick out the misbehaving animals. I'm thrilled to learn I'm in the ONE state that it's actually protected :(
Like I'm not against ESAs overall! I know people with ESAs where the animals are genuinely helpful and well behaved. Someone I know trains therapy dogs and that's super cool.
There's this one dog in my neighborhood named Biscuit who is lovely. She's often at Starbucks when I go and she's an ESA. But she just follows her owner, then sits politely by her the whole time and a lot of the regulars will go greet her and she wiggles a bit (she's missing her tail so nothing to wag) then goes back to laying down. Only ever heard her bark once -- when someone brought their little rat of a dog in who immediately tried to run at her and then barked for 10 minutes nonstop before Biscuit's owner had to LEAVE BECAUSE IT WAS TOO NOISY AND STRESSING HER OUT. I almost left too because I have sensory issues so I'm sensitive to noise but I go to Starbucks specifically because I've only recently overcome agoraphobia and it's part of my treatment plan to get out in public spaces, wherein Starbucks is one of the few spaces that feel "safe" and I can get work done while I'm there. But like if I leave, I'm ending up back at home and that's... you know :/ But thank god you got to bring your little terror in with you for your latte run while bothering the people who ESAs were made for babe!!!!
It's just INSANE that people think it's OK to take advantage of ESA rules like this.
Miniature horses are a huge benefit to programs trying to provide service animals to those who need them. If you think about it, it can take up to 3 years to train a service dog, and a lot of breeders are highly selective about the animals they produce for this purpose, which can add up to thousands of dollars for a single dog to get to a single person living with a disability. Most service dogs are large breeds, meaning they only live to around 15 years at the maximum, and that's a lot of time and resources invested in an animal that, on average, retires after 8 years due to seniority. Horses, on the other hand, are just as smart, loyal, and engaged as their canine counterparts, but they can live to be around 40 years old. That's why mini horses are a great choice for service animals and are included in legal frameworks. You get more bang for your "buck"!
All pets are technically emotional support animals.
I think the bigger issue isn't the prevalence of animals, but humans trying to seperate ourselves from animals.
I recently had an "ESA" attack my epileisy alert and responce dog because the owner lied to get it in to a venue. It was INCREDIBLY aggressive towards any other dog (even the one pet who was let in but was well behaved). They're now being charged with impersonating a service team and damages to me and my dog.
It's a realy fun game to play, until it costs you $60,000 in court fees, vet bills, and charges. Don't play these games. I've grown quite fond of calling the police on fakers, because it's easy to tell. Here in Canada a service dog requires specific behavioural control or, even if it is somehow registered as a SD, you can still be forced to leave. Intrestingly enough, as soon as I started this campaigne word seemed to have gotten out, because I do not see many "EAS's" out pretending to be srvice dogs in my area anymore. If we want them to stop, we need to make them pay for it. They're usually nascissist who only value themselves, so hitting their wallet is a great place to start.
I got an ad for one of those bogus “register your ESA” websites while watching this video 🤦♀️
This was very fascinating. I work at a beach where animals aren’t allowed (unless they’re working ofc) and people always love to claim ESA status. I’m just beach patrol and it’s not worth splitting hairs over. Still, I’ve always wondered if owners who have legitimate, trained ESAs feel that this practice of carelessly designating ESAs delegitimizes their struggles. Thanks for this video!
Many moons ago, I was training to be a therapist with a specialty on Animal Assisted Play Therapy, right before the absolute explosion of "Emotional Support Animals". It made me mad to see the classification and how... easy... it was to get, especially since it took down the credibility of organizations like Delta Society/Pet Partners, which has very strict standards that both handler and animal have to meet in order to be classified as a therapy animal, especially when they began offering these official looking vests. Again, that causes confusion and removes a delineation between therapy animals, service animals and these emotional support animals. By Pet Partners standards, an animal loses ability to get on a plane if it so much as has a single infraction during the entire hour plus of the training test, which covers everything from being able to be over 30 feet from its handler, surrounded by new people, and coming just at its voice alone. I won't deny that some people have need of emotional support animals and in fact support that they are getting them, but the standards-free world they are in not only risks the entire use of animals as a therapeutic medium in mental health, but also causes unnecessary confusion.
I have an ESA and a service dog. My cat stays home, hangs out and helps me with night terrors and genuine love. My service dog takes care of my actual medical needs, with my heart condition and my potential seizures and my other disabilities. Any ESA in public that isnt meeting the standards my service dog does can hurt or kill her, and or hurt or hospitalize me.
Love this video, thanks for the transmission!!!
30:42 I really dislike people who put vests on their emotional support animals like this cause it really feels like they’re trying to obfuscate the fact that their animal isn’t a service animal and make you think they’ve met the same legal standards as service animals and are as important to normal function as service animals. When they could be, maybe, in a few outlier cases. But almost every time they’re not. And it’s really disingenuous to people with actual service animals who also have an actual reason for having that vest.
Are there studies that show beneficial health outcomes for ESAs specifically? The ones you talked about seemed to refer to pet ownership in general.
Due to TBI and high cortisol for over a year was stuck in fight or flight 24/7. I'm usually 170lbs with muscle and went to 125 without any, pacing any moment I was awake, couldn't eat, sleep or feel safe enough to leave my home. Finally was admitted and was told a kitten or cat that just loves to sleep on you and flood you with oxytocin and take your 100mg zoloft, heart medication, BP meds, and hydroxyzine. Stay home and sleep. Let your body rest. Kirby was the missing piece I think. She kept me still because cat nap paralysis. I was more concerned with not disturbing her than myself. She's amazing. I'm blessed my psychiatric nurse recommended her.
BUT I understand her limits. She goes to pet friendly hotels, stores and pet stores. She's an Esa. She's not trained for anything but sticking by my side and being used to car rides.
Thank you so much for making this video. I'm a dog trainer and my fiance has a service dog, so this issue is really important to me. So many people are misinformed about this. It's so important that we educate people more about the differences between ESA's and service dogs!
If a therapist hasn't been trained in the use of emotional support animals, isn't it unethical for them to complete the paperwork? Are they recommending a treatment with no evidence of effectiveness or how to determine/assess if the treatment is appropriate for the person. I think there are often other forms of treatment for trauma, anxiety, depression... that have been proven effective and much less intrusive and problematic for the person than an animal. Positive relationships typically provide emotional support, so don't most pets provide emotional support to people? If you have 8 kids and the home only allows 4 people, you have to find another place. The landlord is not discriminating, it's an owner policy. I'm glad this is being discussed. I think it's great that people are comforted by their pets, but how do we respect the emotional support needs of those not comfortable or healthy with pets in confined spaces. What if the therapy protocol for ESA was to view the ESA as a home-based support rather than a 24/7 support.
people not knowing the difference between service dogs and ESAs is the worst. you get karens thinking they can bring their misbehaving animals anywhere and nobody can do anything about it 😤
Omg, agree. I had a guide dog as a young adult. Went into a shop and this lady’s “service dog “ got real aggressive with my dog. Currently, I’m training a mini schnauzer as a seizure response dog. I use crutches after having a lot of concussions which effects my balance. People who claim emotional support animals are really making it difficult on those of us with genuine service dogs . I have a mini schnauzer who I’m home training for seizure response. When I am working with him I legit have had people tell me that he couldn’t be for that purpose because Scooby isn’t a lab. I understand when the person has a genuine need for the dog, but there are those who legit just want to keep their animals with them.
It was suggested I get an ESA when I lived in Alabama and had I done so I would have been forced out of my apartment by being forced to pay a $600 monthly fee for having them regardless of paperwork. Between that fee and my rent I wouldn't have been able to afford to eat or pay utilities. I earned an average of $800-$1,000 per month. My rent was between $368-$425 monthly.
Unfortunately, as long as all of the apartments within my cost range don't allow dogs, I'll have to keep faking an ESA. I can't give up a family member.
Good on you as long as your dog is well trained.
I never refer to them as such because the law in my state also only allows dogs and horses to be recognized as service animals, but my two cats are in a way service animals (one senior, nearing retirement). They are ESAs, but in addition, are clicker trained to perform specific tasks. I don't want to get into it, but I have chronic illnesses and mental disorders that inhibit my day to day life and tasks and they help me out a lot both physically and emotionally.
They're very good at their jobs and I do take them out in public outdoor spaces only, but I would never take them into an establishment even if I know they wouldn't cause trouble. Because I respect the law, and I don't want to contribute to the problems you went over in this video. A lot of the people that see my cats wonder how it even works, and even after I show them the tasks they're able to perform and how well trained they are, they still feel like, why not a dog? The simple reason is I'm quite afraid of them, and I personally didn't have a hard time clicker training them. Cats are wicked smart and hence can be really difficult to train, but my kitties took to it really well and my younger cat took to his duties even faster by watching my soon-to-retire senior cat and learning from her. I had to show that my cats were trained and trained well to the landlord to be allowed to keep them because he's had problems in the past with people and their "ESAs". I think the people that exploit these systems are so selfish and are contributing to worsening so many of the problems those of us that are disabled in some way already face on a day to day basis.
An abusive system leads to a system of abuse
I'm a little disappointed you didn't draw attention to the fact that these untrained ESAs are causing discrimination for those with service dogs. And sadly even the police don't often understand the ada and what the requirements actually are so demand certifications that just don't exist. There's good reason for the lack of such as well, massive discrimination by the associated agencies. The saddest part is that if people actually understood the law and the requirements to be considered a service dog there'd be no issues. And it's not even complicated! They have to do a task or job related to a disability and be trained to behave in public. The end. And you can ask what the disability and job are. If a dog misbehaves you report it to police and the owner has to show they've completed public access behavior training before taking the dog in public again. It's not that hard!
I have been using my English cocker spaniel as my assistance dog for a few months now but due to her having a slight click to her knees I do not feel comfortable using her as a permanent/ regular is assistance dog even though she is so great at it and helps me much. Also due to her small size she cannot do as many of the tasks i fell i require out of an assistance dog unfortunately. Therefore I'm getting a labrador puppy next week and will be training her up to replace her. I'll still use my cocker for less demanding outings because short calm activities don't bother her at all and like I said she loves the work, she really is an amazing dog.
But anyway back to the topic at hand, luckily here in the UK ESAs really aren't that common or atleast their owners do not claim any public access right very often from what I've seen. Also few people use assistance dogs that are not for the blind or deaf. So luckily for me I don't have to deal with the horrors that American service dog handles have to go through every day with fake service dogs or ESAs in places they shouldn't and acting up. Handlers have had to have their dogs "washed", which means that they are essentially de-trained to be normal dogs, because they have been permanently affected by attacks, some even get killed. All because some karen can't leave her agressive dog at home for some reason. This terrifies me. Even if it never happens here, it is still terrifying that my dog that is there to keep me safe is in danger.
Like you said at the end of the video, the solution is tighter restrictions and proper punishments. ESAs should not be agressive in any way and under complete control of their owners which does not mean simply being leashed. Also, I think they should only permit certain animals (liek dogs and cats or other animals thay actually crave put attention) to be allowed any sort of special treatment outside of housing. There is not way a capybara is providing anything other than public attention outside the house. At home sure, they provide companionship, but I feel like 99.9% of people claiming their exotics as ESAs are doing it for attention.
Governments seriously need to get their heads out of their backsides and sort out the real problems in their countries and stop focusing on "protecting" children from trans people or gay topic in schools or other stupid bigoted things like that. Focus on the real problems. Pur planet is dying and children are depressed. People are dying every day from dirty water in 2023. Sorry to get Political here but the legal parts of this video show that the government's clearly don't care for issues like this and it sickens me.
I'm on disability for mental illness and need to find a place to live. And it is exhausting to face housing discrimination based on the cats that I own. I finally found a place I thought I could afford that would work for me but I have 3 cats one of my own and 2 of my recently passed mother, and I was rejected for exceeding their unstated limit of 2 cats. Basically every place I look has states no pets are has something like 25 or 50 dollar per pet 'pet rent'. Its demoralizing. I don't think the ESA would help because they'd still just reject me they'd just have some other excuse, not that they'd need one. I can only dream of a time when we would have Vienna style public housing.
Imagine signing off on an emotional support dog for someone and then a small child is bitten and maimed or worse by this untrained emotional support dog. I can see why you would have concerns about signing off on an emotional support animal vs a trained service animal. Does it make you liable?
My Uncle has a “service dog” that actually makes me laugh at exactly how unhelpful this dog actually is, I think she will kill him oneday. The dog pulls him down the street, barks at people menacingly, jumps up on people to be intimidating, is mean to children especially and is an actual scary looking pit bull. She is the worst service dog ever! It’s actually laughable. I have no idea how she was certified and it scares me to think there are other dogs out there like her. I’m not afraid of dogs probably to a fault, I would beat the hell
out of her and not even mean to if she bit me, so I don’t mind having her around but I feel scared for other people he brings her around, she likes to intimidate people who are afraid of her. She is also food aggressive to other dogs, like I tried to give my dog and her a treat and she grabbed my dog by the neck and I had to grab her by the neck and flip her around like a rag doll it was awful and my dog is a little guy, a Yorki he was actually hurt after and I was pissed, I still am and I won’t allow her in my house but that actually caused another problem later. I tied her in my yard and she was trying to intimidate every person who passed, especially dogs it was actually insane. She was definitely trained as a service dog and she is definitely certified I just have no idea how or why?
service animals are also legally considered medical equipment (generally with insurance reasons in mind because unless youre training your own, which you can do, they are very expensive to obtain and if something happens that's devastating to somebody who relies on their service animal for vital accessibility) where emotional support animals very much are not.
service dogs also dont legally HAVE to wear vests. so putting an emotional support animal in a vest is double useless. it does nothing.
Where can we get emotional support people?
I know a few ladies that have been through a lot of physical and emotional trauma, and they have dogs for support animals. It helps them feel safer sleeping at night. I don’t judge them. It really doesn’t seem like it’s anyone’s right to judge someone for what they need if it helps them. It helps them in the story if you and I have not been through the physical trauma, they have gone through. We don’t have a right to judge them, but if you’re cringing every time you have to, sign your name you are judging my friend
I am a recently retired therapist (social worker). I share your uneasiness on this topic. We've probably all seen animals in restaurants and stores who are a nuisance to the other customers. There are some people who are taking unreasonable advantage of this allowance which, of course, tends to dampen the enthusiastic support that might otherwise exist for this. I like the standards you've set up for writing requested letters for emotional support animals. I wonder whether any of the professional organizations have set standards for this among licensed therapists. This is a nicely done, thorough video on a topic of widespread interest. Thank you for taking the time to make this.
As much as I loved my cat and she helped me through some tough stuff, I would never have DREAMED of taking her outside my house unless she was going to the vet. Because it would have distressed HER, not me.
I retired my gal (who actually liked going outside) for this very reason. She got more anxious leaving the house as she got older and I realized she was going deaf. She now only leaves for the vet or emergencies (like when we were evacuated for a tornado.)
Definitely!
As someone who has had their service dog attacked by un-trained ESA's.... thank you so much for this thoughtful video. If nothing else, you've raised awareness of the issue, and that is HUGE.
It's really wrong for people to bring unruly animals anywhere. I hope your dog is all right.
All is well with her. She's actually retired now as the incident was years ago. She's currently snoozing away happily at the moment.
I actually stopped using a service dog as much when I started seeing more and more untrained dogs in public... Not out of fear for my dogs safety, but because I got tired of the untrained dogs loudly barking at my silent service dog in the middle of the store. I know I wasn't in the wrong, but it made me feel so singled out and like I was somehow in the wrong when I would cause someone else's dog to bark. It ended up causing a few panic attacks cuz I thought store management would be mad at me for it. It felt like being sent to the principal's office back in grade school (silly, I know... But anxiety is really good at making you think your in the wrong when your not).
untrained? i don't think you can train a peacock or crocodile or even a duck
@@petertorvik8413At least crocodiles don't bark 😊
@@CyrynDragoon Emotional support dog should be service pet?
Pretty sure they need as much training as another service pets where I live (not in the US) because... They're working animals as much as a guide dog???
This is a much needed discussion. Unfortunately people taking untrained animals into public spaces is not just a problem for the people. It's extreme stress on many animals. The bad behaviors are a sign of the distress and fear the animal is experiencing. That's abuse. Like it or not the human is not the only living being in this equation. Service animals are tested, trained and tested more. Vast majority of them don't make it through till the end. Dogs are specially bred to be of calmer temperament to qualify and even then most are turned down. Requiring proper training and demonstrating the animal is suitably comfortable with public spaces and situations is as important for the well being of that animal as it is for the safety of people in the environment. Somehow no one ever speaks of the well being of the animals in all of this!
The wellbeing of animals is rarely ever part of the conversation because most of these people don’t act care about the pet, only what it can do for them.
Kind of like how during the pandemic in the USA, people adopted animals to keep them company during the lonely moments that came with sheltering in place (if they actually did that), but as soon as the country officially opened “back” up, all these same animals ended up in shelters (or were taken back), abandoned, etc. There are articles about how Americans were dumping these animals they used as emotional support smh. I’d wager most of these people never actually cared about the animal, just the comfort and support they could take from them smh. I think that’s the case with most people, as they act the same way with human children. When the cuteness wears off, folks are ready to return to sender and don’t (completely) consider the soul they’ve been tasked with caring for or that the “emotional support” thing is a two-way street.
I agree!
My son (Huntington's Disease/depression/severe ADHD) is getting a letter from his mental health support care for his little dog to be considered emotional support. We do not take this dog into businesses, though we do take him to outdoor events where dogs are welcome (on a leash) and he gets to ride in the car with us when we run errands. My sister trains actual service dogs, but also emotional support dogs who alert their owners that their mood is getting too high or low. My son's little dog will warn us when the emotional state is rising and will cuddle when my son is depressed. Most importantly, the landlord understands the dog (house broken and well maintained) is necessary. We are not abusing the system by taking a huge untrained dog or small horse into a grocery store or on a plane.
It really, really sucks that there are always ppl who are taking advantage. I have several medical conditions that aren't obvious or visible and struggle with feeling like my disability is "legitimate". It's upsetting and insulting when able bodied ppl co-opt things.
It’s awful that those of us who actually need our animals are affected by lax regulations that let people game the system I have ptsd and anxiety and having a pet helps me greatly but yah they have to be well behaved
My Gus was a Therapy Dog and did wonders, but I never took him where he wasn’t allowed …and he had to pass a pretty rigorous test to be certified …way more rigorous than what I see in the dogs in grocery stores today.
To me a dog can recognize a mood getting too high or low and knowing what to do is crazy, but I totally get how they can notice that stuff better than a person can. If you have an ESA and are taking car of them properly you're good. I think ESA's should have normal training (like how you'd normally train whatever animal you have) and be able to leash them when needed.
We had an ESA dog staying in the hotel I work at and was generally pretty chill.
I have a Task Trained Service Dog. I think Most people are confusing ESA's with Psychiatric Service Dogs. It IS getting ridiculous though. My Legit Service Dog and I have Been Attacked on average 3-4 times a month, by Pet Dogs who are Untrained EAS's.
Service Animals have to be Impeccably Well Behaved. Training is ongoing... 24/7/365. You're either teaching/training New skills/Tasks OR polishing the skills already known to stay sharp.
I'm not the only Service Dog Handler who now calls Walmart, Hellmart or Satan's Anus.
Just getting bread and milk can be a Nightmare. It's Very Frustrating.
The ADA needs Drastic Revision. It's Archaic.
Oh, and "The Seeing Eye" is an Organization/Company. Guide Dogs are just that... Guide Dogs. I know... semantics.
As someone who would have neverr finished college without the help of my service dog, thank you. My service dogs has been attacked by "emotional support animals" in the past and it is very difficult.
there needs to be much more definition between what you have and some crazy with a duck.
We need to write legislation and hand it to our representatives. If your ESA attacks a real service animal, it gets taken away from you.
A lady in front of us at Walmart took her dog out of the stroller and told my daughter “you can pet him, he’s a service dog” and shortly after the dog started barking at people and she said “oh, gotta put him away… he has to be covered to not bother people” and if it wasn’t for my special needs son needing my attention, I was about to school her because she couldn’t answer any of the usual questions and then just before I had to go the other direction she said “He’s a service dog qualified as an ESA and if you need to, you can go online and make any dog a service dog for your son.” I know better though, I have been doing research to get my son a service dog and decided I would after we move out of this apartment. He would need a bigger dog and this place is too small. Through my research I know that a service dog wouldn’t be covered like that because then the dog isn’t doing any service. I have taught my children that dogs in stores are working, they’re not for play.
To expand on the miniature horse (from what I haven't seen addressed), horses are one of the most sensitive animals to human emotions. They have found that horses can service emotional connections harder to replicate in dogs. This emotional connection makes them great for those with PTSD, autism, and others. However, more studies are being done on it. Of course, there's support for animal-assisted therapy in both miniatures and larger ones.
They're also just as intelligent and trainable as dogs, with an even better memory and sense of direction.
I always thought emotional support animals are meant to be within your own private environment, and aid in management of your emotional and mental health. They are not the same as service animals.
Yes exactly. The legal distinction is mostly to help make pets accessible in apartments that otherwise ban pets. Not service dogs at all. There are such a thing as psychiatric service dogs and I think a lot of people don't understand the difference. Completely different things in a legal sense.
correct BUt entitled arsholes do not understand that and because of a SCAM online they THINK they can get an ID for 100s of $$s that will allow them to take their"ESA" everywhere LIKE a SD, Sighs which in turn confuses store owners and makes if dangerous for SD teams
That’s how my esa is. Sounds weird but I have an emotional support mouse because I got him for college and didn’t want to subject a cat or dog or rabbit to being in a pen/kennel all day like the rules regulated. I’m not good with social stuff so he kept me company and gave me a reason to take care of both myself and him, because nobody else was gonna look after him. Now I’m done w college after my certification & he is living a very spoiled life in my room in my family house. My mom always talks about making my dog an esa, but she has put no work into training her to be a well behaved normal dog, let alone an esa . There was an esa at a ren faire I went to the other day yipping and trying to get to other dogs & I just had to wonder if it had any training at all lol.
@@kailyncorey8267 adorable! I know that’s not exactly the point you were making, but… still adorable nonetheless:)
@@kailyncorey8267hey whould you mind if i ask your mouse's name? 👉👈
As someone suffering with PSTD who has an Emotional Support Dog, without whom I would have no companionship or, honestly, no reason to go on or try to get “better”, I know the importance of ESAs. Then again… there’s that Bushwick, hipster “artist“ who made headlines with her emotional support peacock. She, actually, lived down the street from me, and I can assure you, that poor bird was being abused. I have an ornithology degree and years of animal care experience, and can guarantee you that this is the truth. People like her have ruined everything for those of who lack a human support network and are struggling with mental and/or emotional challenges. Maybe more respect, and less exploitation, of animals is the answer here.
Personally I think emotional support animals should be treated just like pets. As far as the law is concerned. Not sorry.
I agree with you. Exotic animals shouldn't be ESAs or even pets for that matter imo. I believe it's okay if it's a dog who's properly trained or in a carrying case where it's safe.
You can have a service dog for ptsd, just needs to be well trained, able to focus in public spaces, and trained in a task that helps the PTSD. At least in the USA
It's obvious she had the peacock for attention. Which I guess made her feel better emotionally
@@petelee2477I don't think they should be treated like pets, but I think they should be trained before becoming ESAs
This reminds me a lot of the situation surrounding ADHD medication. Because so many people take it recreationally, I end up being treated like a criminal by my doctor to get the medication I need to function in my day to day life. It sucks that people have to ruin things like this for those with genuine struggles.
To the point where my Dr literally just said today "clearly you need this let's look into it" and I'm still not 100% sure I'm not faking it
Other people didn't ruin it for you, the war on drugs did
@@tankiegirlPrecisely. Other struggling people are not the enemy.
@@PrincessNinja007you could totally be faking it without knowing
@@RockPile_but if their doctor told them to get it?
Better safe than sorry you know? No reason to make people develop imposter syndrome
I was bitten by an ESA in a store. When I spoke up and ask the animal be removed from the area I was in, I was told that I upset the dog. I hope laws are changed soon. I can't go into a store anymore without fear of getting bitten again.
Can I ask what type? A pit bull nearly got my carotid. 100% would have killed me and no one will help about it either because the owner says it’s an ESA. Owner is my next door neighbour which makes it even worse. Also claimed the dog was “just playing.”
@@meriadocbrandybuck9833 Check with a lawyer. An out of control dog, that bites, hard enough to draw blood, in most areas warrants investigation by the local animal control, and could lead to being declared dangerous. Out side of it's home a dog, in most jurisdictions, must be kept on leash and under control. Even in "off leash" approved areas the dog must be under control at all times.
ESA or not a dangerous dog usually is required to be muzzled, or destroyed if it attacks a person drawing blood off it's home property.
Sounds like you were in the pacific northwest. If I were attacked by any animal, period, they'd be screaming because I'd be actively neutralizing their animal in a permanent fashion.
@@meriadocbrandybuck9833 Not the person that commented, but a pug growled and tried to bite me when I was working retail. Maybe people wouldn't take it seriously due to the size of the animal, but it really pissed me off that someone would bring an aggressive dog like that out in public. A pitbull would be a thousand times more traumatic
I'm pretty sure if a dog bite you. You report it and the humane society will go and get the dog
Thanks for this. You mentioned someone allergic to another's animal. Not all people are comfortable with animals and increasing numbers of support animals can be scary for them, especially if they are elderly or infirm. This is worse of course with poorly trained animals. I spent a lot of years in Boston. The Franklin Institute for the Blind trains both the people, the dogs, and the blind with their dogs. There is a huge difference between well trained service animal and most pets. The public also gets trained. Leave the service dog alone.
Even in my city in Poland we get PSAs in trams and buses about service dogs and how to act around them (let them work in peace, essentially)
Before receiving an ESA letter, I swear people should have to answer a short series of questions about ESAs in their provider's office and sign a statement that they understand what an ESA is and more importantly is NOT. As someone with a guide dog, the rise of ESAs is making my life a lot harder and more dangerous.
Miniature horses can be used for service work in situations where a dog might not be big or sturdy enough!
This is a good idea and I’m going to do this lol
It seems like it wouldn't create accessibility barriers or place undue burden on anyone getting an ESA, since they're already having to talk to a provider and are very likely there in person at some point. I hope it works out for you!!
What happens if the person is not smart enough to pass a test, but is still capable of telling a sob story?
The reason that we are talking about this is that we are creating a society that favours victim rights, as opposed to favouring healthy people, who want no part of this.
@@eugenetswong can you explain your second statement a little more?
@@its_jess4321I am saying that the main topic of ESAs is being discussed in the video and the comment section, because victims [both legit and fake] can make a claim and have the full force of the law behind them.
As people continue to discover and invent new ways to be victims, then they can also take advantage of the law.
If vitimhood were frowned upon, then normal people would have more rights. Society would be geared for them, and the law would favour them.
I had an esa who was a tabby cat named Julius. He passed away in June of this year. He specifically was prescribed by a therapist of mine who met him while she was volunteering at our local animal shelter. I have severe depression and he was the only thing that prevented me from killing myself several times in the 2010's. It specifically stated in his letter that he was not granted protected status anywhere outside of my apartment. It also stated that well my pet deposit was to be waived that if I refused to pay for any damages he caused anywhere in the building I could be evicted for destruction of my rental property
💝🕊💝
I hope you are managing ok and that you have enough support. I absolutely understand the importance of your cat. My son was saved from suic!de for years by his lovely cat, also a rescue, a former stray. When the cat disappeared my son went into crisis. He is finally stable now (we have three young cats and a service dog) ...and I hope you are too.
I'm sorry your Julius passed. My sister put it best "the most horrible thing about our animals is they don't live a whole human life span"
I am still missing my big tabby boy asbo who passed Dec 2019. Current feline companion is short some brain cells. He's not very attuned to mental health state.
As a landlord the first time someone moves in and doesn’t inform me of their support animal before they sign the lease, I instantly will #1 never renew the lease and #2 I’ll look for any and every legal reason to terminate the lease . People who game the system to basically save money on pet rent and deposits make my blood boil. All these people saying well if the pet destroys something then evict the person doesn’t understand how costly it is to evict and the biggest problem the damage has already happened and now must be repaired. Carpet costs $2500 alone for a modest 1000 square foot house that’s more than most deposits even cover
@@dirkdiggler9379 oh absolutely I told my current apartment about Julius when I got the application. People who aren't responsible with esa's make it hard for people like me.
Yesterday witnessed someone and their EmotionalSA on a table top at an outdoor eatery. I was disgusted at the entitlement and lack of manners. Have never seen a SERVICE animal on a table top. This seems to be the standard of ESA pet owners. No training, no manners, no consideration for others, only self. Another time was at Target when a stinky dog was on a 20 foot lead, soiled my fress pant leg with it's facial fluids.
What about my 5 year old's rights? She was bitten in the face by an untrained dog. Suffered permanent emotional and physical damage, and is terrified everytime she encounters one of these dogs meandering unsupervised.
Your five year old has the same rights as an ESA- i.e. landlords aren't allowed to say "you gotta give your kid to the shelter or I'll put you both on the street"
@@PrincessNinja007😳
I keep seeing companies offering "Esa certificates" for money. It aggravates me so much. I'm disabled and do have an ESA (cat) and trying to get a service dog. It's annoying that people are doing this simply to be able to confront and cause arguments!
If you see an ad report it.
I’m in the process of getting a prospect for my next service dog.
thanks for the dive into such interesting topic.
Regarding miniature horses , they have 3 main advantages over service dogs:
1) they can guide blind people with the same efficiency as guide dogs, plus they can be more stable and strong for assisting people with balance or mobility disparities, 2) they can also learn potty training very well (thus they can also live in apartments and use public transportation)
and 3) and most importantly, while the service span of a guide dog is only about 7 years (dogs' life expectancy is about 14 years), miniature horses have a service span of 20 years (and their life expectancy is between 25 to 35). During the service working life span of a miniature horse, 3 service dogs would be needed.... The retirement of a service dog and the acquirement of a new one, it's a process of high emotional burden for the disable people. So just that would also compensate psychologically. The expenses of the training of a dog and a miniature horse are similar (very high), thus in dogs one would spend 3 times as much money in training than in a miniature horses. It will be interesting to compare, though, for the long run the overall expenses (taking into consideration also veterinarian check ups, food/ supplements and treats, accessories ) of one service Miniature horse versus 3 service dogs.
Not to mention some people are allergic to dogs!
That is an interesting idea. I thought of getting a minni horse as a guide, but then i go how would my landlord like this? also the food and such. I am all ready broke and broken, so yeah. its easy for me to take care of alley aka alucard the kitty and let my bf work with the dog as far as walking her, but yeah. i love animals, and love to snuggle up with them and watch tv and the like and I just don't get out enough for a guide. i am trying to think of what else i can contribute here. Oh someone once had a guide donkey or something maybe some sort of goat. well they wanted to bring it to the college i was at I heard this story second hand. I quipped um lawn care, cause keeping all that hay and whatnot well that would shrink your dorm room down.
People can be allergic to horses as well. But the problem I have with this is horses are very different kind of animals than dogs. Dogs will easily accept humans as similar to them, and thrive in their pack of humans. Horses are herbivores and thus prey animals. They love the company of their own kind, and don't connect with humans the way dogs do. Both humans and dogs are hunters and have hunter body language, which can make horses very nervous.
Of course horses can be taught a lot, but it doesn't make them any less a horse. And having one live only with humans, in human environments seems abusive to me. I don't like the idea that we should just take whatever we feel like without considering the other side. Horses love to live in a herd with other horses. They get stressed up quite easily and can develop ulcers, behavioral issues and various health issues if their needs aren't met properly.