Emotional Support Animal Laws Every Pet Owner Should Know
As a dog owner, you already know how important your pet for you is. It accompanies you when visiting the market, exercising, and of course managing your mental illnesses. The pet provides comfort and love to help you lead a healthy lifestyle. That’s why they’re called emotional support animals (ESA). In the United States, ESAs enjoy more benefits over normal pets. Let’s learn about the ESA laws and the advantages of registering a dog as an emotional support animal.
Emotional Support Animal Laws
Emotional support animals are companion animals, which offer an emotional connection with individuals suffering from mental health conditions. Usually, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists prescribe ESAs to patients with anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.
ESAs are different from service animals, which require extensive training to perform their jobs. Although emotional support animals don’t require any training to perform their jobs, you should train your animal to behave in the public.
Live With Your ESA
Under the Fair Housing Amendment Act, ESA holders are allowed to live with their support animals in rental apartments without paying any extra pet deposits. It’s valid for houses and buildings located in regions with a no-pet policy.
Your landlord can ask you for an emotional support animal letter to verify your condition, but can’t deny you housing.
Air Travel With ESA
Under the Air Carrier Access Act, passengers can fly with their emotional support animals without paying extra pet travel fees. To avail this benefit, you need to notify the airline regarding ESA travel at least 48 hours before the flight. Additionally, during the flight, your ESA can’t eat from the tray table and can’t occupy a seat.
During the travel, you’re responsible for handling your emotional support animal. It shouldn’t cause trouble to other passengers otherwise you may face some problems. It’s good to read all the ESA rules and regulations of the airline before booking an air ticket.
How to Register Your Dog as an Emotional Support Animal?
To avail the ESA benefits, you require to register your dog as an emotional support animal. For this, you need to visit a licensed mental health professional (therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist). When talking to the therapist, discuss your condition openly and state all the reasons why you need an ESA letter. After you’re approved, the therapist will provide you with an emotional support animal letter.
With telemedicine services, you can obtain your ESA letter within a few minutes. Here’s the process-
Wrapping it up—spending time with animals provides lots of therapeutic benefits, which can help in managing various mental illnesses. Researchers have proved that pets offer love and comfort, allowing pet owners to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, etc. Unlike service animals, ESAs don’t require any special training to perform their tasks. However, it’s good to train your pet to behave properly in the public to avoid any sort of problems. ESA owners enjoy two major benefits. First is—living with their emotional support animals in rental apartments without paying extra pet deposits under the Fair Housing Amendment Act. Second is—flying with their ESAs without paying extra pet travel fees under the Air Carrier Access Act.
Remember, an ordinary pet doesn’t get such benefits. If you want to get those, you need to register your dog as an emotional support animal. Talk to a licensed therapist to discuss your condition, and receive your emotional support animal letter.
Emotional Support Animal Laws
Emotional support animals are companion animals, which offer an emotional connection with individuals suffering from mental health conditions. Usually, therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists prescribe ESAs to patients with anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.
ESAs are different from service animals, which require extensive training to perform their jobs. Although emotional support animals don’t require any training to perform their jobs, you should train your animal to behave in the public.
Live With Your ESA
Under the Fair Housing Amendment Act, ESA holders are allowed to live with their support animals in rental apartments without paying any extra pet deposits. It’s valid for houses and buildings located in regions with a no-pet policy.
Your landlord can ask you for an emotional support animal letter to verify your condition, but can’t deny you housing.
Air Travel With ESA
Under the Air Carrier Access Act, passengers can fly with their emotional support animals without paying extra pet travel fees. To avail this benefit, you need to notify the airline regarding ESA travel at least 48 hours before the flight. Additionally, during the flight, your ESA can’t eat from the tray table and can’t occupy a seat.
During the travel, you’re responsible for handling your emotional support animal. It shouldn’t cause trouble to other passengers otherwise you may face some problems. It’s good to read all the ESA rules and regulations of the airline before booking an air ticket.
How to Register Your Dog as an Emotional Support Animal?
To avail the ESA benefits, you require to register your dog as an emotional support animal. For this, you need to visit a licensed mental health professional (therapist, psychologist or psychiatrist). When talking to the therapist, discuss your condition openly and state all the reasons why you need an ESA letter. After you’re approved, the therapist will provide you with an emotional support animal letter.
With telemedicine services, you can obtain your ESA letter within a few minutes. Here’s the process-
- Sign up your account online
- Talk to a therapist over a HIPAA-compliant platform
- Receive your emotional support animal letter in PDF
Wrapping it up—spending time with animals provides lots of therapeutic benefits, which can help in managing various mental illnesses. Researchers have proved that pets offer love and comfort, allowing pet owners to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, etc. Unlike service animals, ESAs don’t require any special training to perform their tasks. However, it’s good to train your pet to behave properly in the public to avoid any sort of problems. ESA owners enjoy two major benefits. First is—living with their emotional support animals in rental apartments without paying extra pet deposits under the Fair Housing Amendment Act. Second is—flying with their ESAs without paying extra pet travel fees under the Air Carrier Access Act.
Remember, an ordinary pet doesn’t get such benefits. If you want to get those, you need to register your dog as an emotional support animal. Talk to a licensed therapist to discuss your condition, and receive your emotional support animal letter.
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