What is an "emotional support animal?"

[Jolie C]

In reference to an airline, what exactly is a "documented emotional support animal?" Is that a therapy dog or what? I know it isn't a service animal such as a seeing eye dog because they are mentioned separately. Does anyone know what this means?

 

[TigerBear]

Interesting, this is a new one for me.

http://www.petsonthego.com/pressrm.html

"Service animals are, by definition, different than emotional support animals. An emotional support animal performs either a psychiatric service (extreme social anxiety or panic attack) or provides emotional support. Service animals are individually trained to perform a function to assist the passenger who is a qualified individual with a disability. Emotional support animals do not necessarily have “task specific” training that supports the disabled person and are therefore treated differently than service animals.

If you are traveling with an emotional support animal, the airline can require appropriate documentation. Documentation should be on the letterhead of a mental health professional and state the following:

The passenger has a mental health-related disability;
That having the animal accompany the passenger is necessary to the passenger’s mental health or treatment;
That the individual providing the assessment of the passenger is a licensed mental health professional and the passenger is under his or her professional care. The airlines cannot ask what “type” of mental health disability is involved."

 

[Jolie C]

Thanks for the info, TigerBear! This was a new one for me as well - I've never heard of this until today.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Guess my teddy bear is okay to board


He is my emotional support animal as much as anything

-em