There's been an explosion of websites promising to qualify any pet as an emotional support animal that the sites claim can go nearly anywhere.
Numerous websites promise to qualify any pet as an emotional support animal that the sites claim can go nearly anywhere — inside restaurants and stores, into"no pets" apartments and throughout college dorms. The easily obtained certificates are making it tough for states to crack down on fake support animals without running afoul of federal fair housing or anti-discrimination laws.
The criteria do not permit support animals in restaurants or other indoor environments where pets are prohibited. But in practice, gatekeepers are usually reluctant to challenge people with support animals. About a dozen states have penalties for falsely claiming a need for an assistance animal in housing, according to Rebecca Wisch, an editor at the Animal Legal and Historical Center at Michigan State University, which keeps track of the laws. But most of those laws have to do with trying to pass off an animal as a service dog, when there is no disability-related need, rather than just emotional support animals, adding to the confusion.
About 3% of students living in university housing at Northern Michigan have the animals, he estimated. He said he has to weigh students' needs — both those who want the support animals and those who may not want to live with them — along with concerns over keeping an animal in a small space, such as a dorm room, and the legitimacy of the requests.
The support animals are allowed in residences. Violations of the law can cause a practitioner to be disciplined by their licensing board and be fined. The California attorney general's press office, in an email, said officials were not aware of any cases since the law went into effect brought against mental health professionals for prescribing emotional support animals for people who were not qualified to get them. Further, the email said:"There are more than 500 local officials who can bring actions to enforce . We are not aware of any such actions brought to date.
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