Emotional Support Animals
What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal (ESA) is any domesticated animal that provides a psychological and/or emotional benefit to its owner.
“If a person is about to spiral or head into a bad feeling, sometimes just holding the animal can calm them down,” Morrissette says. “Having that animal beside them can prevent them from going to a worse [mental] place.”
The capabilities of your ESA depend on how much you train them to better serve you. Many ESAs haven’t been trained at all—their mere presence is enough for someone to reap the psychological benefits.
What’s an ESA Letter?
An ESA letter is the only legally accepted way to prove that your pet is an emotional support animal. You must retrieve the letter from a physician or licensed mental health professional, including a therapist, psychiatrist or psychologist. The letter confirms that you’re dealing with a diagnosed mental illness and that your pet is providing you with mental and/or emotional benefits.
However, there are several places where ESA letters aren’t accepted. This is because, unlike service dogs, emotional support animals aren’t protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It’s up to each individual business, such as restaurants and retail stores, to accept or deny your ESA.
How To Get an Emotional Support Animal
If you already live with an animal that benefits your mental health and are seeing a licensed mental health professional, you can ask them to write you an ESA letter to prove that it’s crucial to your well-being.
The process differs if you don’t currently have an animal and are looking to get one. You’ll want to select an animal that best suits your mental and emotional needs; most people select dogs. The next step will be to obtain an ESA letter from your licensed mental health professional.
Eligibility for ESA Animals
To qualify for an emotional support animal, you must be suffering from a diagnosed mental illness or disability, such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder. Your licensed mental health professional or doctor must recognize that your ESA provides you with a psychological and/or emotional benefit.
ESA Dogs vs. Service Dogs vs. Therapy Dogs
Emotional support animals and service animals are not technically considered pets. An ESA mostly offers comfort and companionship. According to the ADA, service animals must be dogs and are always trained to complete specific tasks that help their owners with their day-to-day activities.
“Service dogs are almost like medicine with four legs and a tail because they’re needed to function daily,” explains Morrissette.
While emotional support dogs require an ESA letter for certain permissions, service dogs don’t have to be certified. It’s against the law for someone working at a business or government facility to ask for a service dog’s documentation. Service dogs are allowed almost anywhere, while entry for ESAs is up to the discretion of the establishment.
Therapy dogs are used for companionship and comfort just like ESAs, except they have undergone extensive training and socialization for this purpose. You may see them used in senior centers, schools, libraries and hospitals.
“A therapy dog has to have a very calm temperament…It needs to be well-trained, well-behaved, socialized and able to listen to instructions very well,” explains Morrissette.
Can Emotional Support Dogs Fly on Airlines?
Prior to 2021, emotional support animals were able to fly on airlines for free with their owner. But due to a change in the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), airlines are no longer required to accept ESAs. Emotional support dogs are only allowed in the cabin on most airlines if they meet the size requirements and the owner pays the pet fee..
If your ESA doesn’t meet the size requirements, it may have to fly in the plane’s cargo hold or it may not be allowed to fly at all.
Mental Health Benefits of Emotional Support Animals
There are myriad mental health benefits when it comes to emotional support animals.
Here are some of the ways ESA dogs can benefit your mental health:
- Ease anxiety. “Just by looking at or petting [an ESA], it can bring you back to, ‘Alright, things are OK now.’ They can change your whole mindset emotionally when you get into a bad place,” explains Morrissette.
- Alleviate symptoms of depression. “Someone can be depressed and then they walk through their door and there’s their dog looking at them. That can change their whole day,” Morrissette says.
- Provide support for those with PTSD. Trauma can cause people to feel on edge, anxious and hypervigilant. A dog’s comfort can help relax these symptoms.
- Offer companionship to those suffering from loneliness or grief. Someone who suffers from loneliness or is dealing with grief may benefit from having companionship through an ESA.
- Reduce stress levels. Having a dog by your side can help you to let go of stress. In fact, dogs have been found to reduce physical symptoms of stress such as high blood pressure and an accelerated heart rate.
Suitable Pets for Emotional Support Animal Designation
Any domesticated animal can be an emotional support animal; however, the most popular by far is dogs. Some popular dog breeds for ESAs include golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, poodles and Yorkshire terriers.
Other common ESA animals include cats, pigs, birds, rabbits and miniature horses.
Understanding the Legal Aspects of Emotional Support Dogs
The only legally accepted document that can prove you have an emotional support animal is an ESA letter.
Landlords may not deny you your right of living with your ESA, even if the home is listed as “no pets allowed.” Your right to live with your emotional support animal is protected under the Fair Housing Act.
Emotional support animals are not protected under the ADA or the ACAA. This means they are not considered essential service dogs and can be denied entry into any business or airline.
Pet Insurance for Emotional Support Pets
There is no special pet insurance for emotional support animals, but you’ll want to have your ESA equipped with the best pet insurance. Making sure that it's covered will provide you peace of mind for both your ESA and your wallet.
