Accurate, up-to-date information about support animal laws and your rights. Always free. No registration required.Información precisa sobre leyes de animales de apoyo. Siempre gratis. Sin registro.
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law that protects people with disabilities from housing discrimination. Under the FHA, a support animal is not considered a “pet” — it is a reasonable accommodation for a disability. This means landlords and housing providers must allow support animals even in properties with “no pets” policies, and they cannot charge pet deposits or pet fees for documented support animals.La Ley de Vivienda Justa protege a las personas con discapacidades contra la discriminación en vivienda. Un animal de apoyo no se considera una “mascota” sino una adaptación razonable.
If your disability is not readily apparent, a landlord may request reliable documentation from a healthcare professional confirming your disability-related need for the animal. They may ask for: confirmation that you have a disability as defined by federal law, and a statement that the animal provides disability-related assistance or therapeutic benefit.Si su discapacidad no es evidente, un arrendador puede solicitar documentación de un profesional de salud confirmando su necesidad.
Landlords cannot: charge pet deposits or pet rent for a support animal, require specific breeds, sizes, or species, demand detailed medical records or a specific diagnosis, retaliate against you for requesting accommodation, or require registration, certification, or ID cards (these are not legally required).Los arrendadores no pueden cobrar depósitos de mascotas, exigir razas específicas, exigir registros médicos detallados ni tomar represalias.
The ADA provides public access rights specifically for service dogs — animals individually trained to perform tasks or do work for a person with a disability. Unlike support animals (protected under the FHA for housing), service dogs have broader protections that include restaurants, stores, hotels, hospitals, and other public places.La ADA proporciona derechos de acceso público específicamente para perros de servicio — animales entrenados individualmente para realizar tareas.
When it is not obvious that a dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two questions: (1) Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? (2) What task has the dog been trained to perform? They cannot ask about the nature of your disability, require documentation, or demand a demonstration of the task.Cuando no es obvio que un perro es de servicio, el personal solo puede hacer dos preguntas: (1) ¿Es un perro de servicio requerido por una discapacidad? (2) ¿Qué tarea ha sido entrenado para realizar?
Since the DOT’s 2021 rule change, airlines are only required to accommodate psychiatric service dogs and other trained service dogs in the cabin — not emotional support animals. Airlines may require: a DOT Service Animal Transportation Form completed by the handler, attestation of the dog’s training and behavior, and advance notice (typically 48 hours). Each airline has its own specific process. Check your airline’s service animal policy before traveling.Desde el cambio de reglas del DOT en 2021, las aerolíneas solo están obligadas a acomodar perros de servicio entrenados. Verifique la política de su aerolínea.
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood topics. Here is the clear distinction:Este es uno de los temas más incomprendidos:
Service dogs are individually trained to perform specific tasks directly related to a person’s disability. Examples: guiding a person who is blind, alerting a person who is deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person having a seizure, reminding a person with a mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack. Service dogs are protected under the ADA for public access AND the FHA for housing.Los perros de servicio están entrenados individualmente para realizar tareas específicas. Están protegidos bajo la ADA y la FHA.
Support animals (also called emotional support animals) provide therapeutic benefit through companionship. They do not require specific task training. Support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act for housing accommodations — landlords must allow them with proper documentation. They are NOT covered by the ADA for public access to businesses, and airlines are no longer required to accommodate them in cabin since 2021.Los animales de apoyo proporcionan beneficio terapéutico a través de la compañía. Están protegidos bajo la Ley de Vivienda Justa para vivienda.
No. There is no legally required national registry for service dogs or support animals. What you DO need is a clinical letter from a Licensed Clinical Doctor confirming your disability-related need. Registration is an optional convenience service — the clinical letter is what carries legal weight under the Fair Housing Act.No. No existe un registro nacional legalmente requerido. Lo que necesita es una carta clínica de un Médico Clínico Licenciado.
Red flags include: sites that claim to “certify” or “register” your animal as if it were a government process, sites that guarantee approval without any clinical evaluation, sites with no real licensed professionals (stock photos, fake team), sites that sell only ID cards or vests without clinical letters, and sites that are not transparent about their business entity. A legitimate service involves a real clinical assessment reviewed by a real Licensed Clinical Doctor.Señales de alerta incluyen: sitios que afirman “certificar” como proceso gubernamental, sitios que garantizan aprobación sin evaluación clínica, y sitios sin profesionales reales.
Under the FHA, a support animal is not limited to dogs. Cats, rabbits, birds, and other animals may qualify if a Licensed Clinical Doctor determines that the specific animal provides therapeutic benefit for your disability. However, housing providers can deny requests for animals that pose a direct threat to safety or would cause substantial property damage.Bajo la FHA, un animal de apoyo no se limita a perros. Gatos, conejos, aves y otros animales pueden calificar si un Médico Clínico Licenciado determina que proporcionan beneficio terapéutico.
Have more questions? Call us at (800) 851-4390 or email help@mypsd.org. Or take our free screening to see if you may qualify.¿Tiene más preguntas? Llame al (800) 851-4390 o tome nuestra evaluación gratuita.
