I am a 31-year-old American living with autism, fetal alcohol syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and several other disabilities. My emotional support cat, Bastet Naturewalker, provides an essential service for me. However, under the current law she is not recognized as a service animal and therefore not allowed in public places where I need her the most.

The current American Disability Act does not include emotional support animals (ESAs) in its definition of service animals. This leaves many disabled individuals like myself without the necessary support we require in public spaces. We propose an amendment to this act that would recognize ESAs as legitimate service animals.

In addition to this recognition, we propose creating a regulated and defined licensing infrastructure for ESAs. This would include a general ESA license ensuring housing protection for these animals and their owners. A secondary license should also be available which would allow ESAs to have public access after undergoing structured training and testing.

It's important that these changes are accessible to all who need them regardless of income level. Therefore we suggest that all fees associated with these licenses be covered by Medicaid for low-income families.

By making these changes we can ensure that people like me can continue to benefit from our ESAs wherever we go without fear of discrimination or exclusion due to our disabilities.

Please join us in advocating for this change by signing this petition today!