How To Get Your Pet Certified As An Emotional Support Animal
If you are suffering from a mental illness, you might find that it is tremendously helpful for you to rely on a pet of some kind for emotional support. It is comforting for many people to simply have something in their lives that will love them unconditionally and act as a bedrock of stability that they can anchor to in times of trouble. If you are able to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal, you will be able to take your pet to more locations because it will be considered to be a service animal. Here are some tips for getting your pet certified.
1. Get a Letter From Your Therapist
In order for you to be able to register your pet as an emotional support animal, you are going to need to prove that you truly need him or her. You can do this by having your pet essentially prescribed to you by a mental health professional. The mental health professional, such as your therapist, will need to talk to you and figure out if your pet is truly easing the symptoms of your mental health problems, such as making it possible for you to recover from anxiety attacks more quickly. If you do not have a therapist or other mental health professional that is able to help you, you can find a service online that specializes in online diagnostics that will be able to write you such a letter, assuming your pet does indeed provide emotional support.
2. Register Your Pet with the National Service Animal Registry
You will next need to register your pet with the National Service Animal Registry or NASAR. This is a complete list that includes all of the animals that are registered as service animals. You can do this online after providing the letter from your therapist that proves that you have a mental illness whose symptoms are eased through the help of an emotional support animal. When you finish the registration process, you will be asked to pay a fee. This fee will cover the registration cards and special harness that you can put on your pet to give your pet visibility and encourage people to act appropriately around him or her.
3. Attach the Registration to Your Pet or Keep it in Your Wallet
When your cards come, either attach the registration to your pet or keep the card in your wallet. Make a smart choice that takes into account the size of your pet.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in helping people get their pets certified as emotional support animals, such as Next Generation Psychology.