(Photo not that of actual client.)
“Irene” came to JALA after her landlord refused to allow her to keep her emotional support dog in an apartment she’d qualified for even though she had provided a doctor’s note in support of her request. Irene is diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and her treating psychological professional had prescribed the emotional support dog as necessary for her emotional and mental health. As a person with a disability, she is allowed to have a reasonable accommodation to have the full use and enjoyment of her home. Irene believed she had been left with no choice but to give her dog to her mother, but as she prepared to move into the apartment, she did some of her own research on the law. Believing she should be allowed to keep her dog, she contacted the Florida Attorney General’s office, which referred her to JALA. An attorney in JALA’s Fair Housing unit assisted Irene by making a formal, well-supported request for a reasonable accommodation to allow her to have her dog. The rental agent responded within 24 hours, having changed his position. Irene moved with her dog into her new home, telling her JALA attorney, “this changes my life in ways you can’t imagine. You are amazing.”
Irene moved with her dog into her new home, telling her JALA attorney, “this changes my life in ways you can’t imagine. You are amazing.”
