Emotional Support Dogs at work places
 

Hi All,

Does anyone know if ESAs are allowed at the work place? I am going through some tough things at the moment and would love to have Thumper or Bella with me at work.

Bella wouldn't be a good candidate as she is too much of a barker and would disrupt the work area. But Thumper is very quiet and would just sit on my lap while I work and give me tons of loving hugs and kisses that I need at the moment.

I know ESAs can be in apartments if animals are not allowed or on airplanes but are the given any other allowances?

I do know they are completely different from a trained service animal. I would look into getting one of them certified but unsure of the age and process or if they would be a good candidate even.

Thanks,

Ashley

No they can’t but you could talk to your boss and try to explain the situation. There is no certification for an ESA or service dog. ESA’s just have to have a letter from you doctor or therapist. A service dog has to be able to do a task though not just comfort you because that’s not a task. When Callie was younger she could predict when a panic attack was coming as well as stop me from my anxiety picking and a few other things.

I would be very cautious at the job, if your supervisor or who ever is over you "thinks" your issues are/ can/ will interfere with your work performance you can loose your job.
However, you can speak to who ever is in charge and say your dog is having issues right now and would it be ok if you took him with you or your dog needs meds during the day and it would be easier to give if he was with you rather then leaving the job to go home. A little white lie will not send you to hell ;). As long as the dog is well behaved, no barking, no messing on the floor they could say ok.

Two of the privately owned companies I worked for in NY allowed us to bring our dogs to work, I had rascals, barking, Diva girls, I never took them to work, besides I had 3, I would have to had taken the gang :eek:

This is a tough one if your employer is not into letting you have a dog at work.
Have you considered a therapist or maybe FMLA?
I have a fully trained Service Dog (hearing dig) who was formally trained and have had places that would have preferred she not be there, so sometimes it is just the fact that so don’t want dogs around period.

This is a hard thing for you to be going through. You know your boss better than we do so it would be impossible for us to predict how he/she would react to your request. I would NOT use the excuse that your dog needs you to give meds to during the day, etc. I find honesty is the best policy. Good luck and I hope you can resolve whatever issues you are dealing with at this time.

ESA are not allowed public access by the ADA. An individual owner/manager would need to make allowances for an ESA to be permitted. So, you would have to ask your boss, and as others have mentioned, that comes with risks.

It is a brilliant idea to take your furry friends to your workplace, as the presence of dogs can indeed reduce stress from work and increase collaboration between the colleagues. However, you might also face some difficulties at the same time.
1. Is your office/workplace pet/ESA-friendly? ESAs have legal rights to live or travel with you in apartments or the cabin of aircraft. However, as there is no law stating that employers must allow employees to bring an Emotional Support Animal to the workplace, the ultimate decision is always determined by company’s regulations or your boss. Similarly, ESAs might be refused by hotels, stores, restaurants, and so on. Most of my friends who work with their dogs say their offices are friendly to animals and encourage workers to do it as well as arrange a special area for the pets to rest. If your workplace doesn't set up relevant rules, you could sincerely make a request for working with your dogs and explain their benefits to you or others.
2. Can you promise Bella obedient and friendly with others? To get your boss's agreement, you should make sure your friends are obedient and calm in new places. Choose a proper spot as their toilet and instruct them to go potty in there. Otherwise, if they cause messes or unhappy memory to others, you may face double annoyance instead of mental relief. Reinforce their basic training and make them get used to your schedule in advance. Find out more tips: https://www.schoolforthedogs.com/8-t...ct-office-dog/

One of the issues with dogs in the work place is liability for the company. That is the reason that most therapy dogs are permitted in places is because they carry liability insurance. Might want to consider that when talking with your boss. Getting it could be a good step forward.

This is why one day I want to own my own Pet boutique or store. Then I could take them all to work lol.

Thanks all I am not going to pursue trying to get Thumper to come with me to work at the moment. Too much drama there going on. Would be cool if they allowed if but since its for a big financial institution they are pretty strict on the rules.