Emotional support chickens

[FrizzleFrizz]

so I was wondering if any of you have emotional support chickens, and your experience with that. I'm about to start the process of making my one Blue Cochin, Max into an ESA. I just need to know if I'm allowed to bring her into public, because I get panic attacks and mood swings, and she would comfort me. Am I even allowed to take her into public? I want to take her into walmart/target, and I know chickens can carry salmonella but I'm also planning to get her vet checked + screened for parasites and anything harmful. I also plan to buy her a chicken diaper so she does not make poo everywhere. She's a super friendly chicken already so I'm not exactly worried about her behavior, it's more that I'm not sure if I'm allowed to bring her anywhere.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

My house chicken Strawberry (she is my profile pic and is a frazzle Cochin) is a ESA and is welcome everywhere I simply ordered an X-small ESA harness for her and we go on with life. It is illegal for Anyone to enquire about your ESA or what you have it for.

 

[FrizzleFrizz]

My house chicken Strawberry (she is my profile pic and is a frazzle Cochin) is a ESA and is welcome everywhere I simply ordered an X-small ESA harness for her and we go on with life. It is illegal for Anyone to enquire about your ESA or what you have it for.

aww she's so cute!! Yeah I don't really think anyone will question it, and even if they do I plan to carry the certificate/note by the mental health professional on me- and I don't plan on taking her to restaurants where salmonella could spread, I just want to take her to the store with me.

 

[The Moonshiner]

ESA are not allowed to go anywhere like a service dog is.
The only rights they have are concerning housing and travel.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

It is illegal for Anyone to enquire about your ESA or what you have it for.

No it is not, an ESA is not a service animal. A quick google search finds this, after 4 ads for Dr's willing to give you a certification online...

Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered service animals either. ... A doctor's letter does not turn an animal into a service animal.

Gary

 

[FarmeRoach]

You might also want to consider if this would be stressful for your chicken.. wearing a diaper, being in public, the new and loud noises that may startle her. Chickens are a wonderful way to cope with emotional troubles, I sit with my chickens everyday as emotional support and it is good for them. But please be considerate of her too.

 

[rlhagan56]

Also they are finally cracking down on people abusing the laws concerning service dogs and it is about time! Service dogs GUIDE people with real physical disabilities and are highly trained. If you need an emotional support chicken to shop for groceries, go to a restaurant, etc. PLEASE consider your chickens emotions and how she would react to everything in public. Watch out for those ESA dogs going after your chicken. And really they ARE cracking down on the loophole people are taking advantage of.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I think if I were gonna have an emotional support chicken, it should be a meat type bird... so if things got really stressful I could have some comfort food.

 

[ThracianHorse]

This is a bad idea. You're helping to undermine real service animals just because you want to do something. Chickens do not belong in Wal-mart, and neither do dogs unless they are a real service animal. You run the risk of not just your animal getting hurt, but service dogs rely on the fact they are working in human environments and by and large won't be distracted by other animals.

As others have pointed out, there are many states who are cracking down on the ESA practice, and the fines if you are caught are steep.

If you love your chicken, leave it at home.

Anyone may enquire why you have a chicken as an ESA animal - they aren't protected. Only Service Dogs and Miniature Horses get that protection.

 

[Josh863]

My house chicken Strawberry (she is my profile pic and is a frazzle Cochin) is a ESA and is welcome everywhere I simply ordered an X-small ESA harness for her and we go on with life. It is illegal for Anyone to enquire about your ESA or what you have it for.

That is not true. ESA are not the same as service animals. It is against the law to ask about service animals but ESA can very mush be questioned and asked to leave from places. Also if an ESA is wearing a service animal vest that is against the law, ESA must identify as ESA.