No I’m not asking for legal advice, I’m more asking like where to start and what benefits it might offer my roommate.
Brownie is an awesome friendly dog, and I think he deserves the badge of emotional support animal. Question is, where to start?
No I’m not asking for legal advice, I’m more asking like where to start and what benefits it might offer my roommate.
Brownie is an awesome friendly dog, and I think he deserves the badge of emotional support animal. Question is, where to start?
Emotional support animals do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. There is no process or organization to make him an “official” emotional support animal, though there are many companies that will gladly sell you a badge, certificate, or harness.
Oh I get that, and I don’t expect Brownie is in any way smart enough to fully qualify as a proper service animal.
But I do think he brings love and joy to practically everyone, no matter what age the people are. And he’s very much housebroken, so no accidents indoors.
Hell, there have been registered emotional support horses and alligators before, no joke, so I just find myself wondering if I can help find a way for my roommate to get Brownie registered as an emotional support dog… 🤷
Then I guess I’m unclear what you hope to accomplish if you already know there will be no legal privileges or protections. You could draw up your own certification and frame it, Brownie won’t know the difference.
Emotional support horses have been allowed on airplanes. The least I could try to help my roommate with is trying to help get his dog qualified to purchase dog food off his health insurance card. Airplane not necessary.
Like fuck, there’s gotta be a way, right? Where to start though?..
No, there is no way. That will be entirely up to the airline. They treat non-service animals as pets, with all the rules and regulations that apply. There’s nothing that obligates them to treat an emotional support animal any differently than any other pet.
I did a little digging into that horse story. It seems it may actually have been a trained service animal and not just an ESA. But in either case, the DOT has since updated its rules to exclude miniature horses from being allowed on airplanes.
Again, airplane not necessary, my roommate ain’t planning to fly anywhere.
I’m just curious to try to help him get qualified to purchase dog food from his health insurance card…
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As someone who’s fostered and trained both service dogs and ESAs, this is highly offensive. These designations are meant to help people with disabilities, not those who have financial needs. As others have already pointed out, abuse of the ESA designation has had serious negative impacts on service dog handlers. There are also many people out there with serious need for an ESA, and if others keep abusing this lax system for frivolous reasons, eventually rules are going to be in place that will inevitably hurt those with actual health needs.
If your roommate needs financial assistance feeding their dog, there are social services available to help with this. Many communities offer pet food pantries, and there are national charities available to assist with the financial strain of keeping animals in their homes. I can send a list if that’s helpful.
Most dogs I know are wonderful and brighten even strangers’ days just by being themselves. That doesn’t make it okay to abuse safety nets put in place to help disabled people in order to make their care more affordable, though.
Oh come on now, it only costs about $4 to feed Brownie for an entire month. Roommate’s previous insurance covered that no problem, so what’s it hurt to ask advice on his behalf?
Geez, just trying to see if I can help an old fella save $4 a month.
Tell me you work for an insurance company without telling me you work for an insurance company…
That sounds like it’s up to the insurance company. But, again, there is nothing in the way of being an emotional support animal that would compel it to be covered by insurance, so I wouldn’t get your hopes up for it being covered. A service animal may be a different story.
I’m pretty sure you can’t even do that with traditional service dogs. I think vet and food expenses for a service dog can be deducted from taxes as a medical expense (not financial advice!) but not charged to human health insurance.
I do thank you for your advice, but I’m just not sure.
His previous healthcare provider allowed him to purchase dog food, but he switched providers and not sure if there’s a proper solution to that this year…
I dunno, just trying to help my roommate ya know.
I don’t have my hopes up, but I don’t have my hopes down either. Just asking around ya know…
I don’t know you or your roommate’s current financial situation, but if they’re struggling to buy dog food there may be assistance programs, perhaps not for the dog, but for his own expenses, that can free up money for the dog.
Hey man, if "my dog is loved by everyone " can be used as a cheat code for food covered with insurance, I don’t think you’d need to use Lemmy to find answers.
He’s not my dog, he’s my elderly roommate’s dog.
I’m just asking basic advice on where to start and how to help my roommate…
Yeah, but you’ve been given information, but you didn’t seem to want it? Guy above this kinda lays out why this isn’t a thing.