Emotional Support Animals

Emotional support animals (ESAs) can help improve symptoms of mental health conditions. Learn more about the registration process and benefits of qualifying for an ESA.

The benefits of animal-human interaction have been recognized for a long time. Animals can promote noticeable improvements in human mood, social connectedness and physical health. Recently, animals have been recognized as sources of emotional support, both in the general population and among people who may be experiencing a mental health condition. As a result, the popularity of emotional support animals and animal-assisted therapy has grown substantially.

What Are Emotional Support Animals?

Emotional support animals are often referred to as companion animals. They serve as a source of reassurance, security and affection for their owners. Emotional support animals (ESAs) are used for therapeutic benefit and can help people who are experiencing stress, anxiety or depression. ESAs are often used in combination with other types of therapy and certified ESAs may accompany their owners to school, work, travel or social situations.

Emotional Support Animal vs. Service Animal

Although considered similar in some ways, there are key differences between an ESA and a service animal in their training and role. Typically, service animals assist people who have physical or mental disabilities. While they may provide some emotional reassurance, a service animal’s primary job is to assist with or complete certain tasks that a person with a disability may have difficulty doing themselves. In contrast, emotional support animals offer emotional support for their owners but are not trained to do work or perform other tasks.

How to Get an Emotional Support Animal

The process of getting an ESA requires medical recommendation by a health professional, who can provide an emotional support animal letter as evidence of their recommendation. An ESA letter is required to prove that a person is under the care of a health professional and has been diagnosed with a condition that would benefit from an emotional support animal. For proof of the legitimacy of the letter, it’s helpful to have the letter on a doctor’s letterhead and to include their contact information.

Registering Your Emotional Support Animal

There is no official registry or registration process for ESAs. However, there are several options available online for the registration of an ESA, which provide tags and a certificate for an animal. The owner must provide basic information about the animal (name, breed, etc.) to complete the process. However, it is important to know that registration is not mandatory and does not verify an ESA on its own.

Even if an ESA has been registered, the animal is legally required to have a medical letter of support, provided by a therapist or doctor. Obtaining this letter can be a costly process for some people, and owners may be able to get a medical letter online through a secure and detailed application process. The application is evaluated by a medical professional to assess whether a letter of medical recommendation can be issued.

ESA Laws & Requirements

Under the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Air Carrier Access Act, individuals with a medically certified letter recommending an ESA are entitled to have their ESA with them in their day-to-day life. Specifically, these ESA laws ensure that people with ESAs cannot be denied housing or asked to leave their current housing, regardless of no-pet policies.

People with ESAs also have the legal right to fly with their support animals in the cabin of a plane at no extra cost. Importantly, ESA owners are required to carry their medical support letter as evidence, and in some cases, ESAs are required to wear a vest or tag for identification.

Benefits of an Emotional Support Animal

There are many benefits of emotional support animals. They can have an impact on both physiology and mood. For example, ESAs can:

• Lower blood pressure and other markers associated with arousal and stress response
• Reduce feelings of stress, allowing a person to better deal with the situation at hand
• Serve as social icebreakers
• Foster social connectedness, which can reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Promote companionship and reassurance, which reduce anxiety and panic

These benefits may be even more significant if there is a personal attachment to the animal, or an ESA is complemented by other forms of therapy.

Mental Health Conditions Helped by an ESA

ESAs can be used to assist individuals dealing with mental health conditions, such as:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Situation-specific phobias, including social phobia or fear of flying
• Grief
• Substance use
• Acute or chronic stress

Specifically, ESAs help address feelings of tension, anxiety and low mood that are common symptoms of mental health conditions. If you are affected by any of these symptoms and are wondering if you qualify for an emotional support animal, speak to your doctor.

If you are also struggling with a substance use disorder, please contact us at The Recovery Village, for more information on how we can help you regain control of your life.

Editor – Megan Hull

Megan Hull is a content specialist who edits, writes and ideates content to help people find recovery. Read more

Medically Reviewed By – Dr. Sarah Dash, PHD

Dr. Sarah Dash is a postdoctoral research fellow based in Toronto. Sarah completed her PhD in Nutritional Psychiatry at the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University in 2017. Read more