Can Emotional support animals threaten public safety? - 2021 Guide

Imagine that you are a student who is boarding an international flight in the middle of June. Just as you got to your assigned seat, there was a passenger in the seat next to you and she had an American Foxhound, with-a-not-so-happy-face in her lap. Shortly after, the emotional support animal letter approximately 30-pound doggo growls at you and continues to do so even after you have buckled your seatbelt. Because you are against the plane’s window, there is no way to escape and within the fraction of a second, the dog lunges for your face and the next thing you know is that you have a facial wound which requires a good 16 stitches. 

Are you shuddering at the mere thought of it? Well, what would have been the condition of the real victim because this has been a true instance in the recent past.

No one can disagree from the advantages of keeping an emotional support animal because science has established it through extensive pieces of evidence. The government has allowed people to keep ESAs and also instructed landlords and housing authorities to allow full accommodation to those individuals who cannot function well without an emotional support animal. Of course, there are proper rules and regulations for every situation but the general ruling on the phenomenon is mostly of a positive connotation. 

Doggos, doggos, and more doggos!

Although there is a wide range of domesticated animals that can be kept as emotional support animals but dogs have been in the limelight since a long time now. People with emotional and mental challenges and disabilities are increasingly reliant on emotional support dogs for their wellbeing. After being issued with a legitimate emotional support dog letter, these individuals happily train their dogs and spend a larger chunk of the day with these furry friends. The intended objective is to keep themselves sane and psychologically fit and this objective predominantly accomplished by the assistance of ESAs.

The question that arises from the above discussion is that whether emotional support animals have anything adverse to do with the public safety?

In the aforementioned true instance, a heavily built dog lunged at the face of a stranger which resulted in a facial wound. Although the ESA dog owner may give verifications that his dog was properly trained and cleared by the airline authorities but through this instance, it cannot be ascertained whether the dog received proper training for the social situations or not. It is difficult to determine the behavioral state of the dog or its ability to adapt to any situation or dwelling which is foreign to it.

A lot of state authorities, universities, and public offices have started to recognize the services and potential significance of emotional state animals. These animals have a very important role to play in the lives of their owners and there are some cases, in which an individual cannot continue his or her working life without the support and presence of its emotional support animal. After acquiring the proper documentation for the ESA, specifically the ESA Letter, the individuals who are going through a difficult phase of their life can substantially improve the symptoms of their disorder by being in the close proximity of the emotional support animal.

Conflict.

Domestic quarrels.

 Injury.

Administrative issues.

These are some of the problems that have been started to arise since the proliferation of emotional support animals. People are less tolerant about their problems and cannot do without their ESAs. On the other hand, the authorities also have to consider the safety of the general public. Although there are a lot of people who are mentally and emotionally challenged, but there is a bigger part of societies who are either afraid of animals or have some kind of adverse reaction whenever they encounter an ESA. The policies also affirm that no special training is required for emotional support animals and this also leads people to question the legitimacy of these animals.

It has been said by a lot of concerned officials, specifically the airline personnel that a lot of people claim the status of domesticated animals as their emotional support animals and this has threatened the safety of the general public. Untrained animals are generally left loose in public spaces, for instance, campuses of educational institutes, parks, airports etc. The safety of hundreds of individuals has been compromised this way and a lot of people have also been hurt. Emotional support animals who tend to exhibit aggressive behavior in a stranger situation but remain calm while they are near their owner are also paving the way for more problems.

Apart from random attacks and manifestation of aggressive behavior, there are a lot of other issues and concerns that can threaten public safety. These are as follows:

1.   The housing space assigned to an individual is small for the emotional support animal. This can lead to problematic behavior and untimely tantrums.


2.   The emotional support animal is not housebroken.


3.   The emotional support animal is unable to live with humans in a reasonable manner.


4.   The presence of ESA violates calm and quiet enjoyment of the housing space


5.   The ESA violates the peace and tranquility of the people who are living with its owner.


6.   The emotional support animal causes damage to the property of the landlord.


7.   The ESA causes excessive wear and tear to the personal belongings of its owner.


8.   The required vaccinations of an ESA are not up to date.

Useful Resources:

When A Person Should Apply For An ESA Letter? - 2021 Guide

Best ESA Dog Breeds Benefits – 2021 Guide

Best Guideline Towards Clip Dog's Nails with Clippers – 2021 Guide

Amazing Types of ESA Cat Breeds - 2021 Guide

Find out about the ESA Rights in California - 2021 Guide