Getting an Emotion Support Service Animal for Your Disabled Family Member

Emotional Support Service Animals help provide a person with comfort and emotional therapeutic support. They help give people with physiological and neurological disorders emotional stability. Some of the disorders that the animal can help include: anxiety, depression, bipolar, post- traumatic stress disorder, certain phobias, and sensory processing disorder.

Any animal of any breed can be an Emotional Support Animal, but dogs and cats are most common.  

Unlike a Service Animal that is specifically trained, an Emotional Support Animal does not require professional training geared towards a specific disability. The animal does need to be trained, but the skills required can be taught by the owner. It must be well controlled (able to obey commands such as: sit, stay, lay, stand, halt, come, drop, on, off, in), be potty trained, and will not pose danger on others (moves with handler, accepts greetings by people, and allows body examination).

If a family member has a physiological or neurological disability, you can register your pet as an Emotional Support Service Animal online (your pet must be able to pass the NSAR Public Access Test). There are several companies out there that help you do this. All you need to do is a web search for “Emotional Support Service Animal Registration”. Once you have found the company you want to go through, you will then need to:

1.      confirm your disability or your child’s disability (some sites require a diagnosis, prescription, or letter from a doctor while others just take your word that a family member has a disability)

2.     take a NSAR Public Access Test to make sure your pet is controllable in public ( Pet is potty trained, doesn’t have bad habits such as barking, listens to commands, and will not pose danger on others)

3.      pay a fee plus shipping for your service animal items (Most basic packages include: pet id tags, patches, and certificate. A vest, clips, and leash can also be purchased at an additional cost.) The cost to certify an Emotional Support Animal ranges from $45 to $100.

 

 Once your animal is registered, the animal becomes an extended part of the disabled person, and it is protected under the Fair Housing Amendments Act, Air Carrier Access Act, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), and the American with Disabilities Act. According to these documents, the animal will be allowed to live in housing that even states “no dogs allowed” and fly on the plane with the handler at no additional charge. As far as taking it anywhere in public, it does not have as many rights as a Service Dog, and can be denied entry into businesses.

Emotional Support Animals have been known to improve the life of the people they serve. It has been documented that these animals reduce stress, cholesterol, blood pressure, and the feelings of loneliness while increasing physical activity, and socialization.  If your disabled family member needs an animal that provides comfort and emotional support, this is the right certification for your animal. If your disabled family member needs more support geared towards their disability, you should look into a Service Animal.

Our dogs are not certified as Emotional Support Animals, but I have observed them calming my children and bringing them comfort. They are one reason why my children are not anxious about their dark rooms at bed time because each child sleeps with a dog. I am glad we have the option to certify them in the future if we need to go that route.