The new chairwoman of the animal-law committee of the New York City Bar Association, Christine Mott heads a group that plays a key role in determining how animals fare in New Yorkers’ homes and beyond. She recently spoke out about the issue of service animals in rental housing:

“A major issue involves service animals. And not just Seeing Eye dogs for the blind. People might also need a service animal because of physical impairments that involve hearing or mobility, or for epilepsy or asthma, as well as psychological conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder or depression. Federal law says that a person can have a service animal if it’s medically necessary. We want to make sure that law is enforced. For example, we supported legislation to make it clear that landlords cannot require proof that a service animal has been certified by the state.”