There are animals that are specifically trained to assist those who are suffering from psychological and emotional issues. Such animals are generally known as assistance animals. These animals can be classified into following categories:
a)Service animal
Visually impaired people or those who are subjected to deafness or handicapped and restricted to a wheelchair, for them service animals play a significant role. Service animals usually include dogs and miniature horses that are well trained specifically for this task.
Emotional support dogs and animals:
These animals are particularly chosen for the purposes of benefiting the disables especially for people who are suffering from mental disorder. These animals are not prepared to perform any particular task or perceive specific signs or side effects. They differ from the normal animals due to their affiliation, behavior and emotional attachment with the owner.
Who is eligible to acquire ESA letter?
If an individual wants to be benefited from the services of ESA, it is imperative for such individual must provide with sufficient evidence to be believed that he is going through psychological issues. The proof of his mental illness shall be attested by a licensed professional serving for mental health.
The emotional and psychological disorders for a disable to obtain ESA’s benefits may include:
- Stress disorders
- PTSD
- Depressive disorders
- Panic/ anxiety disorders
- Personality disorder
- Phobias
ESA provides people suffering from the mentioned disorders an emotional comfort. These animals shouldn’t be mixed with other animals. These animals are dealt with specific laws.
These laws include:
FEDERAL LAWS AND ESA’S
Two main laws regulate the use of ESA under the federal law. These are Air Carrier Access Act and Fair Housing Act.
The Air Carrier Access Act
The Act came into existence in 1990. It is invoked alongside rules of Department of Transportation that are operative for the purpose of elimination of discrimination of disabled people from traveling by air. Keeping in view the provisions of the Act, airlines are not under the direction to refuse transportation, constrain or would require a notice to be delivered before rendering its services to the disables.
Airlines may feel the necessity of advance notices to be sent to the disables for cope up with certain facilities such as, medical equipment, wheelchair etc. sometimes the airlines also require notices or letter based on the airline guidelines provided by the individual.
After being satisfied with the investigation of the individual the airlines shall facilitate the ESA owner accordingly under the Act.
The Air Carrier Access Act also directs the airlines to restrain from charging any fee for facilitating people with ESA.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL HOUSING LAWS: FAIR HOUSING ACT (FHA)
Societies or communities that restrict pets are obliged to make “reasonable accommodation” for ESA under this Act.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development tends to define the concept of reasonable accommodation and has made it obligatory for all housing providers operative under the FHA to accommodate ESA.
In other words, the owners of ESA shall not be refused to house in a similar way as any other handicapped cannot be denied housing. However, the condition attached for being benefitted by the provisions of FHA, the individual shall provide the seller of the house with his medical documentation for the satisfaction. Another significant benefit for the ESA owners under FHA has, they cannot be charged the extra penny for keeping ESAs. Nevertheless, any damage has occurred or damage that can be foreseen, the property owner can rightfully charge the fee or for such damage. To be précised, laws under FHA provide protection to the verified owners of ESA who tend to care for the same. The owners who behave negligently or destructively towards these animals do not come under the ambit of its protection.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL REGISTRATION
Unfortunately, there is no regulation for the registration of emotional support animal thus, consumers can be dealt fraudulently.
The sellers or sites that sell ESA pretend a normal dog an ESA thus resulting in no benefit to the diagnosed disables.
Both ACCA and FHA are only applicable to the people with their pets who manage to obtain the license from a professional in mental health. Registering an ESA is unnecessary and a mean to exploit the innocent customers.. As stated above, registration sites offer no value. There is no registry working for the purpose. Thus sites that named, for instance, as ‘ official emotional support animal registry’ shall not be There is no such thing as an “official emotional support animal registry’ are not appointed by the government and running for the sake of fooling the consumers.
For your verification, airlines may require the evidentiary proof of one’s disability; emotional support animal letter. Therefore, in order to attain a well-written letter, one shall contact CertaPet.
Can a Landlord Deny an Emotional Support Animal?
There are two instances that the housing provider must look into, i.e.
- a)Does the person, claiming to be disabled is actually disabled- for example, is he physically impaired or mentally ill?
- b)Does the person require the need for an assistance animal or not?
If the answers to these questions are positive then a landlord must provide sufficient facilities for the accommodation of the Emotional support animal. Therefore, the letters that are written by the CertaPet are convincing enough to persuade the landlords to accept them without any reservation. However, there are instances where an emotional support animal cannot be accepted. These are:
- Private clubs
- If the building has less than four or four units and landlord resides in one of those units.
- Single-family housing sold or rented without a real estate broker
ESA-more than man’s best friend
Esa is not only there to help or assist its owner. With the passage of time, the ESA develop such a bond with its owner that leads to emotional support and comfort that strengthens their relationship.
In order to obtain an ESA letter, apart from the psychological diagnosis, many other formalities are to be dealt with. Such as:
Keep up with the standard of Development of Housing and Urban Development that includes the concerned animal is able to support the diagnosis.
The individuals who already have a pet and such a pet provides them with equal comfort and mental stability, they can apply for emotional support dog letter. The letter will help them to attain the benefits and protections as mentioned earlier in this article.
