Like many other American states, Missouri is a welcoming place for assistance animals of all kinds. But it also differentiates different assistance animals, most notably service animals and emotional support animals.

In most states around the country, the provisions the ADA lays out for housing, employment, travel, and so on are upheld verbatim as state standards. But some states have begun to diverge from the 1990 bill. Indiana, with its newly passed law concerning emotional support animals, is one of those states.

If you have a mental or emotional condition currently affecting your daily life, receiving support and comfort from a pet may be helpful. If so, your dog, cat, or other pet can serve as an emotional support animal (ESA).

When you adopt an animal, that pet swiftly becomes an essential part of the family. And if you rely on that animal for day-to-day support as you navigate a mental health condition, having your animal companion with you as much as possible is vital.

You might think that getting an ESA letter involves the same process in each state, but you'd be wrong.

Though federal laws govern a good deal of conduct regarding service dogs and emotional support animals, several state legislatures have adopted specific laws and guidelines.