Can a veteran with an emotional support animal (specifically, a dog) take the animal into a hotel, even if the hotel forbids pets?
Can a veteran with an emotional support animal (specifically, a dog) take the animal into a hotel, even if the hotel forbids pets?
As a matter of federal law, rights to emotional support animals (ESAs) arise principally from the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA). The ADA provides broad protections for service animals, but an ESA is not classified as a service animal under the ADA. The Fair Housing Act protects the right to an ESA, but the FHA does not apply to ordinary hotels -- however, it can apply to long-term-stay hotels, so if this is a long-term stay the veteran may be able to bring the dog into the hotel and room.
State law protections may be broader than federal protections, so a ESA owner should check for any state law rules that may extend their legal rights to a hotel.