Emotional support animals are getting all the hype in the past few decades for all the right reasons. Animals are a great source of affection, warmth, and support for people who need emotional support. They are amazingly therapeutic and can help in improving an individual’s mental health. However, the bundle of information available on the internet often blurs the boundary between facts and fiction and leaves people confused about what they should believe. We are here to help you with all the essential information that you need to know about emotional support animal registration, benefits, and more.

What is an ESA?

As the term suggests, an emotional support animal provides emotional support to its owner. It is like a companion and friend to its owner and is meant to comfort them with their delightful presence. Mental disorders like PTSD, depression, anxiety, severe phobias, panic attacks, etc. can be the reason to get an emotional support animal. There are many emotional support animals, but the most common ones include dogs, cats, or rabbits.

What is the difference between an emotional support animal and a service dog?

Most people often confuse ESAs with service animals. An emotional support animal is solely for people with mental health disorders and they do not need any prior training to be an ESA. Many animals can be emotional support animals. Only dogs can be service animals, and they are specifically trained to help their owner with daily physical activities. They can help and assist their owner to take medicines on time and can accompany them in public places. Therefore, emotional support animals and service dogs are two starkly different things and must not be confused at all.

How can someone get an ESA?

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to get your animal registered to a legal organization. All you need is a signed letter from a licensed mental health professional stating that this patient is qualified to get an emotional support animal. Getting a letter is the most crucial part because only then your landlord or airline will allow you to take it anywhere with you.

What emotional support animal should you choose?

There are so many emotional support animals available, but which on to pick solely depends on your preference. Firstly, make sure that you can take ample care of it without having to worry about your budget. Moreover, you can take care of it as well. If you can take care of a rabbit all day long, it is your choice, or if you want to have a cuddle buddy, you can get a dog or cat.

Why get an emotional support animal?

An emotional support animal offers multiple benefits for an individual having depression, anxiety, PTSD, or any other emotionally challenging disorder. It keeps you engaged and help you get along with your life effortlessly. You spend most of your time taking care of it and do not get time to overthink other stuff and make room for some negative thoughts that can in turn lead to a mental health disorder.

The presence of an ESA helps a patient to regain their focus in life. It makes them feel loved and motivated as they feel self-sufficient by being able to take care of their ESA all by themselves. It helps to eradicate the feelings of loneliness and despair as an ESA has a positive benefit on the mental health of an individual.

What are the rights of ESAs?

Emotional support animals have more rights than regular pets, but less than service dogs have. They can accompany their owner during flights, and they do not need to be caged while on board. Moreover, they are allowed in homes legally even if the landlord does not typically allow pets, and the owner cannot charge extra bucks for keeping an ESA at home. However, emotional support animals are not allowed in public places such as stores or restaurants, unlike service animals, as they are not trained for it.

To sum it up

Emotional support animals have become a crucial part of psychological therapies because of the benefits that they offer. They are therapeutic and are known to have a positive impact on their owners. It would not be wrong to say that emotional support animals have become a go-to option for many mental health professionals.