ESA Dogs

[Polistes]

Does anyone know of legit places to get your dog certified as an ESA animal? I have been researching this issue and moist seem like scams to get you to part with your money. I have found these two sites but I don't know if they are credible or not, they look credible but looks are deceiving...

Chilhowee Psychological Services

NSAR Service Dog Certification - Certified Emotional Support Animals Have Specific Rights According to Federal Law

Any help would be great!

[cottonlouie]

Why do you want to certify your dog as an ESA?

[GSDolch]

*why* is really no ones business.

Are their any drs. in your area that you could talk to? Maybe someone from a mental illness hospital will know who to get into contact with.

[ILGHAUS]

DO NOT go through any Internet Scam business.

Also remember that an ESA/ESD is not a Service Dog.

Quote from Service Dog Central:

An Emotional Support Animal is a dog or other common domestic animal that provides theraputic support to a disabled or elderly owner through companionship, non-judgmental positive regard, affection, and a focus in life. If a doctor determines that a patient with a disabling mental illness would benefit from the companionship of an emotional support animal, the doctor write letters supporting a request by the patient to keep the ESA in "no pets" housing or to travel with the ESA in the cabin of an aircraft.

ESAs are not task trained like service dogs are. In fact little training at all is required so long as the animal is reasonably well behaved by pet standards. This means the animal is fully toilet trained and has no bad habits that would disturb neighbors such is frequent or lengthy episodes of barking. The animal should not pose a danger to other tenants or to workmen. But there is no requirement for fancy heeling or mitigating tasks since emotional support animals are not generally taken anywhere pets would not ordinarily go without permission (the exception being to fly in the cabin of an aircraft, even if the airline does not ordinarily accept pets).

For more information about the differences between emotional support animals and psychiatric service animals, read the related article at: http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/76



***** I have permission from the owner of SDC to use parts of articles for educational posts.

-----------------------------------------------------

I did not have time to check out your links at this time but I do plan on looking at them as soon as I can. So saying, I have no idea what type of business or organization that they are.

[ILGHAUS]

There is no reason to register or certify your dog as an ESA Dog = ESD with any organization. If you want a certificate to hang on your wall make your own on your computer or with construction paper and crayons as they both are legally the same.

Oh my gosh ..... $114. plus $10. plus $5. for a piece of paper that your doctor will give you for free. I'm not even going to read further on that site as it just is tending to make me angrier. But thanks -- it is one more example that I can use in my lobbying effort.

WAIT A MINUTE -- I wasn't going to read further but this caught my eye. They evaluate you and let you know (via the Internet) about your emotional status.

There are no words on this one.

[ILGHAUS]

Next ....

Despite the definition differences between service animals and emotional support animals, emotional support animals do qualify for special rights related to housing and traveling.

Pssst... someone want to tell them that the dogs have no rights in either case - it is the handler with the rights given to them by law.

When you certify your emotional support dog or other animal with ... (I removed the name of the company), you’ll find that 95% of all businesses do not differentiate between a working service dog and an emotional support dog. That’s because your dog will have an official photo ID card attached and other “service animal” identifiers.

Oh no, they are not advocating breaking a Federal Law are they????????

I think enough said about this company also.

An attached photo ID card identifying your animal as a service or emotional support animal (from a legitimate company like XXXX

A certification document from a legitimate registry company (such as XXXX)

Legitimate company?? -- well OK.

[Polistes]

I have a few doctors that could write a letter to get my dog certified as such if thats all it requires... I had just thought that inorder to get exceptions to the no pets allowed policy and be able to take your dog nearly everywhere you would need more than a doctors letter.

[Chicagocanine]

I think basically all you need is a doctor's letter. There is no certification requirement in the US for ESAs that I know of, and so if you find a place that will certify your dog for money it is most likely a scam.

However, ESA can NOT be taken anywhere with you-- they do not have public access where pet dogs are not allowed, with the possible exception of on an airplane. For an airplane and possibly for your landlord if you need to get a house exception, you would need to get a doctor's letter but that is it.

[ILGHAUS]

Polistes, if you did not read the info that I posted please do so.

An ESD is NOT a Service Dog. You have no right to take an ESD "nearly everywhere."

Again from SDC
Quote:
An emotional support animal belongs to a person who is disabled. The person's doctor has determined that the presence of the animal is necessary for the disabled person's mental health and written a prescription stating the pet is necessary in the person's home, despite any "no pets" regulation of the landlord, for the person's health. Little or no training is required. The owner of an emotional support animal has no more right than any other pet owner to take their emotional support animal with them other to keep one in a home where pets are not permitted or to fly with one in a cabin when pets are not permitted.

The only benefit in declaring your pet dog an ESD is if you are living in non-pet housing or if your therapist/doctor believe you need to have the dog with you while flying in a commercial aircarrier.

If neither of these cases apply then there is no reason to go through the steps of which the first one is the letter on letterhead with the doctor's signature stating that having the dog in your home is a necessary part of your treatment.

[ILGHAUS]

I have a few doctors that could write a letter to get my dog certified

There is no certification in that you receive a piece of paper or your dog is registered.

The doctor writing the letter is not just any doctor but the doctor treating you for your mental illness stating they believe the dog would help in your treatment.

This letter is only the first step in the process. The next is giving it along with a request to your landlord to make a special accommodation to you to allow you to have an ESD in your home.