Emotional Support Animals
At Assess Hawai’i, we provide evaluations for those in need of an emotional support animals (ESA) letter. Contact us today to see if you qualify for an ESA.
Emotional Support Animals in Hawai’i
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
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If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with a mental health condition, you may qualify for an ESA letter in Hawai’i after you have completed an ESA evaluation. Below are some mental health conditions that may qualify for an ESA letter:
Anxiety
Depression
Panic Attacks
ADHD
Learning Disorders
OCD
Phobias
PTSD
Acute Stress Disorder
Eating Disorders
Personality Disorders
Bipolar Disorders
Sexual Disorders
Developmental disorders
Schizophrenia
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Mood Related Disorders
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If you are experiencing distress related to your mental health or other concerns, an Emotional Support Animal may be the evaluation for you. These are a few benefits:
The no-pet policies held by landlords will not be applicable to you, the ESA letter holder, or your emotional support animal in the state of Hawai’i
With an ESA letter, landlords are not able to deny an emotional support animal based on factors that include size, weight, and/or breed of animal.
As a tenant who holds an ESA letter, you will not typically be required to pay any pet deposit or any additional fees
As a tenant, you are able to have more than one ESA and landlords are not legally able to evict you based on the number of ESAs you have.
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ONLY licensed mental healthcare professionals are able to write and issue an ESA letter:
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Licensed Behavioral Therapist
Licensed Addiction Therapist
Licensed Psychiatrist
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Licensed Counselor
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
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The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) introduced the Fair Housing Act (FHA) to prevent discrimination. These protect the equal rights of getting fair accommodation opportunities for those who are experiencing issues related to their mental health who need an emotional support animal. More specifically, landlords are not allowed to restrict your emotional support animal or impose added charges based on the animal’s breed, size, or eight. Sometimes pets can be aggressive, damage property, or harm someone, and if that is the case, per these protections, the landlord has the right to give their tenants a 10-day notice to vacate.
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Our great state of Hawai’i has identified the incredibly valuable role of Emotional Support Animals to promote individual’s psychological health and wellness and have passed specific laws, in addition to the federal regulations, for the protection of Emotional Support Animals in Hawai’i.
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Although the rights under the ADA law protect those with service animals in the work environment, this does not apply for Emotional Support Animals. Therefore, employers have no legal obligation to allow you to bring your ESA to work.
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If you are a college student in need of an ESA, this type of evaluation may be right for you. However, certain restrictions typically apply to ESAs on campus:
ESAs are not allowed in the academic buildings or cafeteria
With an ESA, you can only live in a single-person room
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Due to recent changes in laws, unlike service animals, ESAs no longer hold the privilege to fly for free. In fact, after January 2021, airlines no have the authority to deny your ESA letter or require your ESA to travel in a carrier since they are no longer covered by the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)
Differences of an Emotional Support Animal and Service Animal
Emotional Support Animal
Although emotional support animals may not be trained to perform specific tasks like service animals, you may be able to receive some public and living accommodations in Hawai’i. Per the ADA and laws in Hawai’i, handlers of public accommodations are not required to allow emotional support animals, only service animals. The definition of a “public accommodation” in the state of Hawai’i includes:
All forms of public transportation and common carries that include buses, trains, ferries, airplanes, and cars
Hotels and lodging
All places of public amusement, resort, or accommodation
Any other place to which the general public is invited
Many individual suffering from psychological and emotional symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, tend to enjoy having a companion but are not able to because of strict housing rules regarding pets. Hawai’i’s fair housing law also prohibits housing discrimination based on disability and requires property owners to make reasonable accommodations to allow those with disabilities to use and enjoy their housing, which could include allowing service animals.
Service Animal
In Hawai’i, a service animal is defined as an animal, typically a dog, that is individually trained to do work or tasks to benefit someone with a disability, including intellectual disability, psychological disability, sensory disability, or physical disability. Here are examples of service animals under Hawai’s social services law and under the ADA:
Psychiatric Service Animals (e.g., to help provide calm pressure during heightened levels of anxiety)
Seizure Alert Animals (e.g., alert their handlers during the onset of a seizure and guarding handlers during active seizure activity)
Allergen Alert Animals (e.g. let their handlers know of substances that may be dangerous to them)
Hearing Dogs (e.g., alert their handlers to important sounds that include alarms and doorbell
Guide Dogs (e.g., assist handlers who are blind or visually impaired navigate safely)
Although we do not provide animal training services, we would happily provide you with an evaluation to determine if an emotional support pet would be a great addition to you and your family and recommend you to someone that offers that service.
THE MORE W KNOW THE MORE WE CAN HELP
THE MORE W KNOW THE MORE WE CAN HELP
