Emotional support animals have been getting such a bad reputation in the recent years. When you walk into the airport and see someone trying to pass a peacock as an emotional support animal, you probably wonder what is going on? Is this truly something legitimate? Is the idea of an emotional support animal all just a scheme, to save on plane tickets? I hope this article helps clear the air and allow the reader to make that decision on their own.
What is the difference between an Emotional Support Animal and a Service Animal
First let’s start off with understanding the difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal. The major difference between a service animal and an emotion support animal, is that a service animal has been trained to provide a specific task or service for a person with a disability. Only a person with a medically or psychologically recognized disability can have a service animal. There are times that animals do not need training and somehow discover how to help on their own. For example, there are dogs that recognize oncoming seizures or notice a change in blood sugar level and alert. This is rare but not unheard of.
Emotional support animals as the name implies provide emotional support. This definition ranges and has in effect become broader. These pets help a person who suffers from issues such as anxiety or depression. The mere presence of the animal helps them to calm down or alleviates their sadness. Research has shown that the presence of a pet can lower cortisol levels and increase endorphins and dopamine levels. Improve the immune system and reduce the risk of a heart attack. So, it is not surprising that they often help people who experience specific mental health disturbances.
Who can benefit from an emotional support animal?
Well, if you ask me, everyone really. We live in a country were almost 1 in 5 people have dealt with anxiety and/or depression at one point in their life. Dog ownership is about 50% of the population. So, either people are understanding the benefits of pet ownership or they are slowly catching on. Now this is not to say that every pet is an emotional support animal. Emotional support animals, although not trained should be well behaved and not cause the owner extra stress. They are there to help those that suffer from specific mental health ailments. They help people cope on a daily basis.
What are the benefits of a support animal?
As mentioned above, an emotional support animal helps individuals calm themselves down. It helps in the reduction of anxiety, stress, lessens isolation and for some it may deter them from thinking about harming themselves.
How do you certify a pet to become an emotional support animal?
There are many ways to get a certified for an emotional support animal, but the most legitimate way is to ask your therapist or go see a therapist and explain to them why this pet is so necessary. They will most likely ask you for your mental health history and often times help you with resources to reduce the mental health conditions that are causing you stress.
Has the negative press around support animals caused any new challenges for owners of service animals?
It has. Unfortunately, a lot of people will use the title emotional support animal to bring their dog on flights. Sometimes these pets cause havoc and give other animals a bad reputation. The difference between a service dog and an emotional support animal should be clear to most, but often times their meaning are blurred. This can be seen with trainers themselves, who try to ‘sell’ their training to people who do not need service dogs but want the benefits that come with this title. Example, trainer A offers client B, to train their dog as a service dog. Client B has no medical or psychological disability and does not need the dog to perform any tasks. Client B will pay trainer to ‘train’ the dog to pick up the shoes and get a certificate. This paves the way for discrimination again the legitimate service dogs.
By: Monika Kreinberg, PhD, LMHC, LMFT, NCC CST
Dr. Monika Kreinberg is a board certified dually licensed psychotherapist and the founder of the Mind Wellness Center. She works with individuals and couples who suffer from anxiety, depression and trauma. Dr. Kreinberg works with individuals with and without disabilities.