It is all too easy for people to make jokes about individuals who have emotional support animals but the comfort they give is no laughing matter. That is a big deal in today’s world. At least 40 million American adults suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder. Nearly 35% of the United States suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). That amounts of 7.7 million people. The good news is that animals can help. At least 74% of people with mental health issues report that having animals in their homes makes them feel better. For many people, traveling with their animal can make a big difference. If you have a dog for this purpose, there are a few things that you need to do to take them with you on trips. It is helpful to get an emotional support dog letter to ease the way on planes, trains, and buses.
Moreover, the regulations around bringing any of the PTSD animals have changed a lot over the past few years. The first thing you need to have is either an emotional support dog letter or the equivalent for other animals. The regulations for travel by air are the most rigorous. Airlines are required to accommodate people with actual support animals. The problem is that many abused the system and had animals that lacked legitimate emotional support animal registration. They were pets. These are family members but they do not qualify for the protections afforded to support animals. If you are bringing your dog, you will need the emotional support dog letter or prescription. This document has to;
- Be Less than 12 months old.
- Be printed on the letterhead of a qualified professional.
- Have the following information included:
- The nature of the mental health issue. There are a lot of mental health issues that are helped by emotional support animals. If, for example, you need to get an emotional support dog letter from your doctor or psychologist, they need to list what the problem you have is. You have to have a mental disability as written about in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
- The fact that you need an animal. Your letter needs to state your need to bring your animal with you on the flight.
- The qualifications of the person who has signed the letter. They need to be a licensed mental health professional who is actively treating the person in question. They also need to include what kind of professional they are. There are several kinds of professionals who can sign such a letter.
Before you fly with your animal, you should talk to your air carrier and see what the requirements are to get your animal safely on board. Legally, they have to let your animal travel with you but there is no reason they have to make the process easy for you. Talk to them before you go and you will have a better experience overall.
Not all travel is on a plane. If you are looking to travel with your animal some other way, these tips can help.
Have a better experience in a car. Some animals love to take long road trips. In other instances, you may end up taking over the role of emotional support provider. The first thing you need to do is carefully draw up your route. This is not just about getting from points A to B as quickly as possible. You should look up pet-friendly rest stops on your journey. If you plan to stay in hotels, you should call the motels and hotels on your route to make sure you can bring them in with you.
Tavek by train is not great for people who need support animals. The bad news with trains is that the train companies do not have to recognize animals being brought on for emotional support. Service dogs are permitted on board trains but when it comes to emotional support, your emotional support dog letter will do you no good. You can call the carrier and see what they say.
It is possible to travel with your certified emotional support animals , no matter the type.