ESA Certification in Connecticut

Emotional Support Animals in Connecticut Law

The term “emotional support animal” is not defined in Connecticut law. The state follows federal law regarding any issues about emotional support animals.

An emotional support animal may be any dog or other animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a disability. The presence of an emotional support animal in a public place does not necessarily constitute discrimination against persons with disabilities, as the individual seeking certification would need to demonstrate that he/she has a disability and that the presence of the emotional support animal is necessary to mitigate the effects of that disability.

An emotional support animal may be certified by providing documentation from a medical professional (physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist) stating that their disability requires the use of an emotional support animal.

In addition, the person seeking certification must provide a letter from his/her physician (or other medical professional) stating that he/she has a physical or mental disability that would be adversely affected by being around dogs and cats.

What is the Legal Status of Emotional Support Animals in Connecticut?

There are no specific laws that govern the acquisition and registration of emotional support animals in Connecticut. As mentioned before, emotional support animals are defined as any animal that is individually trained (or not trained) to provide comfort and safety for an individual with a disability.

Examples include guinea pigs, dogs, cats, miniature horses, rabbits, snakes, etc. When highly trained to perform certain tasks, these animals are called service animals and not emotional support animals.

Emotional support animals are not trained to provide physical support and assistance to individuals with mobility disabilities, environmental access animals trained to retrieve items such as medicine or wallets placed inaccessible by their owners.

They’re more similar to companion animals such as rabbits or cats trained to provide companionship and emotional support to individuals with disabilities. Since they don’t receive proper training, emotional support animals are not allowed to accompany their owners in public accommodations.

Conclusion

A person seeking certification for an emotional support animal in Connecticut must provide documentation from his/her physician (or other medical professional) stating that he/she has a physical or mental disability that would be adversely affected by being around dogs and cats.

In addition, the person seeking certification must provide a letter from his/her physician (or other medical professional) stating that he/she has a physical or mental disability that would be adversely affected by being around their emotional support animals.

The state of Connecticut does not require all “emotional support animals” to be registered. A person seeking to acquire an emotional support animal in Connecticut (instead of training one on their own) must provide documentation from their medical professional (physician, psychologist, or psychiatrist) that their disability requires the use of an emotional support animal.