Pets may do wonders for your mental well-being (or may not, depending on which study you\u2019re quoting), but emotional support animals (ESAs) take it a step up. This kind of assistance animal is prescribed to people with mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder to provide comfort and companionship in their hour of need. ESAs are different from service animals, which have received specialized training to aid people in certain tasks.<\/p>\n
ESAs aren\u2019t any different from regular pets in terms of physique or behavior, only that a pet is considered one if prescribed by a licensed mental health professional (LMHP). That said, your mental well-being is a key factor in the choice of ESA. Below are several tips on finding the right support pet for your needs.<\/p>\n
If your LMHP deems an ESA necessary to support your treatment but your home doesn\u2019t allow pets, you\u2019d want to secure a legitimate ESA letter first. Produced and signed by your LMHP, this letter explains your need for a support pet to anyone stopping you from living with one.<\/p>\n
The letter is often addressed to landlords or property owners who impose rules prohibiting animals on their properties, including all forms of assistance animals. Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers are obligated to provide reasonable accommodation to ESA owners if a valid request is made. All the more reason to acquiesce if the provider can\u2019t show that a pet would be detrimental to other tenants.<\/p>\n
You can pick up an official ESA letter from services like Wellness Wag<\/a> and others for a fee. To make an ESA request, you\u2019ll be first set up with an LMHP for a consultation to assess whether your condition needs one. After which, they\u2019ll produce the letter that contains pertinent details such as (but not limited to):<\/p>\n An ESA letter typically covers one pet, but it can be made to cover as many as three. Take note that the letter can\u2019t be used to fly with your pet in the cabin due to a recent update to the Air Carrier Access Act, which reclassifies ESAs as normal pets.<\/p>\n Unlike service animals, which are restricted to dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act, an ESA can be any domesticated pet. These include sheep, chickens, pigs, birds, and rabbits, but cats and dogs are the most common.<\/p>\n\n
Choosing The Animal<\/h2>\n