How Many Service Animals Can You Have? Guidelines and Rights

Service animals are specially trained to perform tasks related to a person’s disability. They help enhance the quality of life. Service animals can guide blind people or alert deaf people to sounds. They can retrieve dropped items for individuals with mobility impairment.

A common question about service animals is whether individuals with disabilities can have multiple service animals. Most people with disabilities usually have one service animal, but they are not legally restricted to keeping only one.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) allows people with disabilities to have multiple service animals, and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) also allows them to have multiple service animals.

The ADA is the main federal law governing the use of service animals. It grants them extensive public access rights. The FHA grants housing accommodation rights to people with disabilities. When handling a PSD Letter, the law requires landlords to allow service animals even in housing with a no-pets policy.

Can You Have Two Service Animals?

Yes. You can have two service animals. The ADA doesn’t limit the number of service animals people with disabilities can have. This means a disabled person can own multiple service animals.

However, each service dog must be individually trained to perform specific tasks. These tasks should directly relate to the person’s needs. For example, a hearing dog assists people with hearing impairment, while a guide dog assists people with visual disability.

Some people may need multiple service animals. If a person has multiple disabilities, they may need multiple animals to perform different tasks. For example, an individual with vision impairment and seizure disorder may need one service dog to guide them and another for seizure alerts.

Some individuals may need two service animals for the same task. For example, a person with a physical disability may require two dogs. These dogs can provide them with stability and support while walking.

The ADA allows a person to have two service dogs. Businesses and public facilities must allow both dogs to be in public places. If it’s impossible to accommodate two service dogs, staff may ask that one of them remain outside.

Managing two or more service animals in a public setting can be challenging. The handler must ensure all animals remain under control. They should typically be on a leash and must not interfere with each other’s tasks.

Service Animals for Multiple Disabilities

A single service dog can often be trained to assist with multiple disabilities. It can be trained to perform the necessary tasks for each condition effectively. However, in some cases, a person with multiple disabilities may need more than one service animal.

This need depends on their unique needs and the specific tasks involved. For example, an individual with vision and hearing impairments might need one service dog to provide guidance and another to alert them to sounds.

Service Animals for the Same Task

Sometimes, a person may need multiple service animals for the same disability-related task. In such cases, a single service animal cannot effectively manage the task alone. This can be due to the severity of the disability and the complexity of the tasks.

For example, people with severe mobility issues may need multiple dogs for stability. These dogs can assist with balance, walking, and preventing falls, which can be physically demanding for a single dog.

Practical Limitations in Public Places

While the ADA allows a person to have multiple service animals, some practical limitations exist in public places. Small or crowded areas like restaurants or airplanes have limited space. This makes it difficult to accommodate multiple service dogs.

Multiple animals may create tripping hazards in crowded places. Having multiple dogs can also block pathways or exits. In such cases, businesses can ask the handler to leave one or more dogs outside.

Managing multiple service dogs in public settings can be challenging for the handler. Ensuring each dog stays calm and focused on their tasks can be difficult.

Rules for Handlers with Multiple Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)

Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide comfort and emotional support to their owners. Unlike service animals, ESAs don’t undergo specialized training to perform tasks. Therefore, the ADA doesn’t consider ESAs service animals or grant them public access rights.

ESAs have housing accommodation rights under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Landlords must allow ESAs even in housing where pets are restricted. They cannot charge pet fees or deposits. Housing owners can request documentation, specifically an ESA letter, to confirm the need for an ESA.

Most housing accommodation requests involve one ESA. However, there can sometimes be requests for multiple ESAs. For example, a person may need multiple animals for their mental condition. Additionally, two people living together may need a separate assistance animal.

The FHA also allows a person to have more than one ESA. Landlords can ask for documentation that each animal is necessary for the tenant’s disability. The tenant must provide an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional.

The letter should clearly state that the tenant needs multiple ESAs. It should also confirm that each ESA addresses a different disability-related need.

Differences Between ESAs and Service Animals

ESAs provide emotional support and comfort through their presence and companionship. They don’t need to be specially trained to perform specific tasks.

In contrast, service animals must undergo specialized training to perform certain tasks. These tasks must be directly related to a person’s disability. Service animals can be trained to alert deaf people to sounds, retrieve dropped items, guide a visually impaired person, and more.

While an ESA can be any domesticated animal, a service animal is mostly a dog. Under some circumstances, miniature horses can also qualify as service animals.

Under the ADA, service animals have extensive public access rights. They can go with their handlers to all public places. Unlike service animals, the ADA treats ESAs as pets and doesn’t grant them public access rights.

Service dogs also have air travel rights under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). ESAs used to have these rights, but with DOT rule changes, airlines now treat ESAs as pets. Individual airline’s pet policies apply to ESAs.

Learn More: ESA and Service Animal Differences

ESAs Number Limit Under the Fair Housing Act

The FHA allows a person to have multiple ESAs if each ESA helps deal with a different mental illness. For example, a person with PTSD and anxiety might need one ESA for PTSD and another for dealing with anxiety attacks.

Under the FHA, a person can request accommodation for multiple ESAs. However, they must provide appropriate documentation. This includes a legitimate ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional (LMHP).

For multiple ESAs, the ESA letter must clearly state your need for multiple service animals. It should also confirm that each ESA addresses a different disability-related need.

Individual Documentation for Each ESA

Under the FHA, landlords can require tenants to provide an ESA letter. This letter helps tenants support their request for housing accommodation. A person with multiple ESAs must provide an ESA letter from an LMHP confirming their need for multiple ESAs.

While not generally required, landlords may request separate letters for each ESA. This helps them verify the role of each ESA in supporting the handler’s disability.

A person with multiple therapists can also present a separate ESA letter for each ESA. One therapist can help with a particular condition, while another treats another mental condition.

Service and Emotional Support Animals Laws

Various laws provide certain rights and protection to people with disabilities who need assistance animals. Service animals have more extensive legal rights than ESAs.

The ADA grants service animals, including PSDs full public access rights. Businesses or other covered entities cannot deny them access or ask for extra fees. An ESA or therapy dog doesn’t have public access rights under the ADA.

Under the FHA, both service animals and ESAs get housing accommodation rights. Landlords must allow these animals even if the housing has a “No Pets” policy. They cannot ask for an extra fee.

Service animals also have air travel rights under the ACAA. They can travel with their handler in the cabin without any extra fee. ESAs are no longer covered under the ACAA. Airlines treat them as pets, and their pet policies apply to ESAs.

Americans with Disabilities Act Protections for Service Animals

The ADA is a federal law that governs the use of service animals. It grants them extensive public access rights. Under the ADA, service animals can go with their handlers to almost all public places.

Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog specially trained to perform tasks related to their handler’s disability. The ADA requires service animals to perform tasks for their handlers consistently.

They must also remain calm and focused in public settings. The ADA requires service dogs to be leashed, harnessed, or tethered in public places.

Fair Housing Act Regulations for Assistance Animals

The FHA grants housing accommodation rights to both service animals and ESAs. Landlords must allow these animals to live with tenants without charging extra fees.

The FHA allows landlords to ask for an ESA letter to verify a person’s need for an ESA. However, they cannot legally require documentation for service animals. A legitimate service dog or PSD letter can make requesting housing accommodation easier.

ACAA Rules for Assistance Animals During Travel

Under the ACAA, service animals have air travel rights. They can travel with their handlers in the cabin for free. However, with the changes in the DOT’s rule, ESAs are no longer covered under the ACAA.

Airlines now treat ESAs as pets, so their pet policies apply to ESAs. These typically include an extra pet fee, size and breed restrictions, and the use of a pet carrier.

ESA and Service Animal Required Documentation

Under the FHA, landlords are legally allowed to ask for ESA documentation to verify a person’s need for an ESA. This documentation includes a legitimate ESA letter from a licensed medical doctor or mental health professional.

Tenants must provide an ESA letter when the landlord requests to exercise accommodation rights. ESA owners must provide documentation per the airline’s pet policy for air travel. Airlines may request an ESA letter, vaccination records, and health certificates.

The ADA prohibits businesses from requesting documentation for service animals. Businesses can only ask two questions to confirm a person’s need for a service dog:

Is the service dog required because of a disability?

What tasks the dog is trained to perform?

Airlines can legally request the DOT Service Animal Form from service dog owners. While not legally required, having a service animal letter can help during housing and air travel requests.

Separate Letters for Each Assistance Animal

You don’t always need a separate letter for each assistance animal. A single letter from a licensed healthcare medical provider can be enough. The letter must specify the need for multiple animal assistance regarding the individual’s disability.

However, having separate letters for each assistance animal can be helpful. Separate letters can help clarify the specific role of each animal and how it relates to a person’s disability or disabilities.

A person can also present a separate letter for each assistance animal if they have multiple therapists for different mental conditions.

Get Your PSD Letter

What Should an ESA Letter Include?

An ESA letter is a document that confirms an individual’s need for an ESA. An LMHP issues an ESA letter after thoroughly assessing the individual’s mental condition. A legitimate ESA letter has the following details:

• Full name and other details of the patient
• Information that confirms that the person has a mental or emotional disability
• Explanation of how an ESA helps deal with the diagnosed mental condition
• Details of the mental health professional or therapist. These include the therapist’s name, license number, contact number, and signature.
• The letter should be on the official letterhead of the therapist.

Service Dog Prescription Letters

A service dog letter confirms an individual’s need for a service animal to help with a disability. It states the tasks the dog can perform to assist with the disability. However, it doesn’t include details about the person’s specific disability.

Hving a legitimate service dog letter can help owners exercise their housing and travel rights more easily. It helps prevent misunderstandings and conflicts.

Behavioral and Training Standards for Assistance Animals

Service animals exhibit certain behaviors and training that reflect their suitability for public access. They are well-trained to perform tasks related to their handler’s disability. They are calm in public settings and remain focused on their handler even in crowded areas.

In terms of housing accommodation, service animals must not pose a direct threat to others or cause significant property damage.

Under the ADA, ESAs do not have the right to accompany their owner in public spaces. When it comes to housing, ESAs are expected to be calm. They must not exhibit aggressive behaviors that could disrupt other tenants or cause property damage.

Learn More: Public Access Rights for ESAs

Expected Behavior of Service Animals

True service dogs exhibit certain behaviors that help distinguish them from fake ones. Here are the common behaviors of a genuine service animal:

• Real service animals have calm demeanors, even in crowded spaces. They don’t bark excessively without reason or disturb others.
• Genuine service animals are not distracted by other animals, food, or people. They remain focused on their handler and the task they are trained to perform.
• Properly trained service animals consistently perform tasks for their handler. They quickly respond to their handler’s commands.

Training Multiple Service Animals

Training and managing multiple service animals require a structured approach. You must train each animal individually to perform its specific tasks. Ensure that all animals are trained to obey basic commands, such as “sit,” “stay,” and “heel.”

You should also train the animals to behave appropriately in public settings. Once individual training is done, bring both animals together for joint training sessions. Focus on tasks that need simultaneous cooperation, such as walking together or avoiding distractions.

Behavioral Differences Between ESAs and Service Animals

Service animals are specially trained to perform tasks that assist their handlers’ disabilities. They are trained to exhibit certain behaviors in public, housing, and travel settings.

While ESAs don’t have to undergo service dogs specialized training, they must behave appropriately in housing and travel settings. They must be housebroken and clean. They must not directly threaten others, cause significant property damage, or create undue disruption.

ESAs must also maintain a calm demeanor during travel. They should be non-aggressive toward passengers and staff.

Legal and Practical Considerations

Managing multiple assistance animals in public or housing environments has limitations and responsibilities. Individuals with disabilities have the right to request accommodations for multiple animals.

Businesses and landlords can consider space, safety, and the potential administrative burden of fulfilling these requests.

For example, accommodating multiple animals in small or crowded areas, such as restaurants, can be challenging. In some environments, having multiple assistance animals can also create safety risks.

Reasonable Accommodations for Multiple Animals

Under the ADA and FHA, businesses and landlords are required to assess reasonable accommodation requests for multiple animals. They must allow multiple service animals when necessary for the person’s disability.

While ESAs are not allowed in public settings, landlords must allow multiple ESAs if a person requires them due to multiple mental disabilities. Landlords can request medical documentation or an ESA letter to confirm the need for each animal.

Space and Safety Limitations

In some cases, businesses may face challenges accommodating multiple assistance animals. This can be due to space limitations and safety concerns.

For example, in smaller public spaces, having multiple animals may hinder movement. Businesses can ask the handler to keep one service animal outside in such cases. In crowded public spaces, multiple animals can also pose safety risks.

Undue Burden for Housing Providers

In certain situations, accommodating multiple animals can impose an undue burden on landlords. In such cases, landlords may deny requests for multiple animals.

If accommodating multiple animals requires significant modifications in housing or involves high costs, a landlord may refuse the request.

The landlord may also deny the request for multiple animals if they pose a health or safety risk to others.

Public Access Rules for Service Animals

The ADA is the main law defining service animals’ public access rights. The ADA protections apply to almost all public settings. This means service animals can go with their owners to all public places, even if they have a no-pets policy.

Under the ADA, public facilities and businesses cannot deny access to service animals. They cannot charge additional fees or pet deposits for service animals. The ADA also doesn’t allow businesses to request any certification or registration number for service dogs.

If a business or public facility doesn’t follow these ADA-defined rules, it can face legal consequences, such as fines. However, the ADA allows businesses to ask two ADA-compliant questions to confirm the legitimacy of a service animal.

The ADA requires service animals to undergo task-specific training. They must also consistently perform tasks to assist their disabled handler without requiring excessive prompting and exhibiting certain behaviors.

They must be calm and composed in public settings. They shouldn’t bark aggressively without a clear reason. They must not get distracted by food and other animals. Businesses can observe these behaviors to confirm if a particular service animal is genuine or fake.

ADA Guidelines for Public Access

The ADA grants individuals with disabilities the right to be accompanied by their service animals in public spaces. This protection also applies to cases where a person requires multiple service animals.

Service animals are allowed in all places open to the public. These include restaurants, stores, public transportation, and government buildings. A person with two service animals can take both dogs to public places.

However, if two dogs cannot be accommodated due to limited space, the handler must keep one dog outside.

Handling Disruptions in Public Spaces

The ADA provides extensive public access rights to service animals. However, businesses can ask owners to remove a service dog under certain situations:

• If it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
• When a service animal isn’t under the handler’s control, the staff may ask the handler to remove it. This includes situations like when the dog barks excessively without a clear reason or jumps on others.

While ensuring safety in shared spaces is important, do not remove a service animal solely because of complaints. If a service animal is disruptive or poses a direct threat, you can remove it.

Housing Rules for Assistance Animals

The FHA grants housing accommodation rights to assistance animals. This includes both service dogs and ESAs. It requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations for assistance animals.

Landlords cannot deny a person with a disability access to housing because they need an assistance animal.

FHA Protections for Assistance Animals in Housing

The FHA provides clear protections for individuals with disabilities requiring assistance animals. It prohibits housing providers from discriminating against people with disabilities.

Housing providers must allow service animals and ESAs even in properties with a “no-pet” policy. They cannot charge extra pet fees, deposits, or rent for assistance animals. These rules help ensure fair treatment and access to housing.

Case-by-Case Assessment for Multiple Animals

The FHA doesn’t limit how many ESAs or service animals a person with a disability can have. Landlords must allow multiple animals if they are needed for disability-related support.

Allowing more than one animal depends on factors like available space and whether the request is reasonable. Landlords can ask for an ESA letter to confirm the need for each animal.

If there are multiple animals, each ESA letter must explain why that specific animal is needed. Sometimes, you may need a separate letter for each animal. This helps landlords understand why every animal is important for your disability needs.

Penalties for Misrepresenting Support Animals

Some people may misrepresent their pets or ESAs as service animals to gain public access rights. Misrepresenting a service dog is ethically wrong and can also have serious legal consequences.

Fake service dogs are not trained for public settings. They can pose safety concerns for others. Fake service dogs also undermine the rights of individuals who genuinely need service dogs for essential tasks. In many states, falsely passing off a pet or ESA as a service animal is illegal.

These states impose fines for misrepresenting a service animal. An article on NOLO by Lisa Guerin explains service dog misreprentation fines in New Jersey range from $100 to $500. In California, the fine is up to $1,000.

Repeat offenders or cases with severe misrepresentation of service dogs may face jail time. In California, misrepresenting a service dog is considered a misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail.

In Michigan, penalties include a fine of up to $500, 90 days in jail, and/or 30 days of community service. Individuals and their pets may be prohibited from the premises where the fraudulent claim was made. Businesses may also deny them future access, damaging their reputation and relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions About Service Animals Limits

Is There a Limit to How Many Emotional Support Animals You Can Have?

No. There is no legal limit to your number of emotional support animals. The FHA allows people with mental conditions to have multiple ESAs. However, tenants must show an ESA letter confirming the person’s need for multiple animals.

Why Would Someone Have Two Service Dogs?

A person can have two service dogs for multiple reasons. If the person has multiple disabilities, they may need a separate service animal for each disability. Some people may require two service animals for the same task.

What Are the Three Questions You Can Ask About a Service Dog?

The ADA allows businesses and management to ask only two questions to confirm a service dog’s legitimacy. These include: Is the service dog required because of a disability, and what task has the service dog been trained to perform?

Can Landlords Deny Emotional Support Animals in Oregon?

No. Landlords cannot deny ESAs in Oregon. ESAs in Oregon are protected under the FHA. Landlords are required to make reasonable accommodations for ESAs

Conclusion: Understanding Assistance Animal Flexibility

Some people may need multiple service dogs for their disability or disabilities. The ADA doesn’t limit the number of service animals a person with a disability can have.

Under the ADA, businesses and public facilities must accommodate individuals with disabilities by admitting service animals into areas open to the public. This also applies to multiple service animals.

However, businesses may ask the handler to keep one animal outside if multiple animals cannot be accommodated. A person with multiple assistance animals must ensure both animals remain calm and composed in public settings.