Here is the definition that jiggyboy posted for “emotional support animals:”
“For those who have been asking, here is the definition of Emotional Support Dog. An emotional support animal (ESA) is a US legal term for a pet which provides therapeutic benefit to its owner through companionship and affection. Emotional support animals are not specially trained to ameliorate disability as psychiatric service dogs are. They require only as much training as an ordinary pet requires in order to live peacefully among humans without being a nuisance or a danger to others.”
I think that under this definition, another valid term for “emotional support animal” is “house pet.”
Now, you claim to have invested long, arduous hours in training your animal. I've trained my own dogs into marvelous, well-behaved house pets, and it is not a long, arduous task. So, the reader may conclude either that you're doing something very different than what is described above, or that it just took you a long time with great difficulty to train a house pet. In fact, you mention that your own service animal helps you with balance while you stand and walk, which suggests the animal has been trained a good ways beyond a regular pet, and is more akin to a traditional service animal than an "emotional support animal."
I don't think anyone would begrudge someone bringing along a dog who helps keep him/her upright has he/she walks. I think that most of us would regard such an animal as a traditional service dog, even if the dog's owner was able to train the dog on his/her own, resulting in significant cost savings.
Which brings us to the final question: Should folks generally be permitted to bring their house pets aboard passenger flights? I've never given it much thought. I imagine there are probably good reasons for avoiding cabins full of dogs (and cats? are cats included?), and thus, no, folks generally should not be permitted to bring their house pets aboard passenger flights.
Thus, the conclusion is, if most “emotional support animals” fall under the rubric provided above, then, no, folks shouldn't be permitted to take them places where ordinary folks may not take their house pets.
sitetest
Since I went the proper route, I had more obligations to fulfill than just standard obedience training.
Most dogs will get out of your way if start to topple over on them so it takes some doing to not only have them stand still but to actually push against you and understand ~why~ they are doing so.
And there’s the training involved with the handle on the harness where the dog has to learn how to assist you in standing if you are down.
[which way to pull, when not pull but stand firm instead, etc]
One night right before Christmas 2 years ago, I lost my balance at a Best Buy and dozens of people, mostly men, simply stepped over or around as I tried to get off the floor by grabbing onto the shelves to pull myself up.
Not one person offered help.
I wish I *had* taken advantage of having the dog there, that night.
I can’t pass judgement on somebody who might be so emotionally fragile that hugging their pet is the only thing that keeps them from screaming.
There are many poor souls who are sadly at that point.
I’d hate myself if I denied them that solace simply because I didn’t see a need for it.
Nobody truly knows the extent of psychological damage another person might be dealing with.
Not all scars are visible.
I’m surprised to hear that people are paying doctors for this, though...and more surprised to hear that doctors are doing it.