How to get an emotional support dog
Hi,
I have pretty bad anxiety and depression and it's no overstatement to say that my dog has saved my life more than once and kept me sane. Right now I'm allowed to have a pet but I may have to move and it's pretty hard to find a place that allows dogs. I don't have the first idea how to do this, but how would I get certified as needing an emotional support animal (is that the right term?), if my current dog could fill that bill or if I would have to get a dog already certified (and what that process would be?)
Any ideas? Please no judgment. I'm not looking to take my dog to the store or whatever, just to have one in my home because it helps me more than any medication ever could.
Jan 10, 2017
Parent Replies
There is a service dog which are certified. They need special training. And there is emotional support dog which is what u have. My mom has an emotional support animal. She had to get a doctor's note saying that it would help her in order for her to have it in the apt. The downside about emotional support dog is stores can refuse to let them in unlike a certified service animal they have to let them in.
Your dog qualifies as an emotional support dog and there is no official "certification" despite what some online companies claim to offer (for a fee). First link is for information on rights for Psychiatric Service and Emotional Support Animals in California, and second link provides information on housing rights for tenants with such animals.
http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/548301.pdf
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-landlords-tenants-ser…
Good luck!
Companion animals can make wonderful emotional support animals and it sounds like your dog already is one, just without the paperwork! I know that in order to fly with an emotional support animal you only need a note from a licensed mental health professional (although a medical doctor familiar with your condition may also qualify) stating that you benefit from having an emotional support animal and (if this is the case for you) need it with you while you travel and at your destination. I imagine a similar letter is all you need for a living situation- a letter on official letter head from a mental health professional stating that you benefit from the emotional support provided by your animal and it is an important component to your mental health treatment. Just an important reminder as well that emotional support animals are NOT service animals and should never be represented as such- the paperwork sadly doesn't entitle you to bring your dog into restaurants or on trains or anywhere else where only service dogs are permitted. They do not require any special training or certification, though if you intend to fly with them or bring them into public settings they should be well behaved and calm in busy environments. Best of luck to you.
Hello, I am sorry about your anxiety and glad that your dog helps you. Landlords are required to "reasonably accommodate" people who have disabilities, and mental health difficulties like depression and anxiety count as disabilities if they interfere with regular life activities- which it sounds like yours do. So even if a housing provider has a general no dogs policy, they would be required to make an exception for you if you could show you needed the dog to help with your disability.( I don't use the term disability to offend or categorize you, it is just the term that is used in the law in this area.) the limitation on the landlord's obligation is "reasonableness" so if your dog is threatening to other tenants then the landlord might be able to refuse, but there is no requirement that your dog be certified. Rather you might need to get a letter from a doctor, social worker, or someone else who knows about your mental health issues to explain your need for the dog. The letter does not have to give private information about a specific diagnosis, but just explain that the dog is necessary due to a disability. The landlord is required to engage in an interactive process with you to talk about your request even if they initially don't think it is reasonable. If you have trouble, you can consult a tenants' attorney or the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the state agency that enforces fair housing laws. Good luck and take care.