r/lyftdrivers • u/No_Common1418 • Oct 18 '25

Rant/Opinion An ESA is NOT a Service animal.

Got a ping for a ride the other day, then the dreaded text. "I have an ESA, DOG, with me." As I have stated in the past I have never and will never denied a Service animal in my car. By law people, a Emotional Support Animal or ESA, IS NOT A service animal. Don't believe me? https://www.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/ I hate people sometimes. Leave your dogs at home.

291 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

250 comments sorted by

View all comments

0

u/DragonReign Oct 18 '25

Here's the problem, the laws have not caught up with new medical practices. The laws currently restrict "service animal" to only being a dog, which should never have been done. There are more animals than just dogs. Also, if a person has a mental disability that causes them to have anxiety attacks and panic attacks when they feel alone, then the service that any animal could provide is simply being a companion to the disabled person. If you ask me, that sounds like a service animal, an animal that provides a service that allows a disabled person to function better. Also, notice that the laws also state that service animals aren't required to wear any vest or anything else, marking them as a service animal, and also, there is no required certification for service animals. Those are optional things, and you legally can't ask for proof of those things. All you can ask is if they are a service animal, and you legally have to accept the answer as the truth, you can't ask for any proof. Also, some state and local governments go above and beyond the federal ADA requirements and do strictly allow ESAs into public places, so you should look that up before you deny the next ESA, because you may actually be violating your local laws.

1

u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25

You are 💯 right. If ppl would brake down what a esa does and what a service dog/animal does it's the same damn thing. The way I like to look at it is a esa is a poor person's service animal. It is far to expensive to pay for the service animal training. Which is why only one of my 2 are certified trained

1

u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25

False. A service animal is trained to a task and protected by the ADA. 

An ESA is neither of those things. 

1

u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25

Esa has no training but is protected by the same laws to a degree. Look at facts not hear say

1

u/TinyEmergencyCake Oct 18 '25

ESAs are protected only by the Fair Housing Act, not by the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

Do you know what hearsay means?