Emotional Support Animals or ESA's are a great resource for people that need them for various reasons. One could argue, that we would all benefit from having an Emotional Support Animal and that many of our pets already are providing that emotional support, regardless of the specific designation. It's also key to remember that ESA's are not Service Animals and do not have the same protections or public access as a Service Animal. And just because an animal is an ESA does not eliminate the responsibility of owning a pet, either.
However, when it comes to rental pet policies and ESA's things can get a little more tricky dependent on the landlord. Landlords are seeing an increase for reasonable accommodation requests for potential tenants that have an ESA. Locally, they have told us that these requests are costing them extra time and therefor money, which is stressful.
One could also argue, that if breed and size restrictions were removed, they would see less requests for reasonable accommodations.
If the question is - are folks faking needing an ESA to get around pet policies? I would argue again, the answer is no because pets in general are providing a support regardless and getting an ESA letter & is a benefit to my well-being and is going to assist me in keeping my pet and keeping it out of your shelter or rescue, why not?
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Shannon Glenn
Executive Director
My Pit Bull is Family
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-13-2024 01:14 PM
From: Maddie's University
Subject: Dog-Inclusive Housing: Why It Matters and How It Impacts Families Nationwide (Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing)
Unanswered question from the chat:
"Thoughts on ESA letters?" - Anonymous
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Maddie's University
Maddie's Fund
Original Message:
Sent: 11-08-2024 03:53 PM
From: Shannon Glenn (She/Her)
Subject: Dog-Inclusive Housing: Why It Matters and How It Impacts Families Nationwide (Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing)
Dog inclusive housing has become quite the hot topic and we're so excited to spend half a day chatting about it next Wednesday at Camp Maddie: Pet-Inclusive Housing! I'll be giving a presentation on, Dog-Inclusive Housing: Why It Matters and How It Impacts Families Nationwide at 10am PT.
Dog-inclusive housing isn't just about allowing pets-it's about keeping families together and creating healthier, more compassionate communities. Across the country, many pet owners face tough choices due to housing restrictions, often having to give up their dogs. By embracing dog-inclusive policies, we can help families stay together and create neighborhoods where pets are valued as part of the family.
In this presentation I'll share insights from over 13 years of advocating for dog inclusive rentals, showing how dog-inclusive housing improves both mental and physical health, lowers stress, and keeps pets out of shelters. We'll break down the real impact this has on families and communities nationwide, and discuss how everyone benefits when housing is accessible to all-pets included.
Register for the event here: https://maddies.fund/CampMaddieHousing
In the meantime -
What are you seeing locally?
Has your organization decided to make advocating for dog inclusive housing a priority?
Are there specific tools or resource that would be helpful in talking to policy makers that you haven't seen yet?
Do you know how the most recent election results might impact housing legislation locally?
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Shannon Glenn
Executive Director
My Pit Bull is Family
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