ByWhat You Need to Know About Your Emotional Support Animal in Oregon
When you have an emotional support animal (ESA), you know how they provide much-needed support, love, and comfort in much-needed time. What rights do you and your emotional support have when traveling, in public spaces, or when moving into a new apartment or condo? If you have questions about your , DoNotPay can help you understand how to protect your rights.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is an animal that provides support and comfort to an individual who may suffer from mental or psychological issues or episodes related to depression, anxiety, PTSD, and some phobias.
How Are Emotional Support Animals Different from Service Animals?
| Training | Emotional support animals do not need to be trained to perform specific tasks. Service animals go through rigorous training to provide specific disability-related assistance or perform certain tasks for their owner/handler. |
| Species | According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is a dog, or in some cases, a miniature horse. An emotional support animal can be any species. |
| Protection and Rights | Under federal law, service animals have specific rights and protections, particularly regarding public accommodations, but emotional support animals do not have all of the same rights. Some states and jurisdictions may have additional protection for ESAs. |
Emotional Support Animals in Oregon
Oregon, like the ADA, has service animal laws, but these laws do not include emotional support animals. While these animals do provide therapeutic benefits, owners of public accommodations are not required to allow accommodations for .
However, it is always possible that local cities or individual businesses do make accommodations, and other states have protection in place for emotional support animals and their owners.
In addition, the Fair Housing Act is a federal act that does require housing facilities to allow emotional support animals in addition to service dogs. This allows individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to live in, use and enjoy the home. You must have a disability and a need for the animal, and it must alleviate the emotional effects of your disability.
Emotional Support Animal Letters
The easiest way to prove your animal is an emotional support animal is with a letter from your mental health professional.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
An emotional support animal letter from a licensed mental health professional is your registration for your support pet.
In general, your mental health professional should include the following:
- license number and expiration date.
- The date the letter is issued.
- Their professional contact information.
Do You Need an ESA Letter?
You may need an ESA letter when traveling or moving into a new home, so having one can be beneficial. Keeping copies on you or in your suitcase (or with your passport) when you travel or including your condo application, can make things easier for you.
Are Training Certificates Valid for an ESA Letter?
While you can have your emotional support animal take obedience, therapy, or other training, they are not required for emotional support animals. Additionally, no type of certificate is a valid form of an ESA letter. The ESA letter must come from your licensed mental health professional.
Getting an ESA Letter in Oregon
Oregon does not have specific laws related to emotional support animals and thus does not outline which type of mental health professional must issue the letter. The best way to obtain an ESA letter is to speak directly to your therapist, counselor, psychologist, or other mental health professional about your condition and how an emotional support animal would provide comfort and support.
- Contact your mental health professional.
- Discuss your mental health condition and why you would benefit from an ESA.
- You may need to discuss your symptoms, triggers, or other relevant issues.
- Request an emotional support animal recommendation and letter
DoNotPay Assists With Your Emotional Support Animal Needs
DoNotPay understands that finding the help you need with your emotional support animal can be time-consuming, tedious, and even intimidating. If you need guidance on accommodations for public transportation or air travel, renting or otherwise, DoNotPay has you covered.
Here's how DoNotPay can help:
Through our new Service and Emotional Support Animals product, DoNotPay can help you with all of your ESA-related concerns, including contacting your landlord about your ESA, asking airlines about their accommodation options, and finding the most affordable online ESA-letter service.
- Search "service animal" on DoNotPay.
- Select the type of issue you need help with, including contacting your landlord about your ESA/service animal, asking your airline about ESA options, or requesting ESA/service accommodations at other venues.
- Answer a series of questions about your current situation and the details of your ESA/service animal, so we can generate the best results for you.
And that's it. Depending on your issue, DoNotPay will send a letter to your landlord and mail it on your behalf, contact the airline agency and get back to you with an answer, or send a letter to your mental health professional requesting an ESA letter.
If you continue to have problems with getting appropriate accommodation as allowed by applicable federal, state, or local laws or ordinances, DoNotPay can help protect your rights regarding your emotional support animal. Our Send Demand Letters To Now service will help you demand compensation, handle small claims forms for you, and can provide a court script to use.
It can be overwhelming to demand your ESA rights on your own, but you don't have to worry about that anymore. DoNotPay will make the process as fast, easy, and painless as possible. We will always make the best case for you because we strive for successful and swift results.
DoNotPay Services for All Pets
Protect you, your pets, and other pets with our various animal services.
- Find Your Missing Pet
- Obtain the Proper Pet Licenses
- Report Animal Abuse or Neglect
- Contact Animal Control
How Else Can DoNotPay Help You?
In addition to helping with your emotional support animal or pet, DoNotPay provides many other services:
- Easily Cancel any Service or Subscription
- Get Airline Flight Compensation
- Free Hotel Upgrades
- Hassle-Free Document Notarization
DoNotPay is here to resolve problems!