With the new May 2026 HUD Guidance change, Emotional Support Animals now require training unless you live in a state with state-specific protections for Emotional Support Animals. Before this Guidance update, HUD treated emotional support animals differently from service animals [...]
In Colorado, an emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional support to help alleviate a symptom or effect of a person's disability. Unlike a psychiatric service dog, an ESA does not need to be trained to perform specific disability-related tasks to qualify [...]
After the HUD guidance update in May 2026, Emotional support animals (ESAs) are now required to have specialized task training unless you live in a state with its own state housing laws. Under the new Guidance, HUD will generally only investigate complaints involving assistance a [...]
On May 22, 2026, a federal memorandum from the U.S. Department of Housing was issued that many ESA owners found alarming. You might think that it means landlords will now be able to deny your animal, charge you pet fees, or evict you, but that's not the case. The situation is mor [...]
This article was last updated on December 3rd, 2025, to reflect Louisiana’s latest laws. If you want to understand Louisiana's emotional support animal laws, this guide will explain them to you in simple terms. In 2024, Louisiana passed the Support and Service Animal Integrity Ac [...]
If you gave your landlord an ESA letter for your emotional support animal and they responded with additional forms to fill out, they might be violating HUD housing rules, which say the following: “Housing providers may not require a health care professional to use a specific form [...]
Sometimes it’s not obvious what a service dog or psychiatric service dog does. The handler might have a disability that isn’t apparent on visual inspection alone. Service dogs can perform over 150 distinct tasks for their handlers, benefiting both physical and psychological condi [...]
Service dogs and emotional support animals (ESAs) can both help people with disabilities, but they do not have identical legal rights. The key differences are the animal’s training, the type of assistance it provides, and where it can accompany its handler. What Is the Difference [...]
Your right to have an Emotional Support Animal is protected under the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), which is a collection of federal laws and regulations. This Article will provide a comprehensive overview of Emotional Support Animals. This will help you know what to say and how to p [...]
This article was last updated October 2026 to reflect Florida’s current emotional support animal laws and recent changes in federal HUD Guidance. Looking to learn about Florida’s emotional support animal laws? This guide will explain the laws and help answer your ESA legal questi [...]