What's the difference between an ESA and a service dog in North Carolina?

What the law says

28 C.F.R. § 36.104 defines a service animal as a dog "individually trained to do work or perform tasks." HUD's 2020 guidance clarifies that emotional support animals "are not limited to dogs and are not individually trained to perform a specific task."

Source: 28 C.F.R. § 36.302(c) (DOJ ADA service-animal regulation) ↗

In plain language

Federal law treats service animals and emotional support animals as different categories. A service animal under the ADA is a dog (or in limited cases a miniature horse) trained to perform specific tasks tied to a disability — and has public-access rights in stores, restaurants, and other public accommodations. An emotional support animal under the FHA can be any species and is not required to have task training; ESAs primarily have housing protections, not public-access rights. North Carolina follows the same federal framework. Whether a specific animal qualifies as one, the other, or both depends on facts about training and the disability.