A service animal is a dog that is trained to do work or perform a task for a person with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. DHS currently can only accommodate service animals that are dogs.

Examples of tasks a service animal may be trained to perform include:

• Alerting a person who is deaf to sounds
• Guiding a person who is blind
• Opening or closing doors, or bringing items to someone who has a mobility impairment.

If having your animal with you helps with your disability, but the animal has not been trained to perform a specific task related to your disability (or the animal is not a dog), then the animal may be an emotional support animal, not a service animal.

If you have an emotional support animal and want to bring it into shelter, you need a letter that explains how the animal helps you. The letter should include a description of your disability, the fact that you need an emotional support animal, and how having the animal is related to your disability. For example, if you have anxiety, and having your emotional support animal helps slow your breathing and calm you when you feel anxious, make sure that you give DHS (or shelter staff) a letter that states you have anxiety and you need an emotional support animal to help manage the symptoms of your anxiety.

The documentation needs to come from a professional who knows about your disability. For example, the documentation could come from a doctor, social worker, rehabilitation counselor, or other medical professional.

You can learn more about the reasonable accommodation process here. While your reasonable accommodation request is being reviewed, your emotional support animal may not be allowed in DHS shelter.

Please note: you do not need to get any kind of certificate or license to prove to DHS that your animal is an emotional support animal; you just need a letter from a professional who knows about your disability.

Remember, you do not need any documentation if your animal is a service animal.

DHS can and will require you to provide the following for your service animal or emotional support animal:

• Proof of up to date vaccinations
• Proof of a valid NYC dog license
• Proof the animal is spayed/neutered

If your service or emotional support animal is not yet licensed or vaccinated when you enter shelter (or you do not have proof of these things), you will have two weeks to obtain the license or vaccinations (or proof of them). If your service animal is not yet spayed or neutered, you will have up to 15 days to have your animal spayed/neutered.

If you are unable to do these things or require assistance to do so due to your disability, DHS staff is required to assist you.

Information on obtaining a dog license in NYC can also be found here.

Along with the requirements listed above, you are required to:

• Feed and care for your service animal or emotional support animal.
• Be in control of your service animal or emotional support animal at all times.

If you are unable to afford to spay or neuter your animal, a list of low-cost clinics can be found here.

If you are unable to afford vaccinations, sometimes free vaccines events can be found here.

If you are unable to afford food for your service animal, the Human Resource Administration (HRA) may be able to provide you cash assistance to pay for food for a service animal. You can call HRA’s Family Independence Administration, Office of Program Support (OPS) Guide Dog Food Program at 929-221-6692 or 929-221-6688.

It usually takes up to 10 days (and sometimes longer) for DHS to make a decision about a reasonable accommodation request. If you need a place for your emotional support animal to stay while you are waiting for your RA determination, you can reach out to the places listed below. They may be able to offer to shelter your animal for a short period of time. Ask for a “limited intake” appointment or a “surrender prevention program.”

• Animal Care Centers of NYC: 212-266-7880 or this online form.
• Animal Haven: 212-274-8511
• ASPCA: 212-876-7700
• Best Friends Lifesaving Center: 929-292-8300
• Humane Society of New York: 212-752-4842
• North Shore Animal League: 516-883-7900
• PAWS NY: 212-203-4760
• Sean Casey Animal Rescue: 718–436–5163

This information has been translated into Spanish and is available for download here.

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.