How do I register my chickens as therapy animals? Or how can I save them from my HOA?

A therapy animal is a pet that has been trained to visit nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Therapy animals have no legal rights whatsoever.

Service animals are animals that are specifically trained to perform a task for a disabled person that they can not do for themselves. There is no such thing as a registry for service animals, but chickens are not service animals. Federal ADA law is very clear that only dogs and miniature horses can be legally protected service animals.

I get that you don't want to lose your chickens, but it's morally and ethically reprehensible that you would attempt to commit fraud and cause harm to legitimately disabled people by trying to pretend that these were somehow service animals. You are not disabled. "having depression a few years ago'' does not entitle you to a service animal, and it certainly does not entitle you to commit fraud.

Doesn't matter anyway, because chickens can not legally be service animals: http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

"Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.

A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability."

First you said you had depression a couple of years ago. Now you say you currently have depression. Doesn't matter either way, because unless that depression is declared legally disabling by a physician you don't have a leg to stand on. Simply being diagnosed with depression DOES NOT make you disabled. There is no such thing as ''registering'' emotional support animals. In order to have an ESA (AN ESA, not FIVE ESAs) you must be determined to be LEGALLY DISABLED. ". I had severe depression a few years ago ....I was wondering if I could use that fact"----yeah, NOT legally disabled. That sentence right there screams "let me think up any excuse I can to commit fraud to keep my chickens". You're also going to Germany for quite some time.....and leaving the chickens home, I presume? Well, that just proves that you're not disabled enough to require them if you can just leave them behind while you go abroad. You also have several other pets, including dogs, cats, ducks, rabbits, lizards, snakes and birds so your HOA can not be asked to accept chickens as well as part of legal reasonable accommodation laws. Forget it. Try to legitimately convince them to let you keep them,because in about 5 minutes a total stranger has shot a million holes in your ''I need them for my depression BS" so you're really not going to fare well when your HOA takes you to court over it. A lawyer would rip you a new one far beyond what I'm doing.

YOU CAN NOT ''register" these birds as anything in order to keep them. You are not legally disabled, and there is no such thing as ''registering'' ESAs or service animals.

PS----just so you know, you now have made it public that you are looking for a way around the system, even willing to lie, in order to keep them. Hope you know that your HOA can read this and use it against you.

You can't

Chickens can not be considered therapy animals. The HOA can inspect the property and demand their removal since livestock and poultry are not allowed in city limits in most areas.

The HOA can rightfully demand you get rid of the chickens and if you don't they can have AC remove them. You can't have poultry with in city limits in most cities and there's nothing you can do about it other then to get rid of the illegal animals.

People like you are the reason so many people abuse the therapy animal card. They think they can break any rule they want then whine how they 'need' the animal because they are Super Special Snowflakes that think they can do what ever they want.

If I could get paid just from having to deal with people like you I'd better off then being paid by the city. Every week I get to deal with no fewer then three people like you who refuse to get rid of illegal animals

Check into the ADA & the Federal Housing Act. Federal law supersedes HOA rules. They are not service animals. They are emotional support animals. There is a difference. Usually connected to depression, PTSD, etc.

If you have property restrictions they are enforceable, as to you chickens, because you can get a dog or cat or other animal allowed by the HOA as a therapy animal...You will loose this battle if you chose to go to court.

I do indeed have a silkie chicken that is a SERVICE ANIMAL. I have fainting spells that that can turn into seizures, anxiety & complex PTSD. If I have a seizure, she will throw a tantrum alerting someone for help so the statement she can provide no service is absolutely ridiculous

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xD