If you feel like the SDTSI Team, your four-legged friend is more than just a pet—they’re family. Now, if you’re lucky enough to have an Emotional Support Animal by your side, you know just how much these furry pals can brighten your day. But let’s face it, traveling with an ESA can sometimes feel daunting, especially when it comes to those pesky pet deposit fees.

We have insider tips from top service dog trainers to help you understand the ins and outs of ESA pet deposits across the USA, Canada, and the UK. Our team extensively discusses the differences between service dogs, therapy dogs, and ESAs on our website as we strive to educate and advocate for the amazing power of dogs to enhance our lives.

What Is Actually an ESA?

Whether you are planning a long vacation or a short trip with your emotional support animal and you are not sure if you have to pay any pet fees—we are here to help! Let's start by making it clear that Emotional Support Animals can be only domesticated species like dogs, cats, chickens, some types of exotic birds (like parrots), miniature horses, and hamsters. Some people even receive support from pigs, lamas, sheep, and goats. Whatever your ESA is – they are probably very important for making you feel safe, loved and and help you cope with your emotions in this big world.

In order for your ESA to have any legal protections when it comes to housing in the US, you have to make sure that your psychiatrist or therapist has provided you with a letter or a medical note that attests you need an ESA for your well-being. If you are not sure what this letter/note is supposed to look like, please see our article on the topic "How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog Letter".

If you need the short version, here it is: the letter has to be signed, stamped, and feature the name of your licensed mental health professional, their contact details and clearly state that you need an ESA for your mental well-being. Please, talk to your preferred general practice doctor about this type of document.

We would be remiss not to point out that there is no government-approved guidance on evaluating people who require an ESA in the US, Canada, and the UK as of the time of writing this. More on the topic can be found in the journal “Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48(3), 216–22” by the American Psychological Association and the journal “Health & Social Work, Volume 45, Issue 4, November 2020, Pages 276–283” by Oxford Academic.

Our readers in Canada may want to know that ESAs may have limited housing protections as afforded by their local provincial laws. We recommend consulting your local Human Rights Commission via email and phone. Sadly, the ESAs in the UK are not granted any housing protections and are treated only as pets. This might change in the future so you might want to reach out to Assistance Dogs UK and see if there are any active campaigns you could join.

Is There a Pet Deposit Fee for an ESA? 

ESAs are primarily treated as pets in the UK and Canada for housing, hotel accommodation, and travel purposes. However, they have legal protection under the Fair Housing Act in the US and are classified as Assistance Animals. This means ESA owners are not required to pay any pet-related fees for their animals in terms of housing, but they have to pay the pet fees for a hotel visit and during travel.

The emotional support animals don’t require formal training or certification but they have to be well-behaved and are welcomed only in pet-friendly locations. A certificate for completed ESA training may help in a big way if you plan on staying at a hotel.

Service Dogs are considered “medical equipment” and no service dog handler is expected to pay any fees when visiting a publicly accessible business or using any public service or privately operated transport service.

If you are traveling with an ESA – you will be expected to pay any pet fees involved. Your hotel may welcome patrons with pets but you have to give them prior notice that you will be visiting with an ESA. Furthermore, you have to familiarize yourself with their pet fees and policy. Train networks, bus services, and some airlines may agree to transport an ESA for a fee so you should call or email any services of interest to check your options. The airlines in South America are very friendly to ESAs and they may let them travel in the passenger cabin while those in North America are unlikely to accommodate ESAs in the cabin.

Please, keep in mind that you are going to have to pay any recurring and one-time fees for your pet as mandated by your housing agreement. These fees may sometimes be limited by your local legislation so it is in your best interest to check if your landlord or housing company is properly complying with the existing regulations in your area. We strongly recommend you learn your rights as an ESA owner. You can seek legal help free online in case you are not sure how to protect your rights.

Our readers in the US can seek free legal aid at USA.gov/tenant-rights and Usa.gov/legal-aid

Our readers in Canada can seek help at LegalLine.ca

Our readers in the UK can seek consultation from CitizensAdvice.org.uk and Lawcentres.org.uk

Are Things Going to Change?

While there’s a substantial body of research on the benefits of pets in general, specific studies on ESAs have been limited. However, a recent pilot study from the University of Toledo found empirical evidence that emotional support animals can benefit people with serious mental illnesses. Participants in the study experienced decreased depression, anxiety, and loneliness after being paired with shelter dogs or cats.

Additionally, both clinical and forensic practitioners in the field of psychology make ESA recommendations, emphasizing the need for standardized evaluation criteria. Evidence of the immense positive impact of ESAs is growing as stated in an article from BMC Psychiatry. Anecdotal reports and empirical data attest to the significant positive impact of ESAs but we still need a strong initiative from lawmakers to make our emotional support companions properly protected.

Please, consider supporting any local initiates for making Emotional Support Animals protected by the law. The easiest way to find campaigns related to support animals is to follow social media pages for service dogs, and advocacy groups and sign petitions on platforms like Change.org. Your support online and on the streets helps us make the changes we need.