In the USA and some European countries, you can register a dog, a cat or any other pet as an emotional support animal. A registered pet than has some advantages over regular pets. However, it isn’t an assistance dog.
An emotional support animal or ESA is a pet that is considered (by mental health experts) beneficial for people suffering from mental diseases. Therefore, people with an anxiety disorder, panic attacks, clinical depression or other conditions that may disrupt their everyday activities can register an ESA.
Some of the mentioned benefits of such animals for their owners are the abilities to comfort them, help them relax, reduce anxiety, stress and depression. Other advantages include reducing loneliness, strengthening social engagement and interaction and normalizing heart frequency and blood pressure.
While service assistance animals have to go through training for their mission (detecting an attack, assisting blind or disabled people, etc.), ESAs don’t need any training. Moreover, there aren’t any qualification requirements which would determine whether the animal is a suitable ESA. Dogs are registered most often, but there are no rules limiting the species. A cat, a parrot, a horse or any other pet can therefore be an ESA.
In contrast to an assistance animal, an ESA doesn’t need any special vest or any other visible feature in public. There is also no official list where your pet should be included. You will only need a confirmation from your therapist.
The fact that calling a pet an ESA is so easy also has one downside – you may encounter fraud companies who will claim they can officially certify your pet even though it’s not true. And you will pay for a illegitimate document or fake certification.
And what advantages does it mean to have an ESA? The law says it can live with you in dormitories, university apartments or any other facilities where animals are usually prohibited. A landlord can’t forbid you from its presence if the pet’s behaviour is not destructive or aggressive. The second federal law related to ESAs allows these pets to be with you on the board of an aircraft.
However, the advantages unfortunately don’t include other things such as the access to healthcare institutions, official buildings and so on. It’s also because there are no assessments of the animal’s behaviour and the level to which it is safe for the public.
What do you think about ESAs? If the law develops further, animals will be assessed with regard to their suitability and safety. On the basis of these assessments, they might be allowed to enter schools and workplaces. I believe it would be great therapy in the Czech Republic as well.
Sometimes, one dog is not enough and it is better to have a whole pack. Especially if you breed drafting (or also pulling) dogs. Of course, the more dogs you have, the more care and issues it means, but it also means there’s much more joy for the...
The modern world is not only rich in material things but also in the number of dog breeds. There are quite a lot of them, Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognizes 360 different breeds. And they are not only different from each other when...
There are many ways to learn a new thing. One of the most pleasant ones for both the dog and its owner is positive motivation. Thanks to it, a dog learns new tricks in a simple and pleasing way and it also helps to develop a mutual social relationship...
Pregnancy is a difficult time for a bitch in all aspects. The body nourishes more organisms and it needs to be reflected in her energy and nutrient intake. A breeder, racer and sport cynology contestant, Jitka Duffková, gives advice on how to make...
You might be interested in this dog sport but you have many questions before you can decide to start with it. Will my buddy enjoy it? Do I have sufficient physical abilities? When should we start, isn’t it too soon or too late? This article and advice...
A healthy mouth is a very important part of the complex vitality of a cat and we shouldn’t neglect taking care of it. There are many oral diseases our furry friends can suffer from. What can you do to keep your cat’s teeth clean?
Korat is a very rare breed that isn’t very common even in Thailand – the country of its origin. Thanks to its beautiful, soft, silver-tipped hair as well as its special nature, it’s unmistakable. This breed definitely deserves some attention.
Have you ever thought about how the composition of the gut microbiota of your dog companion influences its mood, metabolism or immune system in addition to its digestion? Do you know how bacteria work in guts and how to keep the good ones inside?
Letting furious dogs with only one task – to detain and put you down – bite you is definitely not for everyone. But is it really as horrifying as it may look from the outsider’s point of view? Jan Böhm answers our questions about what it takes to be...
Snakes and scorpions are said to get out on Saint George’s Day. It has been a while since then, so it’s no surprise that we can see a lizard or a snake when on a walk somewhere or in our gardens. They already left their underground shelters designed...
The German Boxer can truly be called a versatile dog. With no doubts, it can be a family dog, a watchdog or a rescuer. It is also good at sports. A long-term boxer breeder, Ing. Michaela Martinů, can confirm that.
Bikejöring doesn’t mean that a dog simply runs next to a bike. The dog pulls the bike when doing this sport, it is similar to dog sledding. A famous Slovak musher, Marcel Dučák, will tell us what equipment you need for it, what dogs it is good for,...
