Animals play an important role in many people’s lives. For most of us, animals serve as companions; however, some animals help people overcome the impacts of physical or emotional disabilities. For these people, service or emotional support animals play a crucial role in their day-to-day lives. Federal and state laws provide protections for such individuals, and community association boards must understand how to deal with a service animal or an emotional support animal. Missteps in handling these matters can create both legal and reputational risks for your community. 

As part of Associa’s year-long focus on generating awareness about the role of service animals in communities, we hosted a webinar with leading attorneys in key markets to discuss the ins and outs of service animals and board responsibilities. This document is a summary of the program below.