Emotional Support Pets Are Now on the Agenda
Pets have an incredible ability to help us through the chaos and turmoil in our lives, and now we may need them more than ever.
Having an emotional support animal (ESA) can be therapeutic for people with mental or emotional illnesses. According to research, owning/caring for a pet helps reduce the symptoms of mental problems such as stress, loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and bereavement. ESAs can also provide company and lessen symptoms of despair, and some phobias. Pets also give us a sense of responsibility and, for some, a reason to live.
Every species of animal, domestic or wild, trained or untrained, can be an ESA. Under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), however, only dogs are accepted as service animals. ESAs are not required to carry out certain jobs, hence, they don’t need any additional training, they do not need to be registered, and they do not need to wear special coats. Their main emotional advantage is the reduction of symptoms of PTSD, autism, bipolar illness, melancholy, panic attacks, and social phobias.
An individual must have an emotional or mental handicap to be eligible for an ESA, and a mental health or medical practitioner must certify in writing that the animal is required for the person’s mental health. The Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, two…
