# Emotional Support Animals: Real Need or Scam?



## David Baxter PhD (Feb 15, 2018)

*Emotional Support Animals: Real Need or Scam?*
_Berkeley Wellness_
January 5, 2018

Whether it’s a passenger fearful of flying, someone coping poorly  with a past traumatic situation, or a student who gets nervous before  taking tests, an increasing number of people are leaning on animals to  provide comfort.

 While such “emotional support animals” (ESAs) serve a genuine purpose  for many people, they have stirred much controversy in recent years,  notably on airplanes, such as when a woman on a cross-country flight was  not at all happy when she had to sit next to a very large Dalmatian, which was on the owner’s lap. On another plane, a man was bitten on the face by a U.S. Marine’s emotional support dog. Then there was the time, in 2014, when Ivana Trump (the president’s first ex-wife) brought her miniature Yorkie into a high-end restaurant in New York City, showing a therapy animal card — but drawing complaints from other patrons.

 Numerous websites will sell you everything from a service vest for the  animal and a certification card to a note from a licensed psychologist  to claim your animal as an ESA. Is all this legit—or just a pretense to  be able to travel, eat out, shop, and sightsee with your pet, or live in  housing that doesn’t allow animals? After all, ESAs come with perks  beyond the comfort they provide, including that they get to fly in an  airline cabin free of charge (as opposed to flying as checked baggage or  cargo, for a fee). Here’s the lowdown on this growing animal movement. 

*What is an emotional support animal, and how is it different from a service or therapy animal?*
  Also called companion animals, ESAs provide comfort to people with  emotional or psychological issues, which may include depression,  anxiety, social phobias, or panic attacks, for example. In contrast,  under the Americans with Disabilities Act  (ADA), a “service animal” typically refers to a dog that has been  trained to do specific tasks for people with physical, psychiatric, or  intellectual disabilities to help them in their day-to-day  activities—such as a guide dog for the blind or a dog that signals when  its owner is about to have a seizure. “Therapy animals” provide support  for people affected by illness, disaster, or other stressors, such as  in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools. Neither ESAs nor therapy  animals are covered by ADA. 

*What animals can qualify as ESAs?*
  Though ESAs are typically dogs or cats, they can be any domestic animal,  including not only rabbits, mice, ferrets, and guinea pigs, but also  snakes, ducks, and potbellied pigs. The only stipulations are that the  animal can’t be a health or safety threat to other people, and the  owner must be able to keep it under control in public so it doesn’t  become a nuisance. Also, the animal can’t be one that’s illegal to own, such as certain exotic or any wild animals.  

*What kind of training does an ESA require?*
  Unlike service dogs, ESAs don’t require any special training to do their  job: The idea is that the mere presence of the animal helps someone  with an emotional disability live independently and adapt to stressful  situations. In fact, a current pet—even 15-year-old Fluffy—can be  designated an ESA as long as a licensed mental health professional  affirms that it provides therapeutic benefit. 

*How do you get an ESA?*
  Requirements for obtaining an ESA are fairly loosey-goosey. There are no  national standards, and no registration or certification for the  animal is needed. Basically, you just have to be diagnosed with a  psychological condition that would benefit from having the animal.  Airlines and property managers most likely will require a letter from a  licensed mental health professional or medical doctor who can provide a  diagnosis. It must be on letterhead and declare, among other things, the  particular psychological condition you have and that the animal is  important for your psychological well-being.

*Can you have more than one ESA?*
  Yes. But again, a mental health professional would have to determine if  that would be beneficial. And the documentation provided would have to  note what each animal is contributing to the easing of symptoms.

*Is it a scam?*
  The ease with which an “official prescription letter” can be obtained  is of concern, since many websites simply provide one after you answer  questions online and have a phone consultation with some type of  registered therapist, for a fee ranging from about $80 to $150 (more if  you need it right away, such as if you are flying the next day—or less  if registration happens to be “on sale”). One website advertises the  process as being “easy as 1-2-3” and, as is typical, has you register  your animal and pay the fee before you are even given a diagnosis  questionnaire and phone interview, with the money refunded if your  diagnosis doesn’t qualify for an ESA—though we doubt that happens often.  Another website describes its process as “hassle free.” Online  companies make more money by asking if you want to upgrade your checkout  cart with printed certificates and vests, patches, or other apparel for  the animal.

 To help combat fraud, several states, including Colorado, have passed  bills making it a criminal offense (with large fines) to claim a pet is a  service animal when it’s not — which would apply to ESAs on airlines  since, a bit confusingly, the Air Carrier Access Act  (ACAA), which protects the rights of persons with disabilities on  commercial airlines, considers ESAs as service animals. The ACAA  applies, with some caveats, to both domestic airlines and foreign  airlines flying to or from the U.S. 

*Can you take an ESA everywhere?*
  To many — but not all—places. If an apartment building, condo, or other  public or privately-owned dwelling doesn’t allow pets, this policy must,  with some exceptions, be waived for emotionally disabled people with  ESAs under the Fair Housing Act (similar to how people in wheelchairs  must be accommodated for their physical disabilities). Many colleges  and universities now allow ESAs on campus and in campus housing. And,  as noted above, commercial airlines must accommodate passengers flying  with ESAs. But restaurants, stores, taxis, buses, beaches, and  libraries, for example, are not required to allow them, as they must  service dogs. In other places, such as public schools, ESAs are rarely  permitted.

 Regarding air travel, it’s best to contact the airline to verify what  documentation is required and whether there are any restrictions (such  as size) on the animal you can bring on board. Some airlines are  favoring a ban on ESAs — or at least restricting the types of animals  allowed. 

*Does an ESA need to be identified in any way to the public?*
  No. There is no regulation or law requiring any sort of vest, banner,  patch, harness, or other accessory on ESAs. But such identification  makes it clear to other people that the animal isn’t simply a pet,  especially when boarding a plane.

*Bottom line: *Many people can benefit from the  companionship of an emotional support animal, reducing or even  eliminating the need to take medication, such as for anxiety or  depression. But what constitutes an actual need is debatable, and  undoubtedly there is plenty of fraud, with an untold number of  well-adjusted, psychologically healthy people taking advantage of this  practice to circumvent no-pet policies. Many people have a fear of  flying or experience some degree of social anxiety, for example, but  is that enough to justify having an ESA, which may cause distress for  others around them, including those who are afraid of or allergic to  animals? This debate will continue until more ESA regulations are put in  place to protect the rights of people with psychological disabilities  without treading on the rights of people around them.

 If you think you have a legitimate need for an ESA, we recommend seeing a  mental health professional who can evaluate you and help you find ways  to cope with psychological issues — including possibly prescribing a  companion animal.


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## David Baxter PhD (Feb 15, 2018)

*What is your take on this issue? *

Should the category of ESA pets be eliminated so that any animals on public transportation, restaurants, etc., would have to meet the same criteria as Psychiatric Service Dogs?


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## GaryQ (Feb 15, 2018)

Does Canada have the same thing?


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## David Baxter PhD (Feb 15, 2018)

Yes. They are also in Canada.


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## Banned (Feb 15, 2018)

As someone who has an ESA, I see the value they add to my life when I'm considerably stressed.  But, as someone who works for an airline, I also see the abuse of ESA privileges on a daily basis.  

I personally believe that ESAs should have to meet much stricter criteria, similar to or identical to that of Psychiatric Service Animals, and that there should be more stringent screening procedures beyond being able to purchase everything online.  

I personally know someone who travels with his parrot as an ESA, simply because he doesn't like that the bird has to be on the floor.  To me that is an abuse of the privilege of having an ESA, but who am I, as a lay person, to question the directives of his mental health care provider who says he needs it?  That's the sticking point unfortunately.


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