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How Dogs Can Smell Anxiety and Stress
Did you know that some service dogs alert their handlers to rising anxiety, sometimes before they even fully notice it themselves? It’s not magic, though it might seem like it. It’s actually an incredible combination of your dog’s amazing nose and your body’s chemical response to stress. Dogs can be trained to detect stress signals […]
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Can You Bring a Service Dog to the Mall?
Shopping can be challenging for people with disabilities, but service dogs make it easier. If you have a service dog or want to understand their rights, this guide will help you navigate mall visits with confidence. What makes a dog a service animal? Not every dog is a service animal. Under the law, a service […]
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Dogs Can Donate Blood, Too!
Yes, dogs can donate blood — and it’s a lot like human blood donation! If your dog is healthy, weighs over 35-50 pounds (depending on the donor location), and has a calm temperament, they could be a lifesaving hero to other pups in need. Most dogs can safely donate every couple of months at veterinary […]
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How am I supposed to override a decision by my HI company? If they say no aggressive breeds,they don’t care that it’s a service animal.
And why can’t I ask for drs note forother breeds being represented as a service animal with only an online verification?
I’m not against a service animal at all, but I’ve been turned down for HI during their yearly inspections.
People think they can strap a band on a skunk and it suddenly becomes a service animal. Can u help?
I have a note for my doctor saying that I need a cat for emotional support and for everyday activities to live independently is that legal for them to charge me $150 and even though I’m disabled and I’m on disability and go to mental health services?
If you have a valid ESA letter, it is not legal for a landlord to charge any type of fee or deposit because a tenant owns an emotional support animal.
My landlord Marcos Herrera of Lakeview Oregon has charged me a pet deposit for my federally registered service animal number 203-67-64579 which is highly against law and needs to be schooled on service animals he’s a piece of medical equipment that is needed I’ve already paid a deposit and he required an additional $350 deposit
The owner of my building is now wanting to charge me for my emotional support dog which I’ve lived here since 2017 and nothing was ever mentioned about a deposit or pet fee..I’m now being harassed and sent letters for payments .. I have a doctor note reg # and filled out his paper work and he’s still demanding 300. From 10/21 to.present.. I’m not paying it .. Its not right or fair..
If you have a properly qualified emotional support animal, landlords are not permitted to charge any type of animal fee or deposit.
I have a cat that is my emotional support animal as I suffer from depression and PTSD. They want to charge me the $300 pet fee. Can they do this? My doctor is willing to state this in a letter on my behalf. Can this really be done? Thank you for your time.
If you have an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional, landlords are not allowed to charge pet fees under HUD rules.
I can’t find a way to add without making a comment. I am on Section 8. I have a ESA and a letter from a licensed therapist that specifically states that she is my ESA. When I 1st moved into my apt she said a deposit wasn’t required. Well then when she found out about my ESA she said she wanted a 650 deposit. She was given that because I was afraid to lose my ESA not knowing the laws. I have text messages that prove all of this too. Can she be in trouble for this? Would accepting pet deposit on a ESA be decrimination against me for having a disability?
Landlords are never allowed to charge any type of fee or deposit for an emotional support animal, you should be able to get your deposit back if it was charged specifically because you have an ESA.
My landlord is charging me a deposit for a service dog that is that illegal. Is there a statue that you could send me?
You can find HUD’s guidelines for assistance animals in housing at this link: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUDAsstAnimalNC1-28-2020.pdf
I entered into a Lease and paid a $500.00 pet deposit fee for my dog. At the time of signing the Lease my dog was not a registered and certified SA. Since then my dog has been certified as a service animal. Am I entitled to the return of my pet deposit?
First, we want to clarify that you do not need to register or certify a dog in order for it to be a valid service animal. You can certainly register and certify a service dog, but those are voluntary steps for service dog owners. In any case, if your dog has qualified for service dog status, you are certainly entitled to a return of any pet deposit you paid. You would also be exempt from any ongoing pet fees.
Wow! This is a great way to convince landlords to never rent to anyone who has a dog or cat! A dog or a cat can cause many thousands of dollars of damages by urinating and defecating on the floors, scratching up moldings and HW floors, etc. Not allowing a pet security deposit just causes landlords to choose other, similarly-qualified, applicants who don’t have pets.
It’s no wonder it’s so difficult for people with service animals and emotional support animals to find apartments!
This article is in regards to service dogs which are used by the disabled. Charging security deposits and fees for a disability accommodation would be discriminatory under federal and state disability laws. A properly trained service dog should be much more well behaved than a typical pet and will usually not cause significant damage. In any case, service dog owners are still responsible for paying for any damage to the property caused by their animal. The ADA and Fair Housing Rules do not absolve them of that responsibility.
I am inquiring on the next step that I need to take to apply for this emotional support thing w my dog please.
We’d be happy to help you! Please see this link for more details on how to proceed with getting an ESA letter: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/esa-letter/
This isn’t reasonable. You mean we have to except untrained monster dogs because they have a piece of paper they bought in the mail and. Not charge a deposit??? So an untrained dog can tear up my property and we are left holding the bag. I can see the reasoning behind TRAINED dogs and owners. But just any dog with papers?? You all are crazy.
Respectfully, there are many things wrong with your statement. Landlord’s don’t have to accept any dog that causes substantial property damage, state and federal ESA rules are very reasonable about this. ESA owners are also not exempt from having to pay for any damages. And you can’t qualify for an ESA with a “piece of paper” you buy in the mail. You need a signed letter from a licensed healthcare professional that has actually evaluated the owner’s mental health.
Our dog is a service animal and we didn’t pay for the pet deposit but we still get charge for pet rent. And this is a monthly rent. Can the landlord
can still do that?
Landlords are not allowed to charge pet rent or any type of pet fee for dogs that are service animals.