{"id":2955,"date":"2020-03-09T12:24:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-09T12:24:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/article\/how-do-i-get-an-emotional-support-animal\/"},"modified":"2025-01-28T15:11:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T20:11:57","slug":"how-do-i-get-emotional-support-animal","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/es\/content\/how-do-i-get-emotional-support-animal\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo puedo conseguir un animal de apoyo emocional?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking care of an animal can be a great way to improve your mental health<\/a> [1]. But not every landlord allows pets. You can get around this if a mental health professional certifies that you need an emotional support animal.<\/p>\n

What is an emotional support animal?<\/h2>\n

An emotional support animal<\/strong> (ESA) is just what it sounds like\u2014a pet that provides emotional support. ESAs don\u2019t need any special training, beyond the normal training a pet needs. Dogs and cats are the most common, but any domesticated animal can be an ESA. (If you have additional needs beyond emotional support, you can look into getting a service dog.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

ESAs are covered under the Fair Housing Act<\/a>. This allows people with an ESA to have their pet in their home even if there is a “no pet” policy. The law also prevents additional pet fees for ESAs. Small ESAs can also travel with you on a plane free of charge. Unlike service dogs, ESAs aren\u2019t allowed into other public places that don\u2019t normally allow pets, like restaurants and shopping centers.<\/p>\n

How do I get one?<\/h2>\n

In order to get the benefits of an ESA, you will need a \u201cprescription\u201d from a mental health professional. This is basically just a signed letter stating that you have a mental health condition<\/a> and that your pet helps you deal with it. Some landlords and airlines will accept a letter from a medical doctor, but often it needs to be a therapist or a psychiatrist.<\/p>\n

Of course, you also need to have a pet. Again, there\u2019s no special training required. Any house pet can be an ESA\u2014cats, dogs, ferrets, lizards, and more. That means that if you already have a pet, you can probably get it certified as an ESA. Otherwise, getting an ESA is pretty much the same as getting any other pet! You\u2019ll need to decide what kind of pet is best for you<\/a> and look up local places to adopt. Just be sure to speak with a mental health professional and your landlord about it before you go through with the adoption.<\/p>\n

Can you take care of an animal?<\/h2>\n

Before getting any kind of pet, it is important to seriously consider the responsibilities that come along with it. Think about whether you can care for it physically, mentally, and financially. If you can\u2019t handle a dog, consider a lower-maintenance pet like a cat or a fish. If even that is too much, try starting with a plant<\/a> or a stuffed animal, or another form of treatment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Show References<\/a><\/p>\n

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  1. Mental Health Foundation. (2022). Pets and mental health.<\/em> Retrieved from https:\/\/www.mentalhealth.org.uk\/explore-mental-health\/a-z-topics\/pets-and-mental-health<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Taking care of an animal can be a great way to improve your mental health [1]. But not every landlord allows pets. You can get around this if a mental health professional certifies that you need an emotional support animal. What is an emotional support animal? An emotional support animal (ESA) is just what it … <\/p>\n

    Continue reading “How do I get an emotional support animal?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"template":"","age_group":[23,100,19],"condition":[],"class_list":["post-2955","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","age_group-11-17","age_group-over-18","age_group-under-11"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"How do I get an emotional support animal?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/screening.mhanational.org\/es\/content\/how-do-i-get-emotional-support-animal\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"es_MX\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How do I get an emotional support animal?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Taking care of an animal can be a great way to improve your mental health [1]. But not every landlord allows pets. 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