Are Emotional Support Dogs Breed Restricted?

Dogs of different breeds like Pit Bulls and Dobermanns are considered Emotional Support Animals (ESA) because ESAs do not fall under the category of pets under the Fair Housing Act or Americans with Disabilities Act. 

However, if a person declares a dog to be their ESA, no matter what breed it is, that person must provide sufficient documents that they are in need of the dog and that dog is recognized as a therapy animal for the person.

These documents are provided by the mental healthcare professional who treats the person in need of the ESA. If the healthcare practitioner comes from out-of-state and the authority seeking documents is from a different jurisdiction, the healthcare professional must indicate that they have provided services to the person with an ESA at least once before giving an opinion.

Source: Naples Daily News


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