Every pet owner knows the benefits of having a dog or a cat, from getting out for doing the exercise or providing a loyal companionship. However, for some people with mental disabilities, the presence of an animal is very important for their daily life. The emotional support and comfort offered by these pets allow individuals to face challenges and struggles in life. These pets are also called the ‘Emotional Support Animal’. This pet can offer you emotional and therapeutic benefits if you suffer from anxiety, pain and other emotional issues. Most often, the ESA is a dog or a cat, but sometimes people can use the panda or the pig too.
Emotional support dog vs service dogs
The emotional support animals provide the support and companionship. They help in calming your mind and relief you from stress and some phobia. But, they do not have similar rights as like the service dogs. The service dogs are allowed everywhere in the public area, but the emotional support animals are not allowed everywhere. Even there are certain norms related to the ESA while you are carrying them on the flights. If you want to know in details, it is very important to go through the link https://www.therapypals.com/blog/critical-esa-airplane-guide-for-2018-2019/.
How to qualify for an Emotional Support Animal
If you are any emotional disability, you can qualify for the ESA legally. But, before it, you must be qualified as the emotionally disabled by the therapist or the psychologist. The certification should be done in a formal manner and a formatted letter. Apart from the psychiatrist, no other doctors like the cardiologists can be qualified as the specialist for mental health professional. If you have the following disorders, you can qualify yourself for ESA, they are-
- Tic disorders
- Mental retardation
- Attention deficit disorder
- Learning disorders
- Gender identity
- Motor skill disorders
- Bipolar disorders
- Have Substance-related issues like drugs and alcohol.
If you are one of them who want an ESA as your companionship, it is better to be qualified first. You must then decide what type of pet you want, do you require the EAA or the service animal. Each one has its benefits and norms. To qualify as the service pet or the ESA, the animal must be well behaved and maintain pet standards like it should be toilet trained or do not cause any danger to others. Several agencies offer you the emotional support animal or the service animal as per your needs and requirements.
However, you should maintain the rules and regulations to apply for the same. If you want to get An ESA, you must first do a survey to check whether you are selected as the ESA bearer or not. Then, the therapist will review your health and can contact you for further information. If approved, you are ready to move on in purchasing the package. After the purchase, you will receive the confirmation and get the fast shipping of the pet as per your need.