Mental health service dogs exist. They’re different from emotional support animals, but they’re very much a thing- for instance, a dog can be trained to turn on lights for a person whose PTSD stops them entering a dark room, or to stop a person from endangering themselves during a dissociative episode.
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There is only one part I am avidly against as a mentally disabled person. The Jurisdiction part…and that is because they do not clearly define it. Is it all of California? What about telemed what is their jusidiction? I am having to search online for a therapist to do Telemedicine with me. Why? Because I live in a rural town that is a full year booked out on doctors in all medical fields including those contracted with our only hospital to do telemedicine. If I want any kind of timely assistance I will need to look online for online telemedicine offices. If this Jurisdiction thing is as narrowing as it sounds. It could cause trouble if I have to seek far from my rural home.
Hell my current psychiatrist doesn’t live anywhere near me. I go in and use their ITV to have an appointment with him every 3 months (give or take if they are available when he wants me to see him)
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I read the legislative counsel’s digest. It basically puts an end to certificate paper mills and now the therapist who diagnoses and prescribes the support animal designation must have known the patient for at least 30 days. I think the same kind of people who manage to get disability placards who don’t really need those, will still be able to work the system here.
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I read the law, and the intent of jurisdiction is to prevent doctor shopping for someone who will write a note saying their beloved Fifi is actually an emotional support animal. The jurisdiction part just means that a doctor needs to be licensed to practice in the jurisdiction in which the documentation is given; so a Doctor licensed in Iowa cannot issue a doctor’s notice in California. This is reinforced by the requirement that any doctor’s determination that a person needs a service animal also contain the doctor’s name, license number, and jurisdiction in which they are licensed to practice.
So, if your doctor is licensed to practice in California, then it doesn’t matter if your doctor practices in San Francisco and you live in Los Angeles.
The law also essentially states that a chiropractor can’t decide a person needs an emotional support animal, and requires pet stores to tell patrons that just because they buy a harness with the words “emotional support” on it doesn’t actually make their pet an emotional support animal.
Usually telemedicine has the same jurisdiction requirements as in person appointments: the medical professional must be licensed in the state in which they are providing services. In the case of telemedicine, the state is defined as your physical address.
Unfortunately those assholes are everywhere. If they aren’t harassing you at the coffee shop about your service animal, they’re reporting you to the HOA for having the wrong color flowers around your mailbox. This law, however, does not confer the right to question the validity of your companion. It’s actually an add-on law. If Fifi winds up biting someone at the coffee shop, the owner can be additionally fined for lying about Fifi being an emotional support animal.
I agree, but evidently it’s become enough of a problem in California that the legislature decided it needed to pass a law about it. I doubt this will have much of an effect on abuse of the designation, but emotional support lizards trivialize those who really need an emotional support animal.
ETA: @Sludge beat me to it!
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Of course, but getting a dog certified is expensive as hell, and getting a certified dog even more so. Here in the US it’s expensive (and time-consuming) enough just to chase a single common chronic illness around with handfuls of cash.
I should disclaim my apparently indefensible defense of E.S.A.-dom by stating that as much as i love my small, quiet, sweet-hearted little doggos, they’re not certified to do jack shit, nor do i intend to bring them with me to any place which doesn’t already advertise their dog-friendliness. So to those of y’all who have already marked me for death, it’s probably not completely necessary.
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It struck me when I was in Germany how people took their dogs places, though. Not sure if there’s a size limit, but I saw pet dogs on trains, busses, etc. Pretty sure that pair of pugs weren’t any kind of service animal.
It was all pretty chill. I do miss seeing pets on transit.
Agreed. But that’s what these regulations are meant to address, no? If this was “painting everyone with a broad brush” as @ficuswhisperer says, the only regulation needed would be an outright ban. The point here is to give people with need and their clinicians guidelines for reasonable application just like service animals have. At this point there are enough people abusing something that’s becoming culturally accepted to the point that it simply won’t be accepted anymore. I’m sure it’s nowhere near most people, but it’s enough for action to be taken, apparently.
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A local citizen’s “emotional support” dog got her banned from the only two supermarkets in town because of it’s aggressive behavior. It was a Great Dane mix.
ANY dog presented as an emotional support animal should demonstrate basic obedience moves: sit, stay, heel, down, come and be calm in public situations.
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Mixed with what? Great Danes are generally such softies.
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