05/25/2026
For years, CCAA has offered educational classes surrounding three types of working dogs: service dogs, therapy dogs; and emotional support animals (ESAs). This week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) distributed a memo to leadership that the Department would exclude emotional support animals and more strictly police the definition of a qualified service animal when granting accommodations for disabled tenants effective immediately.
If you have a psychiatric service dog, this does not impact you. Your dog is trained to complete a task for you. If you have an ESA, you will likely see and feel this impact. While the Fair Housing Act has not been changed, the department that enforces it no longer will, leaving tenants without an avenue for holding landlords accountable for discrimination and law violation.
CCAA predicts that more landlords with "no pet policies" will circle back to tenants with ESAs requiring pet deposits and additional fees. Some may revoke approved accommodations altogether, which may come with its own legal issues, especially depending on the state you live in.
Unfortunately, we did see this coming. Too many people used and abused this system, purchasing online therapist notes, letters, vests, etc. to be able to live places with their pets or avoid paying additional fees. Now, individuals with real need for an ESA will suffer. For this news to break on Memorial Day weekend, when so many veterans depend on their ESAs, with su***de rates for veterans back on the rise, and many of the HUD complaints consisting of vets with PTSD, this is a huge blow.
CCAA will continue to update the public as more news and updates become available.
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Caped Canines Assistance Academy, Inc.
www.capedcanines.org