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.
Simon’s Cat, Grumpy Cat or Lil Bub, these are celebrities among cats almost every cat lover knows. However, I will introduce you to a few blogs related to cats in general where you can find interesting information, advice and experience from living...
Kennel cough is a common and easily spread dog disease. How is it transmitted, what progress does it have and how is it treated? Even though it cannot be transmitted to humans, it may endanger other pets in the household.
Winter doesn’t need to be a synonym for tiredness and lying on a sofa in the comfort of your home. This year, there wasn’t much snow. However, this doesn’t need to stand between you and your dog’s walking outside and having fun.
There are quite a few dog food cans on the market. What should we take into account to pick the right one?
Every proper cat lover is not just fine with having one cat companion at home. Some people collect cat figures, others fancy books about cats and some may like watching cat films. Do you like it, too? If you do, you might get some inspiration here.
Dogs of this small breed are curious and full of energy. They love being at the centre of attention, so they like to show off. They are loyal and sensitive companions which do not handle separation well.
You might have come across something about BFRs in discussions concerning a fearful dog, moving a cat or New Year’s Eve celebrations. Are you wondering what they are and what they can help your pet with?
In today’s hectic world, many people don’t dare to get a dog because of the financial burden it presents and the time it consumes. Others can’t have a dog because of their health issues. Nevertheless, they have an opportunity to spend some time with a...
Have you ever wondered how it is possible that dogs can wade through snow or run on ice with their bare feet and the paws don’t get frostbites? We know why!
The Oriental Shorthair cats are very similar to Siamese cats in terms of their appearance as well as character. These elegant cats are suitable for extroverts who are looking for a companion at all times. This is because you will always know about...
Is rice, i.e. cereals, good for a dog’s diet? Is it just a filler or a valuable source of nutrients?
A study has shown that dogs have a certain talent for languages that had only been associated with people before. Their skills for the recognition of human speech are far more complex than we have been aware of so far.
