Yes, probably this is the correct term. Do US zoos allow them?
Yes, probably this is the correct term. Do US zoos allow them?
Some do, some don't, some only allow certain types, it's kind of a complex situation.
No. Emotional support animals are not allowed public access anywhere that normally doesn't allow pets. ESAs are not under the ADA. They are under the Fair Housing Act, which allows someone with a documented mental health disability to have a therapeutic pet in housing that otherwise does not allow pets. An ESA is otherwise simply a pet. They can also be any species, unfortunately. You can be refused housing if the animal would cause a significant change to the landlord's insurance, or if the animal is a nuisance (ex. barking all the time, causing destruction the the structure of the housing, etc.). ESAs were also previously under the Air Carrier Access Act, and were allowed to travel in the cabin with their owners. This was changed in late 2020 and airlines are no longer required to allow them, which caused basically every airline to reclassify them as pets.
(For non-Americans, some further info: ESAs are only a thing in the USA. Different countries have different laws about service animals. In the USA, a service animal can be used for any disability, as long as you can prove that the animal does trained tasks to help mitigate that disability. There is no such thing as "registering" your service animal or ESA here and any website claiming to do such is a scam that further hurts legit service animals.)
PantheraLeoMelanochaita
Well-Known Member
I once saw someone leave Southwick's Zoo a one-star Google Review because they were mad that the zoo wouldn't let them bring their dog in. They were like "we drove two hours to get here and they wouldn't let us bring in Bella or leave her in the car because they said it was too hot to leave her in the car so we had to go to Canobie Lake Park instead". I was blown away at the lack of common sense. I don't have anything against dogs because they can't help the way their owners act, but I swear some dog owners are so entitled and have such a victim complex. I guess there are ways zoos can accommodate dogs, but I'd be worried if it became commonplace. Unless the dog is an actual service dog, it's just another unnecessary factor that could potentially compromise the welfare of the zoo's animals. I don't dislike dogs, but I don't want to see them while walking around a zoo (again, unless it's a legitimate service animal).
Lafone
Well-Known Member
It’s so sad that they contemplated just leaving the dog in the car. Clearly they have before but as we know dogs can die in hot cars. ‘Bella’ doesn’t sound like a very lucky dog.
PantheraLeoMelanochaita
Well-Known Member
Yeah it made me so sad to see
not the most caring owners
Nile Hippo Expert
Well-Known Member
Wisp O' Mist
Well-Known Member
Reminds me of that time when a stray dog somehow managed to get into the Gorilla enclosure at the San Diego's Zoo Safari Park!
Fortunately in that case, both the dog and the gorillas escaped the encounter unharmed.