Comprehensive Guide to Easily Handling an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan

What is an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan? 

If you find it difficult to manage your mental health and navigate through your daily routines, a licensed healthcare professional might recommend the use of an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan. These animals can have a positive impact on your mental well-being and contribute to the improvement or stability of your condition. For example, owning a pet can help reduce anxiety and enhance your ability to focus on daily tasks with reduced stress and anxiety 

In Michigan, there are laws in place to protect individuals who require both emotional and physical assistance from unjust discrimination. These laws specifically extend to those who rely on the companionship of an emotional support animal to help with disabilities. Federal and state laws have been implemented to safeguard an individual’s right to have an emotional support animal as recommended by authorized mental health professionals. 

It’s important for Michigan residents with emotional support animals to be familiar with specific limitations and understand the significant differences between individuals accompanied by service animals and those supported by emotional support animals. 

It is crucial to distinguish between emotional support animals in Michigan and service animals. Service animals are given legal access to essentially all public areas with their handlers. However ESAs do not have the same guaranteed privileges. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as trained dogs that perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities. ESAs are not considered service animals under the ADA. 

The primary distinction between service animals and Emotional Support Animals in Michigan is the fact that service animals are trained to carry out tasks directly related to a person’s disability, such as guiding individuals with visual impairments or alerting those who are hearing-impaired. Emotional support animals provide crucial emotional comfort and support but do not necessarily perform specific tasks or duties related to a disability.  

Michigan does not have specific laws protecting emotional support animals. However, you can still benefit from federal protections outlined in the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The FHA allows individuals with disabilities to keep an ESA in their home, even if the property owner or landlord has a no-pets policy. 

Register your Emotional Support Animal Here  

Requirements for an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan 

Emotional support animals in Michigan provide important care by providing general comfort to their caretakers. They must be distinguished from therapy animals, whose duties often involve tending to groups of individuals, such as those residing in care facilities. In contrast, emotional support animals are typically designated to a singular handler and are present alongside them in social and public domains. 

The main role of an emotional support animal lies in consistently fostering sentiments of comfort and security. These incredible companions hold particular significance for individuals in need of emotional support as a result of mental health conditions or the aftermath of traumatic experiences. 

It is a straightforward process to register an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan. You need a letter or document from a doctor that indicates the animal is a necessary component of your treatment for a qualifying mental health condition. The contents of the letter are at the discretion of the doctor and the patient, and there is no set form that it needs to take in order to be legitimate and valid. 

It is not imposed by law, but many owners of emotional support animals in Michigan choose to voluntarily register their animals through Service Dog Certificates to obtain a mobile ID and certification documentation compatible with both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. A registration provides owners with a presentable form of evidence for landlords and business owners if needed.  Additionally, physical markers such as bandanas and collars can be useful tools for owners of emotional support animals to prevent disputes and allow members of the public to quickly identify them as registered Emotional Support Animals in Michigan. 

Housing Laws for an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan 

Housing in Michigan is afforded protection under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), a federal law that ensures individuals with disabilities have reasonable access to housing. This protection extends to handlers who rely on emotional support animals. 

According to the FHA, property owners or housing providers are required to allow emotional support animals, even if their property has a no-pet policy. To validate the need for an emotional support animal, landlords may request documentation such as a letter from a doctor or a registration ID. Keeping a mobile ID on hand can be a straightforward way to prepare for this situation. 

Extra charges solely for accommodating an emotional support animal are not required, however, deposits may be required to address any potential damages that could be caused by an Emotional Support Animal. Disruptive behavior from an ESA, such as excessive noise, unruliness, or destruction may lead to the eviction of tenants in severe cases, even with a validly registered Emotional Support Animal in Michigan, ensuring a balance between the rights of tenants with emotional support animals and the responsibilities of landlords to maintain a peaceful living environment for all residents. 

The only permissible questions a landlord can ask with respect to Emotional Support Animals in Michigan are: 

• “Does the person seeking to use and live with the animal have a disability (a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities)?; and 

• Does the person making the request have a disability-related need for an assistance animal? (afford a person with disabilities an equal opportunity to use or enjoy the dwelling).” 

Hotels are not subject to the Fair Housing Act so if you plan on visiting a hotel in Michigan with your ESA, it is highly recommended you reach out to your hotel first to confirm their specific policies.

Employment Laws for an Emotional Support Animals in Michigan 

While the ADA offers protection for individuals with disabilities and allows service animals in public places, it does not extend the same support to emotional support animals in Michigan. In terms of employment, the majority of workplaces do not formally permit animals unless they are service animals. This means that employers are legally allowed to deny access to your emotional support animal. However, it might be worth discussing the matter with your employer and presenting your ESA documentation to see if they are open to the idea of your emotional support animal accompanying you at work. More and more workplaces are beginning to recognize the importance of emotional support animals and their impact on employee mental health. 

Flying with an Emotional Support Animal in Michigan  

Emotional support animals in Michigan do not have the same protection when it comes to traveling on commercial airlines as service animals do. In the past, the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) required airlines to make reasonable accommodations for passengers with ESAs, but now it only applies to service dogs. If you wish to bring your ESA on a flight, you may be able to carry it in a pet-safe carrier as carry-on luggage and stow it under your seat, as long as it is small enough and you pay a fee. Regardless, if you intend to fly with your ESA, it is critical to contact your airline in advance to confirm their specific policies and accommodations.  

Another option is to train your emotional support animal as a service dog. These dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that alleviate the symptoms of disabilities including mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Service dogs are protected under the ACAA and can accompany their owner in the airplane cabin. However, airlines may require you to complete a form about your service animal so it is still critical to contact your airline in advance even if travelling with a service animal. These forms ask about your dog’s training and also serve as an agreement that you understand that your dog must be well-behaved or else it can be treated as a pet and placed in a carrier for a fee. Click here to voluntarily register your qualified service dog 

FAQs for Emotional Support Animal in Michigan 

What if my landlord has a “no pets” policy? Can my Emotional Support Animal in Michigan still live with me? 

As per the Fair Housing Act, tenants have the right to possess an emotional support animal, and landlords are prohibited from imposing any restrictions as long as the tenant can provide a valid letter from a medical professional. Additionally, landlords are not allowed to impose any additional fees for this accommodation. 

Can my Emotional Support Animal in Michigan come to work with me? 

Regrettably, Michigan does not have a specific mandate that compels employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees seeking to bring their emotional support animals to the workplace. Nevertheless, it’s worth noting that numerous employers are open to permitting ESAs for employees who genuinely need them. 

What Types of Animals are Eligible as Emotional Support Animal in Michigan? 

Although dogs are the most common type of Emotional Support Animal in Michigan by far, any pet may qualify.  

Register your support dog online now to receive your instant Service Dog Registration, Service Dog certificate and Service Dog Certification Documents or Register your Emotional Support Animal for ESA Registration, ESA  Certification and ESA Certificate Documents