It’s that time of year again.
Did you ever consider that your Emotional Support Animal could go to college with you? They can’t carry your books or help write your papers. But an ESA can be a calming influence amidst it all.
Or maybe you aren’t even aware that your best animal friend is functioning as an Emotional Support Animal.
It might be something you want to check into, especially if leaving your friend behind is adding to an already stressful situation.
Is Your Animal Functioning as an Emotional Support Animal?
Consider your relationship with your animal friend against the following explanation of an Emotional Support Animal.
An emotional support animal is not a pet. An emotional support animal is an animal that provides companionship, therapeutic emotional support, stability and comfort for its owner.
In other words, if you are experiencing any type of emotional stress and your animal helps you feel better, your furry friend could be an Emotional Support Animal.
Our professionals can help you determine if your animal qualifies as an Emotional Support Animal. Not only are they familiar with the ownership criteria of ESAs, but they understand the commonly experienced stress of going away to college. It’s all part of the picture.
We understand that moving into a dorm with new people can itself be stressful. Then there are the changes in eating habits and heavy schedules. Suddenly you must develop good time management skills. And on top of it all, you have to take care of yourself, physically and emotionally.
In the middle of all these changes, one thing can remain stable for you – your best friend animal. Taking your dog for a walk every day will be stabilizing and healthy for you both. Or your cat can sit on your lap while you do your work. We have even arranged for an Iguana, that was acting as an ESA, to stay in a college dorm.
When everything else is new, ESAs remain familiar and supportive. That is why they are called Emotional Support Animals. And we are here to get them recognized.
Call: 1-833-372-6311
How to Register Your Emotional Animal
After reading this far you may have decided that your animal is acting as an Emotional Support Animal for you. And you want to take them to college with you. What now?
You can’t just bring your support animal with you to college without alerting the college dorm management. They would probably send you and your animal home. You are going to need proper documentation from a medical doctor or a licensed therapist stating your need for your Emotional Support Animal.
That’s where we come in. We can provide you with a letter explaining that you meet the criteria of need for an Emotional Support Animal. The letter won’t go into personal details about your diagnosis -that’s private information. But it will state what is legally necessary to ensure that you can practice your rights as an Emotional Support Animal owner.
The power of the letter comes from Federal regulations. The Federal Government recognizes that those with psychological stresses can benefit from Emotional Support Animals. Regulations have been established and published to protect the rights of those who are eligible to live with their animals. It’s a matter of quality of life and a more level playing field.
How to Use Your ESA Letter
Once you have your letter, signed by an MD you can present it to the college. The personnel running the dorm will need to have the letter on file. There will be others working at the school who should have the letter on file, so make a few copies.
And if there is any difficulty or confusion regarding your rights, our doctor will call the school and go to bat for you. We’ve done it before. And we will continue to stand behind the right of our clients to live with their Emotional Support Animals, no matter where they live.
Moving Forward
You are about to make decisions about your career and academic life. You are going foster new meaningful relationships in college. And you are setting the direction for the rest of your life.
This is an important time in your life. Take a moment to think about the things in your college life that may cause stress and figure out a plan to mitigate that stress. Your ESA can be part of that plan.
Please Practice Your Rights Responsibly
Your ESA is going to help take care of you. But you also have the responsibility to take proper care of your ESA. Keep your area clean, pick up after a doggy walk and don’t let your animal pester or scare other students. ESAs are about quality of life and everyone deserves a good quality of life, including your friends. We don’t want to give ESAs and their owners across the country a bad name.
Give us a call. You will always speak to a doctor, who will listen to everything you have to say. If you meet the criteria, you will get your letter.
Call: 1-833-372-6311
We and your animal are here for you!
We hope you have a great time.
