If you’ve ever been down in life, and you most definitely have, then you know the importance of having support at those difficult times. We all have our ups and downs, because this is what it means to be alive. The only way to make it out of those dark turns our roads take is with the help of others, but people can often let you down. A dog never would. This is why emotional support dogs are one of the most important elements of their owners’ lives, which would be much more complicated without the presence of those wonderful furbabies. You will need to deal with the emotional support animal registry as soon as possible though.
Here is what you need to know.
What is an emotional support animal registry?
Your emotional support animal (ESA) will need to be registered as such so you could freely move with it. This is particularly important when it comes to flying and housing. Some planes would tell you that your dog needs to be left in the cargo area, which costs you more money, not to mention is pretty awful for your furbaby and you. If they are registered, however, and you have a letter from a licensed therapist that they should travel with you on the plane, then they can fly in the cabin free of charge, which is significantly better for the both of you.
You will also need to get the same letter from the therapist for housing purposes. Things can get complicated when you want to take your pet with you to some properties with landlords who might have rules against that. But getting your dog registered with the emotional support animal registry –– after getting the therapist letter –– means they can be taken with you to live under the same roof because you are suffering from mental health conditions and you need them to stay. This is why this is a very important step that you need to go through with your dog as soon as you get one.
What is in an ESA letter?
The emotional support letter that you need to get from your therapist for the registry should contain a few details. For starters, your name and the disability you have –– as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders –– should be mentioned. It should also show that you are unable to perform certain tasks of your daily life owing to this mental health disability. The ESA letter should contain the laws that protect your rights, and it obviously should be issued by a licensed therapist or mental health professional.
Who qualifies for an ESA letter?
Any person suffering from debilitating mental health conditions. If you are suffering from depression or other problems pertaining to your mental wellbeing, you could get an ESA letter. The same applies to veterans suffering from PTSD and others suffering from psychotic disorders. Other conditions that qualify for emotional support animal letters include autism and Asperger’s.
What rights does my animal get after emotional support dog registration?
As mentioned earlier, they get to stay with you in a property whose landlord has a ‘no pets’ policy. But what you also need to know is that the landlord cannot ask you for private medical information as you are already registered with ESA registry, so they have no right to ask you for something like that. They also can’t charge you extra money or add to your rent because you have your emotional support dog with you. They can’t even force you to replace them because of weight or any other discriminatory policies.
Do dogs need special training to qualify for the ESA registry?
No, your dog doesn’t require any special training to qualify for the therapist letter or ESA registry. You will naturally have to put them through the regular training that any dog should go through to learn obedience and how not to pee in inappropriate places, and the rest of those important guidelines. But if you still haven’t trained them to do such things, it still wouldn’t disqualify them from getting registered in the emotional support animal registry.
One more thing you need to remember is to present an ESA later that is not older than one year when you want to register your dog. While we all dislike the process of going through any paperwork or dealing with entities, especially when having medical health problems, this is a very important step that you need to go through. It will make your life with your emotional support dog much easier and you will be able to take them with you wherever.
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