Emotional Support Dog Certification and Registration

What is an emotional support dog?

Dogs are versatile animals: they provide love and support and can also be trained to do highly specific tasks. Because of this versatility, dogs play a big role in mental healthcare as emotional support for individuals with mental and emotional disabilities. Emotional support dogs have been shown to help individuals suffering from the following:

• Agoraphobia (the fear of public places)
• Depression
• PTSD
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Panic attacks

With the help of emotional support dogs, those suffering from the above disorders have been able to manage their condition, start recovery, and regain confidence.

How can I make my dog an emotional support dog?

1. Get an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare provider
2. Provide your ESA letter to your landlord
3. For added comfort: Get your ESA identification card and register your Emotional Support Dog

The big picture: An ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional is the only legally acceptable way to have a recognized emotional support dog. To get one, you must have a qualifying mental health condition that is alleviated by the presence of a support dog.

What goes in an ESA letter: The letter must be signed, dated, and include the mental health professional’s license number and the date and place where their license was issued. It is important to note that the letter written by your mental health professional is typically only valid for one year for practical purposes. 

Once you get the ESA letter: You start to benefit from Federal Housing laws that protect all emotional support animals, including dogs.

Benefits of certification and registration: For added convenience, many ESA owners choose to register their support dogs and carry an identification card or certificate. Other accessories like vests that visibly identify the animal as an ESA also make it easier for ESA owners to inform other tenants in their building that they have a legal assistance animal.

What rights do emotional support dogs have?

ESA legal rights: Emotional support animals are protected by both federal and state laws. Housing providers are prohibited from discriminating against tenants who need ESAs and must make reasonable accommodations.

Reasonable accommodation: It means that landlords must make an exception to a no-pets policy or a policy restricting certain dog breeds. Landlords also cannot impose size or weight restrictions on emotional support dogs. In addition, your housing provider can never charge any pet rent, fee, or deposit because you own an emotional support dog. 

ESAs and the ADA: Emotional support animals do not have the same rights as service dogs (including psychiatric service dogs). ESAs are protected by the Fair Housing Act (FHA), while service dogs are under the protection of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Service dogs have been specifically trained to help perform tasks for individuals with disabilities and have the right to accompany their handlers to any place the general public can access.

Psychiatric service dogs versus emotional support dogs: Psychiatric service dogs are trained to detect and recognize the beginning of a psychiatric episode, apply deep pressure therapy, fetch medication, guard their handler, and seek or warn members of the public if necessary.

When out in public establishments, including restaurants, theaters, and stores, staff members have the right to ask two questions to verify a psychiatric service dog:

• Do you need the dog because of a disability?
• What work or tasks has the dog been trained to perform?

If an individual is unable to answer these two questions, then they do not have a service dog that meets the criteria of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the establishment has the right to refuse to allow the animal onto their premises.

Conclusion

Emotional support dogs provide an essential service to many individuals suffering from mental health issues. 

ESA owners are protected against discrimination under federal and state housing laws and enjoy other benefits like exemption from pet fees and pet breed/size restrictions.

Qualifying your pet as an emotional support animal is as simple as being assessed by a licensed healthcare professional and getting a letter that meets the requirements of the Fair Housing Act. Take the steps today to protect your animal under federal housing laws.