Emotional Support Animal

It is hard to believe that my blind, bone-headed, egocentric, food processing dog could be defined as emotionally supportive under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  All I need is a doctor’s note and BANG! he’s special.

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a companion animal which provides therapeutic benefit, such as alleviating or mitigating some symptoms of the disability, to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability. Emotional support animals are typically dogs and cats, but may include other animals. In order to be prescribed an emotional support animal by a physician or other medical professional, the person seeking such an animal must have a verifiable disability. To be afforded protection under United States federal law, a person must meet the federal definition of disability and must have a note from a physician or other medical professional stating that the person has that disability and that the emotional support animal provides a benefit for the individual with the disability. An animal does not need specific training to become an emotional support animal. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Under ADA landlords must make a reasonable accommodation for the animal, and cannot take an additional deposit specific to the pet.  However, we can REQUIRE a doctor’s note…. and I do.

So the next time you spend an hour scoping poop, dropping $100 at Petsmart, or fighting for pillow space with something warm, hairy, snoring, and not your spousal unit, think of all the emotional support you are receiving. LOL!

Best, d