Emotional support animals have been around for a long time and continue to be popular across the United States. While the federal government has laws like the Fair Housing Act (FHA) that outline ESA laws and how these companion animals are supposed to be treated, states also have their own laws for these support animals. Each state has to support the federal laws, but states may also have slightly different rules for handling emotional support animals.
This can become complicated for many people, and we’re here to help. This article covers what an emotional support animal is, how they’re handled by the federal government, and what laws you need to keep an eye on in Wyoming. Read on to learn everything you need to know about Wyoming emotional support animal laws.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals (ESAs) are animals that provide comfort and support for people who struggle with mental health disorders. These animals can live with you in your home, and if you make the proper arrangements, they can go out in public with you. That said, emotional support animals don’t require any formal training, which makes it easier for anyone to get an ESA. In fact, you don’t even have to limit your options to dogs; you can choose cats, snakes, or other animals to be your ESA in Wyoming.
While ESAs are great companions, they’re not handled the same way as service dogs or therapy dogs. The federal government and Wyoming have laws for how they need to be managed, and ESAs don’t have many of the same protections that service dogs have.
What Can Qualify for an ESA in Wyoming?
Anyone who has a mental health disorder can qualify for an ESA in Wyoming. To qualify, all someone needs is a mental health disorder. Some of the most common conditions that cause people to apply for an ESA include:
- Anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Chronic stress
- Panic attacks
The only qualifier you need to worry about is speaking with a licensed mental health professional to get an ESA letter – only a qualified therapist or mental health professional can provide you with an ESA letter that will let you take advantage of Wyoming’s emotional support animal laws.
What Types of Animals Can Be Emotional Support Animals in Wyoming?
The state of Wyoming doesn’t have any specific rules about the types of animals that can be emotional support animals. Moreover, you can get creative with your choice of animal as long as it’s well-behaved and doesn’t harm other people. Some of the most popular ESA options in Wyoming include:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Snakes
- Hamsters
- Birds
- Mice
- Small reptiles
- Rabbits
- Guinea pigs
- Ferrets
Depending on your needs and your preference for animals, there are plenty of ESA options for you to choose from. To get the most benefits from an ESA, we recommend choosing a dog or cat. This is because people are used to seeing these animals, and you’ll have a better chance of success when going out in public.
Do Emotional Support Animals in Wyoming Have Any Legal Rights?
Now that you know what an ESA is, we can focus more on what exactly these animals can and can’t do in Wyoming. Most of these laws are federal laws, but there are some unique state laws that you need to consider when adopting and registering an ESA in Wyoming.
ESAs do have some legal rights under acts like the Fair Housing Act (FHA), but they don’t have protections under other federal acts like the ADA or ACAA. Still, this gives you protection in housing situations.
Do Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wyoming Protect ESAs at Work?
There are no emotional support animal laws in place in Wyoming that protect emotional support animals at work. Therefore, you can’t present your boss with an ESA letter and bring your emotional support animal into the building. This is because ESAs aren’t recognized under the ADA as service animals, so they don’t have the same protections that allow them to enter private businesses.
While there are no emotional support animal laws in Wyoming that protect them in the workplace, that doesn’t mean you can’t work something out. In fact, your employer might be lenient if you’ve been working there for a while and work hard. Even if it doesn’t go in your favor, it’s worth a shot to ask your employer about accomodations, and there’s no harm in doing so.
What Are the Emotional Support Animal Housing Laws in Wyoming?
When it comes to housing, that’s where you’ll find the most protections in Wyoming. This is because emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). This act allows you to live in an apartment or another type of non-pet-friendly housing situation with your ESA.
For this law to assist you and your ESA, you need to have an ESA letter. It’s a letter you can get from a mental health professional for a mental health disorder that states that your ESA is there for the treatment of that condition. As long as you’re following all of the rules and have the appropriate paperwork, landlords can’t deny your application or prevent you from living in one of their housing units.
Emotional support animal housing laws in Wyoming protect your ESA, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be evicted. Landlords do have some rights when it comes to ESAs, and so do other tenants. If your ESA doesn’t behave well, acts aggressively, or damages property, you can be removed from the housing unit. In the event that this does happen, it’s possible to have the complaint investigated, depending on the circumstances.
What Are the Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wyoming for Flying?
Most airlines won’t allow pets to fly with people in the cabin of the plane in order to keep other passengers safe and comfortable. For this reason, most dogs and other animals travel in the cargo hold away from other passengers. This also applies to ESAs in Wyoming because ESAs aren’t protected under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). Therefore, most ESAs will have to travel in the cargo hold.
However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to have your ESA with you in the cabin. In fact, if you call ahead, it’s possible for the airline to make an exception. This won’t usually happen unless the ESA is a small dog or cat and well-behaved. You should also have your ESA letter to prove that your dog is an ESA. In some cases, they may also allow you to fly with an ESA in a carrier in the cabin if it fits the airline’s rules.
What Are the Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wyoming for Going Out in Public?
Emotional support animal laws aren’t in place to protect you in public. Unlike service dogs, ESAs aren’t required by law to be allowed in public places or to enter private businesses. Therefore, you need to keep an eye on spaces that allow dogs and emotional support animals if you want to go out in public.
The good news is that some public spaces in Wyoming welcome emotional support animals or even pets. We list some of these locations below:
- Cody Trolly Tours
- Beck Lake Bark Park
- South Pass City Historic Site
- Black Dog Raft Company
- Emily Stevens Park
- Rawhide Coffee Co.
These are only some locations where you can take your ESA in Wyoming, but there are many other locations you can visit. You can also visit other public spaces if you call ahead and let someone know about your situation. This won’t work every time, but it’s worth trying.
How to Get an ESA Letter in Wyoming
If you want an emotional support animal in Wyoming, you need to register your ESA and get an ESA letter. This means that you need to follow a few key steps before you can claim that you have an ESA. Learn more about each part of the process below.
Adopt a Candidate for an Emotional Support Animal
First and foremost, you need an animal for which you can get the letter. This needs to be an animal that’s well-behaved, not aggressive, and able to live with you in your space. If you live in an apartment or a small space, we recommend opting for a smaller animal like a small dog, cat, reptile, or rodent.
You should also consider what you want to do with your ESA. For example, if you want to go out in public, we recommend getting an emotional support dog. You can take them to most locations that are pet-friendly, so you have plenty of options. Still, you might also do well with a cat or another type of ESA if you don’t need to venture out of your home too much with the accompaniment of your support animal.
Fill Out an ESA Letter Application
The next step is to fill out an ESA letter application. These can be done online when you work with a reputable organization like US Service Animals. You can also fill out an application in person or have your licensed mental health professional fill one out on your behalf. If you already have a therapist that you speak with, you can bring it up at your next appointment.
If you do decide to apply online, you need to fill out an application and provide the necessary information to register your animal. First, you need to provide information about yourself. This includes:
- Full name
- Age
- Mental health conditions
- Phone number
- Email address
You also have to supply information about your ESA. This includes:
- The type of animal
- The specific breed or the animal (if applicable)
- The animal’s name
- The animal’s height
- The animal’s weight
From there, you can submit your application and schedule a call with a licensed mental health professional.
Receive and Renew Your ESA Letter
The last part of the process requires you to wait for your ESA letter. If you apply for one online, it should arrive quickly, and you can usually get a PDF version that you can show your landlord. Just make sure you wait until you have your letter before you apply to places that don’t allow pets. This can help you avoid any confrontations or possible rejections. Thankfully, the process should only take a few days from start to finish. Once you have your ESA letter, you won’t have to worry about being evicted or rejected due to your need for a support animal.
Emotional Support Animal Laws in Wyoming FAQ
Have questions about emotional support animal laws in Wyoming? We have answers to some of the most common questions below.
Can You Be Evicted with an Emotional Support Animal in Wyoming?
Yes, you can be evicted with an ESA in Wyoming. While your landlord can’t remove you just for having an ESA, that doesn’t mean they have no rights. If your ESA is not behaving it’s possible for your landlord to evict you from the property. Some reasons that a landlord can evict you in Wyoming include:
- Your animal is being aggressive with other tenants
- The animal is damaging the property
- Your animal is making too much noise
- Creating bad smells that the neighbors notice
- Letting the animal roam around without supervision
- They find that you don’t have an ESA letter
- You’re lying about your animal’s ESA status
While it takes a lot to get evicted with an ESA in Wyoming, it’s not impossible. Make sure you always renew your ESA letter and supervise your dog to avoid problems.
Do You Need to Train an ESA in Wyoming?
No, you don’t need to train your ESA in Wyoming. In fact, some ESAs, like snakes and other reptiles, can’t be trained. However, while you don’t have to train your ESA, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. If you have a dog, you should train them to be personable around people, quiet, and not aggressive to ensure the best results when living with your ESA and going out in public with them
Are Emotional Support Animals Recognized as Service Animals?
No, emotional support animals are not recognized as service animals. While an ESA can function in a similar way as a psychiatric service dog, the way they’re handled under Wyoming law is not the same. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), and the Fair Housing Act (FHA), while ESAs are only protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). For this reason, ESAs aren’t handled the same way under federal or Wyoming state laws.
The biggest legal difference is that emotional support animals are only able to live with you at home, while service dogs can go out in public and ride on planes. Service dogs also have specialized training that ESAs don’t need, which is part of the reason why they have so much freedom in public spaces.
Are Emotional Support Animals Recognized as Therapy Dogs in Wyoming?
No, emotional support animals aren’t recognized as therapy dogs in Wyoming. Therapy dogs are a different classification of dogs that fall between service dogs and ESAs in Wyoming. What makes a therapy dog different is that they’re trained to handle groups of people instead of bonding with one single person. For example, you may find therapy dogs in places like nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and funeral homes. Ultimately, if you can find a group of people who need comfort, it’s a suitable location for a therapy dog.
Therapy dogs aren’t quite service dogs, but they do have some more flexibility than ESAs. Many organizations are allowed to adopt them and keep them on the premises for the good of their patients or clients. Some therapy dogs may also travel to locations with their handler with the proper approval.
While therapy dogs and ESAs are similar, that doesn’t mean they’re interchangeable. If you need help for personal reasons, you’re always better off with an ESA compared to a therapy dog, though you should speak to your therapist or doctor about your options
Get the Help You Need with an Emotional Support Animal in Wyoming
Emotional support animals are perfect for people who need comfort from mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder. They can also help with insomnia, loneliness, and other disorders that don’t qualify for service dog work. What’s more, you can register your current companion as an ESA to ensure that you remain comfortable in your home.
When you follow Wyoming ESA laws properly, you’ll find that living with one is easy, even if you’re not in a pet-friendly home. As long as you follow the laws and your ESA doesn’t bother people, damage property, or get aggressive, you won’t have any problems with the law.
To make the most of your time, make sure your ESA is well-trained and registered in Wyoming for the best results.