Most of us are depressed due to physical, psychological and socio-environmental stress. We do have many gateways to suppress our depression. Some may be good and some may be not. When we discuss animal interaction, it excellently works. Keeping an animal at home, daily walking and playing with it elevates maximum stress that makes both physically and mentally fit. Soon after a time, we get intact with animals and without them we cannot run our lives. The same implies to the pet also.

Emotional Support Animal

An emotional support animal (ESA) is an individual’s pet which has been prescribed by the person’s licensed mental health professional to treat with it in the treatment program so as to minimize the victim’s physical and psychological disabilities.

Most of the domestic animals may qualify as an ESA such as dog, cat, mice, rabbits, birds and they can be of any age, young puppies and kittens. These animals do not need any special training because they have been already trained to be obedient and screened for its ability to interact with human beings and other animals. There is a core requirement that the pet should be manageable in public and should not create a nuisance in and around the house.

Registering ESA:

Registration for Emotional support animal is not compulsory. However registering one’s pet as an ESA legitimizes the ESA. It is easier for a disabled person to encounter all the problems, hassles with the help of such Emotional Support Animals. The National Service Animal Registry makes life peaceful when one registers emotional support dog if the dog is suggested / chosen as an ESA for the person.

Emotional Support Letter

If a person needs to be legally qualified to obtain an Emotional Support Animal, he / she should be considered and certified as an emotionally disabled person by a licensed mental health professional (therapist, psychologist, and psychiatrist) in a properly formatted prescription letter. Some aircrews and property managers may accept a completed verification form from a family doctor. However, the letter should insist the beneath points.

• The patient should be a current patient for his / her physician
• The physician shall mention whether the person in under treatment for mental disability
• The physician should prescribe the person needs an ESA as a part of the mental health treatment
• The doctor should authorize the patient for ESA in the letterhead with a date, license type, license number and date, the state where the license was issued.

Keeping the Doctor’s emotional support dog letter (the choice of a pet depends on the individual) helps people who do not have awareness about such treatments for mental disabilities. However, individual who hires the pet is responsible for its wellness, feeding it at the right time discussing with the pet association from where the pet has been hired, treating the pet if it falls sick. Loneliness is almost a root cause of many mental disorders. Do hire your interesting pet and be free from mental hassles.