Legitimacy of "Support Animal" Registration

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>>2318653

I would like to know too. I'm in AL and the apartments I'm staying in don't allow pets, but 90% of us living here have at least a cat or dog.

I have a history of some mental conditions, but since I moved here I haven't established any kind of relationship with any doctor.. I have had my snowshoe for almost 11 years, and I have no plans to let her go now. Most places here don't allow pets, which is bizarre to me. What can I do without going to a doctor for a note? I doubt they'd hand me one the first visit!

>>2318653
I just picked this up from a site called registerservicedog. It sounds like they can legally ask you to confirm your dog is registered ESA

>You are never required to disclose what your disability is to anyone, nor is anyone allowed to ask about your disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the service dog, or ask that the service dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

>The purpose of the ID kit and vest is so others are aware of the fact that the dog is a service dog. It is to drive awareness to those around you since people often have a pretty difficult time without the vest and ID kit.

Legally most "Emotional support animals" are pretty much bullshit. You're not going to get forced to leave in most stores or places if the pet looks professional because it's simply not worth the employee's time to argue with most of the owners who pull that crap.

Don't get me wrong, I support animals as a way to heal and cope for emotional traumas but you have to admit people getting fake certification on the internet for a likely untrained/unvaccinated animal is pretty lame.

Houses and transportation? Probably not going to work without more paperwork to back up your dogs "support animal" status. Privately rented or sold homes may not need more convincing though.

>>2318660
This. ESAs really only get housing rights and they can come on planes. It's also a huge dick move to lie about your animal being a service, therapy, or emotional support animal anyway. There's people who actually depend on these animals to help with disabilities, and people faking it hurts them by making landlords and people in general more inclined to think that people with actual service/therapy/support animals are dicks too. If you don't have a disability, just fucking deal with not being able to take your shit mutt into wal mart. I am absolutely positive that you'll live through it, trust me.

I believe ESAs require a letter from a therapist, so unless you're willing to pay for therapy and also pretend to be mentally ill for enough visits to fool them, it's not worth it.

>>2318659
>Can't
My bad, can't type

File: tumblr_myak3uV5V01qi34ygo1_500.jpg (257KB, 500x750px) Image search: [Google]

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>>2318660
This.
I have heavy support for real service dogs and shit like this just makes the real ones look less legit.

>>2318660
>>2318665
>>2318687

I'm not looking to have my dog hold the tray while I'm doing dental work, or sniff out the best fruit at the grocery store, and I don't mean to cheapen the use of service animals by anyone whose need may be more pronounced or "legitimate" than another; but without any defined regulation of what warrants the need of a "support dog" I won't feel too bad using that as a caveat if possible to get into an otherwise inaccessible apartment for a dog that spends most of his day sleeping.

>>2318659
Thanks. I read that too and took it with as many grains of salt as the whole process and papers they are trying to sell.

>>2318740
Just find another apartment. Even if you could get your dog "certified" as an ESA, it'd still be a dick move whether you mean it to be or not. It's like parking in a handicapped parking spot. A medical professional or therapist needs to determine that you have some need for an ESA, and if you don't have an actual disability it's obviously not going to fly. There's also legal hoops you may have to jump through which, again, obviously won't go well unless you're disabled.

As someone who had an ESA for a while (and my cunt of an aunt made me give them up to a long time neighbor....) There isn't really an online official thing for them.

You need to go through a doctor and/or a therapist and explain in detail how the animal in question helps you day to day and why they are needed. Then the doctor or therapist needs to write a letter giving you the OK. Also as an added precaution, go through behavior training if it's a dog and it may be allowed in more public places.

Good luck!

>>2318665
>I believe ESAs require a letter from a therapist,

My dog is an ESA, and I did have to get a letter from my therapist. I don't pretend she's a service dog or therapy dog or really ever bring it up. She doesn't wear any service dog gear. I have a mental disability and my psychiatrist and therapist both agreed. It's the lowest level of support animals and not a very big deal if you don't make a big deal about it. If you go around pretending the dog is a seeing eye dog or something, that's just goofy.

>>2318770
You have to have a diagnosed disability. You can't just walk into a doctor's office having no history of anything, and i'm assuming this is OP's case as they're specifically referring to lying about it, and be like "I'm suddenly in the middle of a major depressive episode and your flu vaccines gave me autism. Also, can I have an ESA? thanks." I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume somebody who was smart enough to become a doctor is smart enough to tell when you're bullshitting.

>>2318740
Can't you just ask to have an exception made? If you're dedicated enough to fabricate an intricate lie involving being diagnosed with a disability you don't actually have, I highly doubt you're not dedicated enough to just ask the fuckin' landlord to make an exception for your dog. From what i've been told, it's not actually very difficult to get a landlord to make an exception. Just explain your situation and make some effort to prove that your dog isn't a danger to anyone or their property and isn't going to be obnoxious. Maybe get him certified as a canine good citizen or some bullshit that sounds good.

Thanks everybody for the input. This isn't anything that I need tomorrow, but it is something I will be pursuing in the near future.

I have some time on my hands this weekend. I'm going to put together a certificate using the wording found on the ESA sites, get it printed on some decent paper, and put an embossing on it. IF (big if) it turns out alright, and depending on how long this thread lives, I'll post the results and cross link everything to DIY if anybody else is interested for the certificate and embossing procedure.

I'm doing this in advance of being told I need anything, and one of the first websites you get when searching this is one that will include a letter from a doctor, so I'll bite the bullet and use that if pressed.

I'd be willing to negotiate with a landlord, grease some palms or toss in a little extra monthly, but I once I broach the topic of “would you be willing to make an exception”, it will be a hell of a lot harder if they say “no” to follow up with “well, fine, here are his papers saying he's a support animal”.