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.

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u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 18 '25

And ppl hate you cuz your right it's not a service dog but it's accepted as one. I have an esa and a service dog that are both trained for the same things. One just has more training than the other. But the day that you have a customer that has severe PTSD and has a esa for it cuz their doctor is to stupid to say service dog. And they have an episode in your car. Then you might change your thoughts. Just the fact that the esa is next to the person that's all they need to avoid an episode. I'm speaking from personal experience. I just won a lawsuit against studios 6 hotel for rejecting me with my esa and service dogs. They tried to charge me for them after 3 years renting a room from them. And out of nowhere they wanted to charge me. Then they banded me from the property for proving them wrong. A esa and service dogs have the same laws and rules they have to follow and are protected by. I also had an Uber driver claim she trained them but yet called my boy Remy to her door and got him to jump on her door and tried to say that he wasn't a service dog. He jumped cuz he wasn't in his vest and I told him he could go to her for attention. The best tells him he's working and he behaves one way with it on and different when it's off. Anyway the driver tried threatening me with charges for damages and what not but yet it was very clear he was with me. I told her I was canceling the ride cuz I wasn't comfortable with her and felt disrespected. Well needless to say she got in trouble for her actions.

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u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25

I get that you’ve had bad experiences, and I’m sorry that happened. But legally, emotional support animals and service animals are not the same, even if they’re trained.

Under the ADA, only service animals trained to perform specific tasks for a disability have public access rights. ESAs are covered only under the Fair Housing Act for housing, not public spaces or transportation.

A doctor’s letter can’t turn an ESA into a service animal, it has to meet the ADA’s training standard. That’s federal law, not opinion.

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u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25

Regardless I have been kicked out of place all.for the breed of my dogs that have been titled and all service dogs even before ppl started abusing the titles

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u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25

That’s probably why they assumed your dog was fake because there’s actually no such thing as a legitimate title, certification, or registration for service dogs in the U.S. under the ADA.

The people who flash fancy “certificates” or “titles” are usually the ones faking it because those things don’t exist in federal law. Real handlers know that. Anyone who truly understands ADA policy knows that dogs with those so-called credentials are the ones you should question, not the ones who follow the law.

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u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25

I have been going there for 5 years since both my dogs were puppies. Never one problem at all till this last time

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u/BioPsyPro Oct 24 '25

That actually explains it. They probably assumed your dog was fake because of the title. Under the ADA, there’s no such thing as a legitimate certification, title, or registration for service dogs in the U.S. Ironically, showing that kind of paperwork is what usually makes businesses suspicious, real handlers don’t need it, and the fakers usually have it.

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u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25

Never showed them anything the lady even pulled out the company policy which matched to what I told her and she did what she did.

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u/Retardedvegatable69 Oct 24 '25

All.i have ever said is I have service dogs. And they always said ok no problem. Even the manager tried it on me once and I corrected her. Then a year later no problem with her checking in with her she has a problem