This week, we’re again reporting on the latest emotional support animal news. We’re covering a recent 2020 update by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the Fair Housing Act. Also, a story coming to us from British Columbia, Canada, where a city is changing its housing policy to welcome more and more types of ESAs. Grab your cup of coffee, sit down, and start your week off strong with us!
New 2020 FHA Guidelines Made by HUD
Back in January 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), issued new guidelines in the Fair Housing Act relating to assistance animals.
Why did they do this?
It’s simple. With the subject “Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act”, HUD wants to provide more information for housing providers on all assistance animals.
HUD states “this guidance provides housing providers with a set of best practices for complying with the FHA when assessing requests for reasonable accommodations to keep animals in housing, including the information that a housing provider may need to know from a health care professional about an individual’s need for an assistance animal in housing”.
You can find the full document here: https://www.hud.gov/sites/dfiles/PA/documents/HUDAsstAnimalNC1-28-2020.pdf
City Welcomes Odd Emotional Support Animals
The city of Port Coquitlam has just announced it will now allow requests for “unusual” emotional support animals. Residents can now bring their companion pigs, goats, horses, and other farm animals into their houses. This applies both inside and outside the city’s limits.
Unusual emotional support animals have been a reality in North America for years. Some people bond better with pigs, goats, and miniature horses than with cats and dogs.
However, the majority of cities in Canada and the United States do not accept these animals. Most towns and cities have strict zoning codes. They prohibit non-domestic animals from dwelling in urban areas. These apply to people living in rented housing, as well as to homeowners. There, you will be hard-pressed to find ESAs that are not dogs, cats, and the occasional bunny.
Now, Port Coquitlam is setting a new example. The change came at a time when many landlords and residents complained about “odd” animals being kept in city properties. With the new bylaw amendments, the city has greater control over these situations and can better regulate them.
There are some conditions a resident must meet to bring their odd companion into the city. First, they must have a legit emotional support animal letter, issued by a licensed mental health professional. Second, the resident must also ensure the animal won’t prove a nuisance to their neighbors. This means keeping odor and noise to a minimum.
Source: https://www.tricitynews.com/news/a-goat-in-your-garage-port-coquitlam-approves-farm-animals-as-emotional-support-pets-1.24118935
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
Here at CertaPet, we usually advocate for getting an emotional support dog or cat. That’s because in most places, “odd” ESAs are not allowed. This can lead to a lot of legal problems and unnecessary stress. We do not certify anything but cats and dogs and the occasional rabbit. We understand that other animals may have therapeutic value and we do not discredit that at all, but it is our policy to only recognize dogs cats and rabbits due to zoning restrictions, health concerns and regulations, and public safety
If you suffer from a mental health disability, getting an emotional support animal can help! To get started, start by taking our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. If you qualify, we’ll connect you to a licensed mental health professional. They will have a consultation with you and, if they deem you as a good candidate for an emotional support animal, issue your ESA letter. You could be holding your new furry support system very soon!