Archive for the ‘Emotional Support Animal’ Category
Aug 14
Emotional Support Cat
Cats make wonderful pets. But did you know they can also provide those with emotional challenges the added support they need to live a full life?
In this article, we will explore the following:
What is an emotional support cat? The ESA certification and registration process Types of animals that can be service animals and emotional support animals What an ESA letter is and why it’s necessary What the laws have to say about having more than one emotional support cat 1. Emotional Support Cat Provides ComfortAn emotional support animal can be of any species, including cats. An emotional support animal or ESA does not require any special training. An ESA is there to provide a person with an emotional or mental disability the support they need to live a normal or better life.
Cats can be beneficial as an emotional support animal as some breeds of felines are very human orientated. This means they love to spend time with their human companion. Some of these cat breeds include the Persian, the Ragdoll, the Abyssinian, the Burmese, the Maine Coon and the Exotic Shorthair. However, that doesn’t mean a mixed breed feline (Moggy) cannot be just as loyal and dedicated to their human.
2. Legitimate Emotional Support Cat RegistrationAlthough it is not required by law to register your feline as an ESA, some people choose to do so for its many benefits. These include having access to custom ID cards, certificates and even vests to identify the cat as an ESA. If you already have an ESA letter for your Emotional Support Animal, you may register your cat here.
Can a Cat Be a Service Animal?Unfortunately, no. The job of a service animal falls to canine species and miniature horses. These animals need to be specifically trained to do a task for a disabled individual. This can include picking up dropped items, opening doors or alerting the person to a drop in their blood sugar or of an oncoming seizure. Even though cats can be highly intelligent and trainable, the depth of training needed for a service animal is usually beyond the scope of the feline species. Most importantly, even if you trained your cat to perform services for you, they will not be protected under the ADA.
However, you still have rights under Federal Law with your emotional support cat. Landlords must reasonably accommodate your ESA, even if they have a “no pets” policy. The landlord cannot charge you extra for your ESA, but your cat must be well behaved and not pose a health or safety issue to other tenants.
3. Emotional Support Cat CertificationAll that is needed to make your cat a legitimate emotional support animal is a letter from a therapist or mental health professional. In order for an ESA letter to be accepted by “no pets” housing, the letter must be written and signed by a licensed healthcare professional. The ESA letter must also be written on the therapist’s own letterhead, with his/her license number and the place/date it was issued. In addition, the ESA letter must have been issued within one year of the time of submission.
If you do not have access to a therapist in your own area or they do not understand the benefits of animal therapy, you may seek support from a legitimate online resource. We have a helpful post on getting your ESA letter online here.
4. How Many Emotional Support Cats Can I Have?Under the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) people with diagnosed mental or emotional disabilities are allowed to have an ESA. Landlords and/or building managers must make allowances for ESA’s in “no pets” policies buildings, but this could be nullified if there were too many animals (cats) to keep the residence safe for both tenants and animals. Since the FHA does not specify how many ESA a person can have, as long as the number is reasonable to your therapist, you can have more than one.
Cats can be wonderful emotional support animals. 5. Emotional Support Cats Can Work, TooIf you are suffering from an emotional or mental disability, then an emotional support cat may be “just what the doctor ordered.” Cats can make loving, dedicated and supportive ESA’s that can help you get on with the rest of your life. Check with your therapist or mental health professional to see if you qualify for an emotional support cat. You may also seek support from an ESA letter referral service.
When seeking housing, it is not uncommon to find that landlords or housing providers have a “no-pets” policy. While this does, indeed, apply to the majority of renters, there are some situations where individuals are allowed to keep animals in buildings that ban pets.
The law: The Fair Housing Act allows for individuals with qualifying health conditions to have assistance animals, even where pets are not allowed. This is because assistance animals such as service dogs and emotional support animals are needed to support physical and mental health disabilities.
Emotional support animals (ESA) are used by people with psychiatric conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Landlords have to accommodate emotional support animals as long as the tenant has a valid ESA letter from their licensed healthcare professional.
However, landlords sometimes reject a tenant’s request to live with an ESA. So what can you do if your landlord does not accept your emotional support animal?
Reasons a landlord can reject an Emotional Support AnimalThe exception to the rule: Landlords do not always have to accept emotional support animals, even when the tenant has a signed ESA letter from their doctor or therapist. Fair Housing rules permit landlords to reject an emotional support animal under certain circumstances.
For example, these landlords are exempt from Fair Housing Laws:
Owner-occupied buildings with no more than four units Single-family houses sold or rented by the owner without the use of an agentThese small landlords do not have to accept ESA letters. Landlords can also rely on a few other exemptions for emotional support animals. The main exemptions are if the landlord has evidence the emotional support animal would pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others.
An ESA that has caused significant property damage can also be turned away. Sometimes landlords reject emotional support animals because the tenant’s ESA letter is flawed. It’s essential that your doctor or therapist includes the correct information in their ESA letter.
If you’re looking for a healthcare provider to help with your ESA request, it can be helpful to find one with experience when it comes to ESA matters.
How Can I Get an ESA Letter Online? What to do if my landlord says “NO” to my emotional support animal?If your landlord says no to your emotional support animal, that should not be the end of the story. Under HUD guidelines, housing providers are expected to work with tenants to resolve any issues that may impede accommodating an ESA.
For example, if the landlord points out a valid deficiency in your ESA letter, you should work together with your healthcare provider to update your letter. If your landlord has concerns about the health or safety of your ESA, you can take steps to demonstrate your animal is properly vaccinated and trained.
Here are a few steps to follow if your landlord rejects your ESA:
Get the specific reasons why your landlord rejected your ESA.If your landlord says no to your ESA, you’re entitled to know why.
Work with the landlord to address their concerns.Once you know why your landlord is rejecting your ESA, you should work towards finding a solution together.
Understand your Fair Housing Rights.Ensure that your landlord is not giving you a bogus reason for rejecting your ESA. Remember, your right to have an ESA is protected by federal law.
Get an updated ESA letter.If your landlord points out that your ESA letter contains defects, work with your provider to fix the letter. Remember that landlords have to stick with HUD guidelines – they can’t make up their rules about ESA letters.
Contact HUD if your rights are being violated.If you feel your landlord violates your Fair Housing rights, you can consider filing a complaint with HUD. This step should be taken when all other options have been exhausted.
Give your landlord every reason to say “YES” to your Emotional Support AnimalBefore informing your landlord about your emotional support animal, make sure you have your ducks in a row.
You should be prepared with a signed ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional. Be knowledgeable about ESA rules so you can engage with your landlord thoughtfully.Unscrupulous landlords will try to take advantage of tenants who do not understand their legal rights when it comes to ESAs.
If you’re looking to qualify for an ESA letter, you can be connected to a licensed ESA professional at the link below.
See if you qualify for an emotional support animal.
Although service dogs for the deaf and blind have been used for decades, doctors and mental health professionals are now attesting to the benefits dogs (and other animals) bring to individuals that need emotional or stress-relieving help.
However, since this practice of emotional and therapy pooch is relatively new, we tend to clump the jobs these animals do into one category. Sure, we know these dogs are important to the individuals they are helping, but do we know the difference between service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs?
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We’ve consulted with the experts to clear up the mystery and misunderstanding of this important trio.
What is a Service Dog?According to the organization, ‘Please Don’t Pet Me,’ a service dog is defined as a canine assistant that helps those with physical disabilities. This can include those folks in wheelchairs, limited vision or hearing, epilepsy, and a wide array of other physical health problems. This type of dog works to help the disabled person do things and live a life they may not be otherwise able to do.
This type of human/canine partnership is protected by The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DOT’s Air Carrier Access Act, DOJ/HUD Fair Housing Act and Federal Rehabilitation Act. These laws ensure the canine will be granted access to public buildings, airlines, and no-pets apartments/condos.
A service dog should not be petted by strangers when on duty, as this can be a distraction to the animal, which could cause harm to the disabled person.
Since service dogs are highly trained from an early age, obtaining a service animal can be quite costly. Most organizations quote around $20,000 for a service dog. Depending on your country and city of location this fee may be paid by individual fundraising, government programs, or the service dog organization itself. If you are unable to afford a professionally trained service dog, you may train your service dog yourself.
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
Unlike a service dog, the emotional support animal does not have to be highly trained to do its job. The main focus of an emotional support animal is to be there to provide unconditional love, support, companionship, and friendship for the person with a psychological disorder. The idea behind this type of partnership is to help individuals who may suffer from severe depression, anxiety issues, or debilitating stress. A doctor, mental health professional, or psychotherapist can prescribe an emotional support animal for the person in need.
The role of the emotional support animal isn’t always awarded to a dog. It can be a cat, bird, turtle, rabbit, or even a horse.
According to ESA Doctors, these animals are allowed into ‘no pets allowed’ housing as long as they have an ESA letter or document from a mental health professional.
How Can I Get an ESA Letter Online? What is a Therapy Dog?A therapy dog is also trained but for a different purpose. This dog should be naturally friendly, easy-going, loving, and able to handle any situation from calm to chaotic. The therapy dog is used for the sole purpose of bringing stress-relief to those in need. This can include schools, hospitals, nursing homes, hospices, and more. Therapy dogs are accompanied by a handler (usually the pet parent) and can be interacted with; in fact, it’s encouraged.
The role of the therapy dog can vary from visit to visit, depending on where it is needed. Therapy dogs are used in grade schools to encourage reluctant students to read aloud; they may sit with patients that are critically ill or just in need of a pick-me-up, as well as actively participate in someone’s physical rehabilitation.
Albeit an important type of service, therapy dogs are not usually allowed into public places, airlines, or living quarters where ‘no pet’ policies are in place.
The Importance of Assistance AnimalsThe dog and human bond go way back in time, so it’s only natural that we would integrate them into the service world. Dogs have a special intuition that allows them to know when a person is hurting emotionally, physically ill, or disabled. And for this, we are truly blessed to have the lovable canine to be our partner in life.
Whether you need a service dog, emotional support animal, or therapy dog, the canine is always on duty.
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