Do exotic species qualify as Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional Support Animals can be other species in addition to dogs and horses. You may be wondering whether exotic species qualify. Examples of Exotic Animals include the following:
- Turtles
- Pot-Belly Pigs
- Tarantulas
- Rodents
- Snakes
- Ostriches
- Goats
- Marsupials/Monkeys
- Iguanas
- Alligators
The answer is MAYBE. The law is not explicit or clear on this issue.
If this question comes up in future lawsuits or regulations, it will very likely come down to two issues: (1) safety and (2) reasonable need, but this is just an educated guess.
While it is impossible to know for sure how a lawsuit or enforcement would turn out, an owner using an exotic species or breed for an Emotional Support Animal would likely need to address these issues:
- Whether the chosen species or breed presents a health hazard to others (i.e., a poisonous spider or full-blood wolf).
- Whether there is a reasonable need to have that particular type of animal that a more traditional animal such as a dog, cat, or rabbit would not equally fulfill.
Are you an owner of an assistance animal?
The Service Animal Registry of California invites you to have your assistance animal registered in order to designate its status. We also encourage you to take our online classes so you can be fully aware of your rights and gain more knowledge about your support animal.
Finally, we present to you our book entitled, "ASSISTANCE ANIMAL LAWS: LEARN YOUR RIGHTS REGARDING SERVICE ANIMALS, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS, THERAPY PETS, AND OTHER DOGS, CATS, AND ASSISTANCE ANIMALS" to provide you with a complete education on assistance animals.
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