It’s rather impossible to find someone who is not struggling in one way or another in life, because isn’t this what it means to be human? It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, in a relationship or unattached. We all have our different struggles. Whether it’s work, friends, family, responsibilities, or even the occasional existential dread, life has its way of getting to us. This is why it is extremely important that you never try to go through this journey on your own. Your mental wellbeing depends on having company, and when it comes to that department, you cannot beat the care and love of an emotional support animal. Sure, humans are nice and everything, but those animals will be there for you no matter what, and the great thing is, you can take them most places if you have the right paperwork.
Cats
For some reason, cats are always mistaken to be cold and emotionless, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Yes, they do not display as many emotions as dogs, but they are as equally loving and supportive. How else do you explain it when your cat senses you are feeling down and depressed, and comes rubs itself against you and holds you? They sense what you’re feeling, and because they love you, they want to make you feel better. Contrary to popular belief, cats make for excellent emotional support animals, and they never leave their owners when they’re feeling down. You’ll find them there in your darkest of hours, comforting and keeping you company when no one else would. The great thing is the fact that you can take them most places with you, but remember to check the place’s policies first. Whether it’s a café, restaurant, or even a supermarket, most places allow emotional support animals with their owners because they understand the importance of this relationship.
Dogs
You just can’t beat the love a dog can give. When you adopt or rescue one, you are their entire world. Their existence revolves around yours, and they truly make the best companions. This is why you’ll find that emotional support dogs are quite therapeutic and provide comfort to their owners that could not be otherwise attained. You should get a letter from a licensed therapist that you need to take your emotional support dog everywhere with you, as that makes it easier to take them with you wherever, and it especially helps with housing if your landlords have rules against pets. When you wake up, you’ll find your dog anxiously waiting for you to come play with them, and when you get back home after a long day’s work, they’d jump all over you like it has been ages since they last saw you. This is why dogs make for the best emotional support animals out there, and they truly provide comfort, care, and love to their owners.
Can any dog or cat be an emotional support animal?
Yes, they don’t need any certifications whatsoever to become one. As long as they are providing you with love and support, they are already emotional support animals and there is no licensing for that. But as mentioned earlier, getting a letter from a therapist would make it much easier to fly and move around with them.
Do they need special training?
Beyond the usual training that dogs need in order to become obedient, they do not require any extra training to become emotional support animals. This is because they are not expected to do any extraordinary tasks beyond what you would ask of any other animal of the same breed –– which is basically love you and not use your couch as a toilet.
Can I get more than one?
There aren’t any particular laws against getting more than one emotional support animal. However, when it comes to documentation to take them around with you wherever you want, you’ll also need to get them a separate emotional support animal letter that you need this animal as well to mitigate some of the symptoms that your other ESA animal cannot help with. This naturally also helps with housing and flying considerations, and it will make your moving around with them a lot less complicated.
Getting an emotional support animal might just be the best thing you ever do for your mental wellbeing. They will lift your spirits when you’re feeling down, and they will always be there for you no matter how bad things feel. The relationship formed between a person and their ESA is a rare one that is unlike any other.