Emotional Support Animals- All You Need To Know

February 8, 2019

Emotional Support Animal - ESA Pets — Image used for representation only

What You Need To Know About How To Make Your Pet An Esa

Pets make life better; there’s no question about it. They give us unconditional love and support while asking very little in return. Pets can also be more than just a “pet” if they improve your mental health and you have a qualifying mental disability. Emotional support animals help those with mental disables by giving them support and improving their mental well being. ESAs are allowed to live in housing that does not accept pets without a pet fee or pet deposit and fly with their owners, sitting on their lap without a pet fee. Find out more about how to make your pet an ESA.

Do You Have A Pet In Mind?

Unlike service animals, you have to have a pet before you make it an emotional support animal. Emotional support animals can be any pet, but many psychologists only recognize the therapeutic benefit of common pets like dogs and cats. In addition, many airlines are becoming more restrictive as to what types of animals they will allow to fly in the aircraft cabin regardless of whether or not they’re an emotional support animal. If you do not have a pet, but think one will help you, check your local shelters and rescue groups. Rescue pets often make the best emotional support animals.

Do You Have A Qualifying Mental Condition?

Emotional support animals are for those with a diagnosed mental disability such as anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, social phobias, and more. If you think you have one of these conditions, you can start with the Certapet 5 minute pre-screening test to see if you qualify to have an ESA. You can be eligible to have an ESA if a therapist diagnosed you with one of these mental conditions or if you suspect you have been suffering from one and have not had a formal diagnosis. Many people are suffering from mental health issues without treatment of a therapist.

Talk With A Licensed Mental Health Professional

Once you take the prescreening, you can choose to have a licensed mental health professional in your area contact you. They will ask you a series of questions to evaluate your mental health and whether or not an emotional support animal would benefit you. If a doctor or therapist is already treating you, you can talk with them about making your pet an emotional support animal.

Emotional support animals help those with a mental disability by providing love and comfort which improves mental health and well being. Emotional support animals are allowed to live in housing that does not allow pets and fly with their owners on airplanes, in the air cabin. If you have been diagnosed with a mental disability like anxiety, depression, or OCD or suspect you have an undiagnosed condition, you may be eligible to make your pet an emotional support animal. You can talk with a licensed mental health professional to be evaluated and see if an emotional support animal can help you.

CertaPet is a great resource for all things ESA – click here to learn more!