Regardless of the common opinion, Emotional Support Animals do great work, and you should feel embarrassed applying for one. However, there are a few things we would like you to know before getting one.
Who is an ESA Animal?
A service animal has to be a dog or miniature animal. On the other hand, Emotional support animal serves a therapeutic purpose. It can be any animal including a dog, bird, cat, etc.
What Emotional Support Animals Do?
ESA animals differ from service as service animals perform a specific task, and this doesn’t include emotional support. They are meant to offer tasks for a disabled person to work, like guiding someone blind.
Service animals can also roll something having a seizure to a safe position, or someone having flashbacks of PTSD.
On the other hand, an esa dog is supposed to be there. They don’t undergo strict training. Instead they presence is meant to comfort someone suffering from depression or anxiety. For instance, someone who can’t sleep needs an emotional support animal. They are just meant to be there, not to do anything.
Where you take them?
This is a big difference between service animals and emotional support animals, while service animals are allowed pretty much anywhere, ESA does have restrictions on where you can take them. Your landlord, hotel room, flight and some public areas can make an exception if you have an emotional animal.
But don’t expect the same degree of freedom you are granted with a service animal. For instance, you can’t take the ESA to museum, restaurants, or business place.
A big reason is these animals don’t possess a special skill, and their main purpose is to make you happy and calm. They are a comfort, no doubt. But most people believe their significance is not as great as a service animal given the nature of their purpose.
While there is a long debate whether an emotional support animal isn’t as important as a service animal, my opinion is if the animal makes someone feel better, why you have to create a buzz about it. Leave them to their business.
Fighting depression, anxiety, and other such disorders are serious matters. Most people suffer from these, or worse because we overlook the extent, and how worse things can become. Patients often feel embarrassed to discuss such issues believing they will be meant with criticism instead of getting actual help. Professional counselling services such as BetterHelp can be really helpful for such patients.
The Fight against Anxiety
Like we said before, this is an overlooked issue, and most people don’t feel comfortable talking about it, let alone get help. Therefore, if there is anything that needs to put to a stop, it’s judging others by the look of it.
We may believe that people apply for an ESA Dog because they don’t get along with their family, or has poor social skills. The truth is quite the opposite as there is a difference between being alone, and lonely, and if someone is getting the help they need regardless of whatever shape, we don’t need to interfere.
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