While emotional support animals can provide comfort for those with mental or emotional disabilities, several factors must be considered when determining the necessary oversight of these animals in institutional academic or research buildings. We invited experts from Wayne State University (Erin Katz), University of California San Francisco (Carine Serageldine) and the University of Oregon (Stephanie Womack, Audrey Harris and Kathy Snell) along with Acting Director, OLAW (Axel Wolff) to respond to a perplexing situation at Great Eastern University.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
We are sorry, but there is no personal subscription option available for your country.
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Brennan, Jacquie; Nguyen, Vinh (Ed.). “Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals.” The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) National Network, https://adata.org/guide/service-animals-and-emotional-support-animals
Institute for Laboratory Animal Research. Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, 8th edition (National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2011).
California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Government Code §12900-12996.
National Agricultural Law Center Research, CA Penal §597.1(a)(1) https://nationalaglawcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/assets/animalcruelty/california.pdf
Public Health Service. PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 2015).
OLAW, NIH. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 2015). IV.A.3.a.
OLAW, NIH. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 2015). III.
OLAW, NIH. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 2015). II.
OLAW, NIH. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 2015). IV.A.1.
Brown, P. Lab Anim (NY) 48, 69 (2019).
Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals – Frequently Asked Questions. Applicability of the PHS Policy, Question No. A.1. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC).
OLAW, NIH. Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. (US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA, 2015). IV.A.1.f.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Disclaimer
The views expressed in “A word from OLAW and USDA” represent the positions of OLAW/NIH and USDA, respectively, but the remainder of the contributions in this article do not represent official support or an endorsement by NIH, USDA, or any government agency.
Related links
U.S. DHHS, Fact Sheet: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/civilrights/resources/factsheets/504.pdf.
OLAW, Webinar 2021, I ACUC responsibilities regarding service animals: https://olaw.nih.gov/education/educational-resources/webinar-2021-06-10.htm.
ADA.gov, FAQs: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/.
Memoranda of Understanding: https://olaw.nih.gov/resources#meund
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Danridge, L., Greer, B., Katz, E.M. et al. Emotional support for everyone. Lab Anim 53, 1–3 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-023-01306-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-023-01306-x
