So I have had a couple of conversations recently around the registration process for emotional support animals. Below are my thoughts on the subject.

Registration of Emotional Support Animals

Currently, here in the UK, the registration body is the Emotional Support Animal Registry UK which was started in 2017 as a private company operating on membership/registration fees. In order to complete registration you must supply a letter from a Medical Health Professional that states the animal is required for your ongoing mental health treatment.¹

According to the ESA ORGUK: “Emotional support animals (ESAs) are pets that is required for a person’s ongoing mental health treatment by a licensed therapist, psychologist, doctor (GP) or any licensed mental health professional, and the ESA is a part of the person’s ongoing treatment program, that it is designed to bring comfort and minimize the negative symptoms the person’s emotional or psychological disability. All domesticated animals may qualify as Emotional Support Animals and they can be any age, as these animals do not need any specific task-training like a service/assistance animal because their very presence alleviates the symptoms associated with a personal psychological or emotional disability and the only requirement is that the animal is fully under control in public and does not create a nuisance in or around the domestic environment.”

I have been a member of ESA ORGUK since June 2020 when I got Amani and will continue to renew my membership for as long as I have Amani.

So what is the difference then between having an ESA and just your run of the mill pet?

Other than the fact that an ESA is needed as an ongoing mental health treatment and can be registered as an ESA not much. As a society we are conditioned to accept certain norms; so for example seeing dogs in public places or as support/assistance animals fits into our generally accepted normality as this is generally what we see on a regular basis. We also expect that, dogs that are in public are under the control of their owners at all times. And when they are service/assistance animals there is an even higher level of training done to ensure they are comfortable in an array of different environments.

Where things can, do and will get murky is when the ESA is not what Joe Public would expect. So, for example, I have a cat and that is not usual to see in public, especially on a harness and leash in a pet stroller.

I spent a lot of time when I got Amani at 8 weeks old getting her prepared to be in public; from having a secure bag, and now pet stroller, so she can be contained when needed to ensuring she is leash trained and comfortable in her harness.

I got her shortly after Lockdown 1.0 in 2020 so there weren’t many indoor places open but I still took Amani out as regularly as we were allowed to get her used to going out and as soon as we were able to go indoors started taking her to cafes etc. The first place I took her to and who were the most welcoming was The Lion’s Den in Haslemere and it is one of our most frequented establishments.

So, although she is a cat, I accept that certain standards have been established by dog owners of what behaviour is and is not acceptable in public places as well as watching the types of training environments guide dogs or dogs for good go through as a starting point. I have also tried to think of how people may react to seeing a cat or how Amani may react in some environments and made sure I can secure her when needed, thus her back pack or stroller so she can have a safe space too.

What is currently expected of ESA Handlers?

On completion of registration with ESA ORGUK handlers are reminded that the ESA must be under control at all times in public. Formal training is suggested especially for larger ESA’s and it is also suggested that you have public liability insurance in case there is any accident/incident involving the public. This is sometimes included under household insurance but can also be included in pet insurance policies. I do want to reiterate here that it is a suggestion and there is currently no legal obligation for pet owners to even have pet insurance never mind public liability insurance. All pet owners and ESA handlers just need to be aware of the risk and be prepared for the eventuality. But if a handler or owner has a good relationship with their animal this risk is mitigated hugely in my opinion.

But what should we consider for ESA registrations?

Training: As I mentioned above we have certain norms or standards we accept because we’ve seen them on a regular basis and dogs are a generally accepted norm of a pet or animal to see in public. I don’t think things should be different for ESA’s regardless of the type of animal they are. We should be learning from what is already accepted and where possible make it work. I also think it could be difficult to get a consensus on as it would really depend on the type of animal a handler has chosen to be their ESA. Currently the generally accepted animals are dogs and cats both of which can be trained. And so, I think some sort of assessment by a centralised body such as ESA ORGUK could help to validate whether an ESA is truly fully controlled by their handler or not.
References: The ESA ORGUK has started to collect information on ESA friendly businesses (if you are a business who would like to register you can do so here). Where an ESA handler is a regular visitor to an establishment, then maybe the business owner could vouch for the behaviour of the ESA. Possibly even have a searchable database similar to the one to validate a registration card where a business can leave reviews about each ESA they encounter?
Code of conduct:² I think that having a Code of Conduct that ESA handlers have to accept as part of the registration and membership of ESA ORGUK would be beneficial much in the same way Doctors, Accountants and Lawyers have their codes of ethics and conduct.
Type of animal: As already stated any animal can offer emotional support and if I am honest I don’t really care if you have a cat, dog, rabbit or duck as long as you can keep it under control and if/when appropriate secured in a carrier. The last thing we need as ESA handlers is someone causing an incident with an unruly animal that ends up tarring us all with the same brush.

What about other scenarios involving ESA’s?

You may have seen the news from the US about a miniature horse on a plane (and if not you can have a look here). In the US certain animals are legally classed as service animals by the Department of Transport but the DOT have now indicated that certain ESA’s can no longer travel for free and I think this is a good thing. I think we need to be considering these things here in the UK and around the world so that those who need an ESA with them can travel and experience the world like any other person. We have managed to make the world more accessible to those in wheelchairs and with other visible disabilities, now we need to do work so that those with hidden disabilities can experience the same.

When it comes to international travel I personally wouldn’t want to be encroached upon by an animal that I don’t particularly like (a lizard or rat come to mind), especially in a confined space like an airplane. I haven’t yet travelled internationally with Amani and don’t intend to for a while yet given the added logistics involved in travelling with her. But I know I would be more than willing to pay an appropriate additional fee if necessary to have her travel in the cabin with me and will take as many precautions as possible to reduce the impact she would have on other passengers for example getting her a body suit that would keep her fur and dander from flying around.

But for now we will just have to rely on the protection of the Equality Act 2010, Mental Health Act 1983 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and the common sense of business owners. Oh and not forgetting continuing to raise awareness wherever and whenever we can.

Notes:

1. In the US the most official site I have found is: US Service Animals
2. While I do mention the Emotional Support Animal Registry UK this is only to point potential ESA handlers here in the UK and others wanting to learn more about registration to the right place. All suggestions throughout this blog are just that suggestions. I am not speaking on behalf of anyone other than myself.