Exploring the controversy around easy online access to emotional support animal certifications without legitimate medical consultation and the potential for abuse in the system.
Are too many people abusing laws that allow service animals to accompany the legitimately disabled? Michael Regilio walks us through this Skeptical Sunday!
On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss:
If you've noticed a proliferation of people threatening legal repurcussions if they aren't allowed to go absolutely everywhere with their emotional support animals, you're not alone. They're just hoping you don't know the difference between emotional support animals and service animals.
Service animals are trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities and are legally protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while emotional support animals provide comfort to their owners but do not have the same level of training — and are not covered by the ADA.
There are some legal allowances for emotional support animals, but they vary depending on the state.
Those who abuse the system by insisting their emotional support animals be allowed to accompany them everywhere undermine people who legitimately rely on their service animals to get around.
It's important to understand the difference between these two types of animals so we can provide appropriate care and support to both animals and their handlers (and call out the fakers who ruin it for everyone).