Do you have to own the animal?
Answers
No statute mentions ownership, and the practical questions are about care rather than title.
The test says nothing about ownership
It asks whether you have a disability and whether the animal alleviates a symptom or effect of it. An animal you adopted, one that came with a partner, one registered in a family member name: none of that changes the analysis.
What does matter
- That the animal lives with you. An accommodation is about your dwelling, so an animal that lives elsewhere and visits is a much weaker case.
- That you are responsible for it. A provider is entitled to know who is accountable for care, damage and conduct, and the answer should be you.
- That the arrangement is stable. An animal that may be taken back next month is hard to build an accommodation around.
Shared animals
Where the animal belongs to a household rather than a person, the request is still yours and the documentation is still about you. A provider does not need to know whose name is on the adoption paperwork, and asking is not one of the two questions they are entitled to.
Common questions
- Can a foster animal be an emotional support animal?
- In principle, and the instability is the practical problem. A clinician may reasonably ask how long the arrangement is expected to last.