DISCLAIMER
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Content: (breakdown of this page)
- Support by Donating
- Emotional Support Animals
- Support Given by Dogs
- Pet Grief Suggestions
If you are like most pet owners or animal lovers, it is likely that you have a compassionate heart when it comes to animals. You see a poor dog stuck in a pound that you cannot afford to take home, or a homeless dog on the street that you desperately want to give a warm, loving home. You may often feel helpless when it comes to helping animals and may want to do anything you can to support them, even if you are not sure where to start. If this sounds like you, then keep reading. We have included three different ways that you can give back to the animal community, in honor of pets that have helped you through trying times and have helped you live a happier, healthier life.
Support comes in a number of different ways. Before you own a pet, you can offer support by donating to organizations that care for domestic animals. You can also consider adopting a pet. Whether you want to help fund young students with big dreams of becoming veterinarians who will eventually help your pet and other pets live longer lives; whether you want to help more people overcome emotional and mental trauma with the support of an emotional support animal as a companion; or whether your want to help pet owners who are no longer able to care for their pet or are dealing with the recent loss of their pet, there are plenty of ways to give back and to help.
Ohio State University
Think about all of the times you have needed a veterinarian and all of the times that they have treated your pet with compassion and care. When it comes to animals, perhaps no one has a bigger heart and a deeper love for them than a person who dedicates their lives to helping them. When your pet is sick, needs their vaccinations, or just needs to go in for a check-up, veterinarians are there to help. Vets play an important part in your pet’s life, and now, you can play an important part in theirs.
At Ohio State University, there is a veterinary program that helps students become animal doctors in order to help your pet and other pets when they are in need. This university’s not-for-profit vet program is currently accepting donations in order to fund scholarships for these vet students, helping to make their dreams and their passion for animals into a viable career option. Some students need that extra bit of financial help in order to turn their dreams of helping animals into a reality, and you can be one of the people who makes a serious difference in their lives by donating to their scholarship funds.
CertAPet
One in four Americans will go through an emotional or mental disability during any given year. Of those people, about half receive help for their condition. Additionally, well over 34 percent of Americans that get counseling for their mental health problems experience roadblocks that make it difficult or impossible to truly get the help they need.
That is where CertaPet comes in. CertaPet knows that having access to mental health resources during times of crisis can make all of the difference in the world. It is no secret that having an emotional support animal can drastically improve the lives of vulnerable people in need of assistance and comfort in their time of need; the benefits of having an emotional support animal, or an ESA, has been well documented. CertaPet offers discreet and simple online access to mental health services for those who need to connect with a therapist. Upon connecting with these licensed mental health professionals, if appropriate, a recommendation for an emotional support animal can be given, helping to improve the quality of life for so many Americans who can benefit from this service. Donate today to this not-for-profit organization, click here to see how it works.
Day by Day Pet Support
There comes a time for every pet when their many happy days with you must come to an end. Many people comfort themselves with the idea that they cross a Rainbow Bridge, an idea that was popularized through a poem about pet loss and grief. Sometimes, that thought is not enough to console someone who is about to lose or has recently lost a beloved pet, and more services are needed.
With Day by Day Pet Support, pet owners who are grieving can get the help that they need from other pet parents who are going through or have gone through the same process. Nothing is harder for a pet parent than to lose their best friend, the one that has been with them through all of life’s ups and downs, but Day by Day Pet Support strives to make this easier. They provide a support system for those experiencing a loss that shows them that they are not alone, and they provide resources to help them make the transition. They offer educational materials, online support, and even in-person support circles dedicated to helping pet owners with loss. This organization thrives on donations, so consider giving to this incredible, not-for-profit organization and helpful community of people.
Pet Ownership
Get an Emotional Support Animal
Support Animal Benefit
The bond between a human and an animal is something that is as old as time. Animals help humans learn how to cope with life, making them a silent best friend that gets their owners through the ups and downs of life. It has been documented in studies that owning pets lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as promoting better physical, mental, and emotional health. Because of these benefits, Emotional Support Animals have become a way for you to legally document the help that your pet gives you, allowing you to take them with you most places that you go.
Different from Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals do not have to go through training. All you need to do to qualify is provide proof that your pet helps with your mental or emotional disability. Once you have registered your animal as an ESA, the following benefits become available:
Travel on Airlines
When you fly, you have likely noticed that airlines make it hard for pet owners to bring their pets along with them. They often charge exorbitant pet fees or prohibit traveling with a pet altogether. By taking advantage of the Air Carrier Access Act, your pet can fly free of charge in the cabin instead of it having to be in a crate in the cargo. You can save anywhere from $90 to $300 dollars this way.
Housing
You can also enjoy the ability to live with your pet even in a location that is not pet friendly housing. This also protects you in housing that can limit the size or breed of your pet. With a registered emotional support animal, you will not have to pay a pet deposit or monthly pet fee under the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1998.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
To benefit from having an Emotional Support Animal, you should first understand what is needed for an animal to qualify. An Emotional Support Animal is a pet that provides companionship to someone who may suffer from an emotional or mental disability. These animals are not service dogs and are therefore not limited to only being dogs. Yes, that means your cat can become your Emotional Support Animal!
Another main difference between Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals is that they do not need any sort of training. To register your animal as an Emotional Support Animal; all that you have to do is prove that it is well behaved and fully house broken.
- You also have to show that your animal will not disturb neighbors in the event of long barking sessions. You also need to be sure that your animal will not pose a risk to any workers or tenants.
- You will need an official recommendation from a certified mental health professional in order to get an Emotional Support Animal of your own. Once you have obtained this recommendation, you can enjoy freedom from housing discrimination and the ability to bring your pet along on airlines for no additional cost.
How to Get an Emotional Support Animal
Let’s take a closer look at the process for obtaining a registered Emotional Support Animal. If you are one of the nearly 61.5 million Americans who has an emotional or mental disability and currently own an animal that helps you with your symptoms, it is likely that your pet can get certified.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development says that Emotional Support Animals are necessary as an accommodation for mental illness and do not need special training. While some animals are trained to carry out tasks, many simply provide untrained assistance.
Getting an Emotional Support Animal Certification
To register your pet as an Emotional Support Animal, you just need an official letter from a licensed mental health professional. This includes a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a licensed clinical social worker. As long as you pass the quick screening test and speak with a licensed mental health professional, you can get a prescription, so to speak, for an Emotional Support Animal.
While most other places where you can get an Emotional Support Animal letter online do not meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, CertaPet does. They are also compliant with HIPAA.
An ESA Letter from CertaPet provides:
- Verification that you have significant limitations due to a disability like depression or another similar condition which affects your emotional and/or mental health.
- Recognition that you are indeed a patient getting help from a licensed medical professional for your emotional or mental disability.
- A prescription for an emotional support animal like a dog or cat.
Types of ESA Pets
Let’s look a little more closely at the two kinds of Emotional Support Animals according to federal law.
Service Animals
A service animal is good for those people who are restricted to a wheelchair, deaf, blind or have seizure or autism spectrum disorders. These individuals greatly benefit from the use and the assistance of a service animal. Service animals are typically dogs or even miniature horses that have been trained specifically to recognize medical conditions in their companions and perform tasks for them as well.
Emotional Support Animals
Standard Emotional Support Animals are often picked out as companions for those with emotional or psychological disabilities. These support animals can be a number of different types of animals and can be the owner’s current pet. Emotional support animals aren’t trained to recognize signs or symptoms of an illness or to perform tasks, but they are able to give support and emotional care to their owner.
Support Given by Dogs
What Is an Emotional Support Dog?
An Emotional Support Dog is given to a person that a licensed mental health professional has deemed will benefit the person experiencing the mental or emotional disability. These dogs do not need any sort of specific training, and instead provide mental and emotional stability to their owners through companionship and love. Emotional Support Dogs are also known as Companion dogs and are not Service Dogs.
What Disabilities Qualify a Person to Own an Emotional Support Dog?
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias and Fears
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Postpartum Depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
Emotional Support Animal Prescription
An Emotional Support Animal Prescription will come from a licensed mental health professional or a physician. The only requirement for your Emotional Support Animal to become registered is to have this prescription. There are a variety of websites that will allow you to register your animal.
Legal Protections for Emotional Support Dogs
There are two federal laws that protect the rights of those who own an Emotional Support Animal. While the rights are not as extensive and do not offer the coverage that comes with Service Animals, there are two significant laws that the owner of an Emotional Support Animal should be aware of:
- Traveling with your Emotional Support Animal. With an Emotional Support Animal, you will fall under the Air Carrier Access Act that makes sure that those with an Emotional Support Animal are able to fly with their animal inside the aircraft for no additional cost. The only requirement is that the airlines do need to be told in advance and a recent medical letter must also be provided to them.
- Living with your Emotional Support Animal. The Fair Housing Act makes sure that a person who has an Emotional Support Animal will be able to live with their animal virtually anywhere. Additionally, it stops rental companies and landlords from being able to charge pet deposits or other pet fees.
Can Cats be an Emotional Support Animal?
Yes, they can. Cats are able to provide the same amount of compassion, love, and support as any other kind of Emotional Support Animal. Some people who are not what most would consider a “cat person” may not agree, but their love is every bit as unconditional as a dog’s love can be. Many mental health professionals agree and report the positive effects of owning a companion cat.
Can My Cat be a Service Cat?
Service animals are often defined as dogs that have been trained individually to perform tasks or do other work for those with disabilities. A special provision has been written into the ACA for miniature horses to be included, but there is nothing that mentions service cats specifically. That said, cats are definitely able to qualify as an emotional support animal that comes with the same recommendation letter from a licensed mental health professional.
How do I Register my Cat as an Emotional Support Animal?
Much like registering a dog as an Emotional Support Animal, all that you need is a letter written by a licensed mental health professional. There are no legal requirements that must be met in order to register your cat as an Emotional Support Animal.
What Disabilities Qualify for an Emotional Support Cat?
- Bipolar Disorder
- Depression
- General Anxiety Disorder
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Phobias and Fears
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Postpartum Depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder
- Social Anxiety Disorder
Legal Protections for Emotional Support Cats
There are federal laws that protect the rights of individuals who have an Emotional Support Animal. While the rights are not as inclusive as rights that are given to actual service animals, there are still two things that the owner of an Emotional Support Animal needs to know:
- Traveling with your Emotional Support Cat. You can travel with your Emotional Support Animal without needing to pay any additional fees for the flight, but the airline does need to be notified about any companion animal and they will need to see your medical letter as well.
- Housing with your Emotional Support Cat. The Fair Housing Act makes sure that you and your Emotional Support Animal can live anywhere without having to pay the landlord or rental company-imposed pet deposits or other fees.
Emotional Support Animal Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
An ESA, or Emotional Support Animal, is a domestic pet that gives love and companionship to an individual who has disabling symptoms due to an emotional or mental condition.
How do I get an Emotional Support Animal?
To register an Emotional Support Animal, you will need a recommendation letter from a licensed mental health professional that will detail why you need it.
What are some of the benefits of registering an Emotional Support Animal?
Certification allows you to live with your Emotional Support Animal anywhere, regardless of housing type, and it lets you fly with your Emotional Support Animal without paying extra fees.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
The Americans with Disabilities Act does not specifically address Emotional Support Animals, and thereby does not offer protection.
What is the Fair Housing Act?
The Emotional Support Animal is protected under this act. The Fair Housing Act stops landlords from discriminating against those with disabilities of any kind.
What is Air Carrier Access Act?
The Air Carrier Access Act allows those who own an Emotional Support Animal to bring them in the cabin of an airplane at no additional cost.
After Pet Ownership
Pet Grief Suggestions
When your pet passes away, or crosses the Rainbow Bridge, as the pet community says, it can be one of the most difficult times of your life. Your pets mean everything to you, and when they have left you, it may feel as if you are all alone in the world. That is not true. There are a number of pet grief support services out there that can help, such as the following that are offered by the Day by Day organization designed to help pet parents cope with their losses.
Monthly Support Circles
These circles are meetings that take place once every month at certain specialty vet hospitals. Here, you are able to share your feelings, thoughts, struggles, and concerns. You are able to ask questions in a calm, secure, and safe environment in which you will not be judged. You can even go to these meetings virtually using the site’s online support chats.
Pet Loss and Grief Workshops
Going to a pet loss and grief workshop will give you all of the tools that you need to deal with your heartbreaking pet loss in a healthy way.
Weekly Phone Check-in Service
Sometimes, it can be hard to go to these meetings, let alone pick up the phone, yet having the support during this time is crucial. You can schedule an appointment with a Day by Day team member to call and check on you or your ailing pet.
Online Support Groups
You can go to support groups virtually through Day by Day where you can talk to other pet parents who are in situations similar to yours.
Licensed Professional Counseling
Using their site, Day by Day can help you get in to see a licensed health professional that can counsel and provide support to you as you navigate your feelings and make tough decisions regarding your pet. Counselors like these will understand your experience and can help you either in person or over the phone.
Telephone Hotlines
This site also offers a support hotline that is managed by Day by Day members to help pet parents grieving before a loss, during the decision-making period, and after the loss has occurred. The number is 484-453-8210.
Call our pet caregiver hotline today!
Pet Caregiving Resources
Day by Day offers tools on their site that allow you to track different aspects of caregiving. These include:
Pet Caregiver Diary
Track the health of your pet along with their medical history. It will give you resources like the important health questions to ask your vet along with how to discuss an ailing pet’s health with your kids.
Network
The network from Day by Day offers providers and resources that can help you care for your pet, from pet sitters to mobile groomers.
Tributes
Finally, you can create a tribute for your pet and use the Pet Memorial Page to show the journey that the two of you took together. Family and friends can even comment on your personal guest book and help you through this tough time.
Frequently Asked Questions about Grief
Q: What is considered normal when someone is grieving the loss of an animal companion?
A: Grief responses that are considered normal can divided into both emotional and behavioral responses:
Behavioral responses include varied items such as wanting to sleep with your companion’s old blankets or toys, avoiding sleep within the same bed that you once slept in with your pet, an unwillingness to get rid of their possessions, going through your routine as if your companion was still there, or withdrawing from people all around you, even the ones who are supportive of your grief.
Emotional responses will include things such as a period of denial, immense tearfulness, insomnia, disorientation, loss of appetite, shock, disbelief, guilt, anger, depression, isolation, thinking constantly about the final hours of your pet’s life, feeling as if you are losing your mind, feeling as if you are unable to tolerate pain, and feelings like you will never again be the same as you were.
Q: What Will Guilt Feel Like?
A: Guilt is one of the first feelings that comes with experiencing a loss and it can be the most difficult. As opposed to remembering the happy times with your companion, you begin to criticize yourself and condemn yourself for all of the “wrong doings,” such as yelling at the dog when he ate the steak off of the counter or that time you went on vacation and could not bring him along. The worst kind of guilt will often come with the decision to euthanize your pet, even when there is no other option available that is as humane.
Q: How long will it take until I begin to feel better?
A: There is no definitive time for how long it takes to feel better after a loss. You will mourn depending quality and the significance of the relationship with your pet, not the time you spent together. If your pet was your best friend and provided your main source of companionship, the depth of your relationship might make it harder to move on, for instance.
Q: What are some common feelings that come with the decision to euthanize?
A: Even though it has been made clear by medical professionals that this is the best choice, euthanizing a pet can leave you feeling the aforementioned guilt, regret, and bitterness. Life and death decisions are the hardest to make, and second guessing yourself after the choice has been made just lets you know that you made the most humane decision you could–and now you are left with the emotions.
Once your pet has passed on, you may find yourself imagining an earlier diagnosis or another course of treatment that could have saved him or her. Fortunately, you will often be wrong in this instance. Recollection of their final moments is often hazy due to your grief, and it is possible that you will forget the reasons that led to making such a hard but merciful decision. Perhaps you feel your decision was put off for too long or that it was premature. You may also have decided it was time to put down the pet against the recommendation of medical professionals, making you feel even worse. It is hard not to assign the guilt to yourself and what you “could have done,” but the guilt should not be on you. You did everything that you could.
If you stay with your companion as they pass on, you may be stuck with memories that are traumatic regarding the moment; people who were unable to be there and witness their pet passing away may be angry at themselves for not being there. These thoughts are worthless as they only serve to torture you. The truth of the matter is that you are compassionate and courageous and did what was the most merciful thing you could have done to end their suffering.
Q: When is trauma a component of pet loss?
A: Having to euthanize a pet adds a definite traumatic element to an already devastating situation. You could have symptoms of PTSD, such as obsessive thoughts, nightmares, recurring images, and panic that will take away your sleep and your peace of mind. By witnessing an accidental death, or inadvertently causing a death, or not knowing if your companion is alive or not can result in traumatic reactions. If such symptoms arise, please speak with a mental health professional.
Q: What are unresolved grief reactions?
A: If the death of your companion happens at the end of some other major losses, including employment, loss of health, loss of friends or family members, loss of a marriage, or other such important life event, losing an animal at the same time will only exacerbate what you are feeling. You need to speak to a professional in this case so that your symptoms of depression do not get worse.
Q: Is there anything that I can do to make myself feel better right this second?
A: There is not very much that you can do to stop the immense grief abruptly. This is a normal human response to loss and you should not complicate the grief as it comes and goes. Keep in mind that the feelings will become more tolerable, but in the meantime, spend time with your loved ones or go to different events that distract you for a little bit of time.
Be sure to take care of yourself such as sleeping well, make attempts to eat, and keep in contact with those who support you and understand. Go to a bereavement group for pets, do volunteer work, and always be sure that you are letting yourself cry and express your grief.
Q: When should I adopt another pet? Is it considered disloyal?
A: It is not disloyal to give shelter to another pet. Instead, it is a way to honor them and to help as many animals as you can in your life. While no other animal can replace the one you lost, you can open your heart up to another animal friend again when you are ready. Some people think that they will never be ready to adopt another animal, but the capacity to love an animal does not disappear, even when grieving. When the time is right, you will stumble upon an animal that you know you need to take home and love.
Animals can help people with everything from trauma to performing tasks that they are unable to do. There are a number of services out there that can help people and the pets in their lives, and one of them is Pet Support Services. This organization works to ensure that pets have everything that they need, like good quality food, to continue living a healthy life alongside their pet parents. See this video to understand the ways that Pet Support Services has changed the lives of many.
Adopting a Pet
While at the end of their lives pets can have us in tears, they also give us many years of happy tears as well. Because of this, it can be hard for people to avoid adopting a pet at one point or another. If you are thinking about adopting a new companion animal, there are many ways that you can go about this.
Adopting from a Shelter
You will find shelters that are usually run by a metropolitan area, including animal control, health departments, police departments, and more. Shelters will have a facility with regular hours of operation and full time staff. These shelters offer adoption procedures so you will have a dog or a cat in your home in no time.
While adopting a pet is different at every shelter, procedures are often as follows:
- Find a pet that you would like to adopt by going to the shelter or looking at their website.
- Go to see the pet and ask the staff at the shelter if you can meet the pet and spend time with the animal you have picked out.
- Decide if you want to bring the pet home and then return to the desk at the front. Pay the adoption cost, give them your identification, and get copies of records such as vaccinations, sterilization, and medical reports. Then, bring your pet home with you.
You could also choose to rescue an animal and bring them from their foster homes to your own home. Rescues are run by volunteers that usually have adoption events in different venues, such as pet stores. Stricter than a shelter, there will be an adoption process that you will need to follow. Fill out the application as well and remember to be patient–as they are run by volunteers, it might take some time for you to hear back about the animal that you are interested in.
The adoption process for rescue animals can vary. The process often goes like this:
- Locate the pet at the rescue that you want by going to the rescue itself or visiting their website.
- Fill out the pet adoption application or email the rescue.
- Speak with the volunteer when they call and learn more about the pet.
- Decide if you want to bring the pet home.
- Go meet the pet.
- Invite the rescue volunteers over for a home visit so they can ensure the pet is going to a good place.
- Adopt the pet!
Pets bring incredible joy into our lives from day one, even when we are still potty training them. While it is only natural that pets will eventually leave us one day and cause heartbreak, the time that we do share with them and the help that they give us makes it more than worth it. There are several resources out there to help those considering a pet, those who already own a pet, and those who have just lost their furry friend. It is always the right time to bring a pet into your life with these resources available, so consider adopting a pet today.