We live in one of the most stressful decades of our lives, and it can be rather difficult to manage navigating a full-time job, potential health disorders, and global conflicts all at once. So, people need a way to reduce stress and anxiety, and beyond drug treatments and therapy, getting an emotional support animal (ESA) is a great decision that has multiple benefits.
An ESA can help you tremendously in lowering cortisol, the stress hormone, combating loneliness, and establishing a daily structure to get through. ESAs don’t require special training to be certified and receive legal housing protection, but having them means discussing it with a licensed mental health professional who can prescribe, as part of a treatment plan, an ESA. However, an emotional support animal is far from being a toy, and you need to take care of them too, as they do for you. So, let’s find some useful resources you can access to help you understand the process better.
HUD gives you the right to live with an ESA
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the institution responsible for the Fair Housing Act (FHA), under which you can have an emotional support animal to live in your house. You can go to the official website and read about the process of gathering all the documentation you need to get an ESA. You may need to submit a reasonable accommodation request for your pet to be allowed to live with you, all under the notice FHEO 2020-01 that outlines the obligations housing providers have towards their assistance animals.
In some cases, being eligible to get an ESA starts the discussion between observable and non-observable disabilities that the notice FHEO 2020-0 covers. For example, observable disabilities include mobility challenges, while non-observable ones include depression, which is the reason you may want an ESA, to help you navigate these health issues.
DOT allows you to travel safely by air
DOT is the U.S. Department of Transportation and will help you understand the rules of possible travel with your ESA. Unfortunately, the most recent development of the DOT Air Travel Rules established that since 2021, airline companies are not required to recognize ESAs as service animals, meaning you will travel with them as regular pets, so there will be fees applied to your tickets. Indeed, service animals, which are also trained, usually fly for free and can be seated in the cabin next to their handler.
ADA makes the difference between ESAs and service dogs
ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act that can comprehensively state which rights your ESA has outside your home. This is an important aspect to consider since living with a disability of any kind means overcoming challenging feelings when going outside or traveling, so you may feel the need to bring your ESA with you. So, according to the ADA, ESAs are not protected under the act, which can prevent you from entering with them in restaurants or grocery stores, as opposed to service dogs.
NAMI answers common mental health inquiries
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which is a thorough source for diving into mental health knowledge. It’s got a special entry for ESAs, talking about the benefits of fluffy companions, while also teaching you the importance of a valid letter from a licensed mental health therapist that allows you to have an ESA. You can deepen your knowledge with specialized info from CertaPet’s emotional support animal resources that will provide you with all the definitions, documentation, and distinctions between ESAs and service animals.
The CertaPet resources will also guide you towards getting the ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional and show you what a legal letter looks like so you know how to make the difference between a certified and a false one. You will also understand better what kind of animal could suit your living situation and lifestyle better.
The Canine Journal for additional info
One of the sources recommended on NAMI is the Canine Journal, which is a trustworthy website that deeply discusses canine care. Dogs are indeed the most common and frequently registered ESA since establishing a routine with them is easy, and they offer natural companionship and affection. Cats are usually second, followed by rabbits, birds, and small pets.
If you’d like a dog as an ESA, you’re not required to train them, but you should know how to care for them to ensure long-term health and happiness. In the Canine Journal, you can find a lot about the behavior, training, grooming, and health needs of almost every breed imaginable, which will be helpful as a responsible owner.
MHA offers public resources
MHA is the Mental Health America source that expands on the subject of the bond between humans and animals. It’s a great read if you’re interested in scientific research, as the Pets and Mental Health Resource Center category has plenty of materials that explain exactly how animals help lower stress and improve your daily routine.
This is also where we find that about 70% of US households have a pet, and the majority of these families believe in the fact that pets offer them more happiness and reduce their anxiety substantially.
ASPCA provides the framework for animal safety
ASPCA is the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and you should give it a read, as it offers you insight into the state-by-state laws that help protect pets. They also have emergency telephone lines for animal poisoning and can help in cases of animal cruelty.
Moreover, they support local shelters and promote better animal rights, so engaging with their cause could contribute to improving the rights of ESAs.
Final considerations
If you’re interested in how an ESA could help you, researching the subject thoroughly is important before you apply. Here we gathered several trustworthy sources that explain your possibilities to accommodate ESAs, as well as responsibilities towards pets. The mental health resources are needed to understand the benefits of an emotional support animal for your mental health or physical disability, so make sure to only check governmental and certified websites and resources when learning about getting an ESA.