What Mental Illnesses Qualify You for an Emotional Support Animal

Maybe you have thought about getting an emotional support animal, but you don’t know if you are qualified to get one. 1 in 5 pet owners have their animal certified as an emotional support animal, as support animals have rapidly grown in popularity. Here are some guidelines to help you figure out if you qualify to certify your pet as an emotional support animal, or to get an emotional support animal.

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal is an animal that provides relief to individuals with mental illness through companionship. Emotional support animals may be any type of pet and are not recognized as service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This means they cannot travel with you or go out in public with you the way a service animal could. They are however protected by the Fair Housing Act, meaning they can live anywhere with you regardless of pet policies or fees.

What Mental Illnesses Qualify You for an Emotional Support Animal?

In order to have an official emotional support animal, you must have a mental illness or disability which has been diagnosed by a mental health or medical professional. Some common mental illnesses or disabilities that qualify someone for an emotional support animal are anxiety, depression, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, chronic stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

How Do You Certify Your Emotional Support Animal?

To have an official emotional support animal, all you need is an emotional support animal certification letter. This is a letter written by a licensed mental health professional verifying you have a mental or emotional disability for which you need an emotional support animal. This letter means you can live with your emotional support animal anywhere regardless of pet policy or pet fees, and under law your landlord must allow you to.

An emotional support animal provides companionship and comfort to those suffering with a mental illness or disability. To qualify for an emotional support animal, you must have a mental illness or disability diagnosed by a licensed mental health professional. The mental health professional can then write you a letter of certification verifying your need for an emotional support animal. If you are still in doubt about what qualifies you for an emotional support animal, our professionals at United Support Animal can answer your questions and provide you with an emotional support animal letter of certification. To select a letter package call to see if you qualify at 800-918-3151 or do an online screening.