Demand appropriate certification for Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are a necessary and important part of the lives of many disabled people. While ESAs are covered under several Federal laws, there is no real, well-recognized mechanism for having these ESA pets credentialed or certified that is recognized worldwide. People are abusing this status of ESA and there needs to be a regulated mechanism for providing this service. I believe it should be a two part certification including a licensed psychologist (documenting need for the disabled person), physician, or ARNP AND a certified dog trainer who can certify that the animal is well-trained enough to be taken out in public and to be able to fly on an airplane. The AKC has one such test. There is an already existing certificate program for providing the red vest which designates the animal as an ESA. This certification process needs to be formalized including certification of the animal as fit to be out in public and fit to fly.  These criteria need to be adopted worldwide and universally. The airlines are already honoring this designation but without appropriate certification of the animal for fitness to fly.  Such a test does exist.  A plane was forced to land because a large dog was deemed an ESA without appropriate documentation or credentialing. The dog defecated in the aisle twice and the smell was making people so ill that the plane was forced to land. This is not how we want ESAs to be represented to the general public or to anyone at all.

A writer for New Yorker Magazine had her turtle and snake designated, inappropriately, as ESA animals, making a farce out of a very serious situation.

Emotional Support Animals are appropriate and therapeutic in many situations. We need to protect those disabled people who are really in need of such a service but it needs to be legitimatized.  Emotional Support Animals can help a number of disabled children and adults with a variety of conditions, ranging from Autism to Mental Retardation to PTSD, Epilepsy, Diabetes, Alzheimer's, OCD, Anxiety, Depression, and a variety of other conditions.

Please help stop the abuse of the designation of Emotional Support Animals.  This is a very real service which can benefit a huge number of disabled people of all ages. 

Please take a quick moment to sign this petition and check out another petition on www.change.org.  Thank you so very much for help in this matter!  It WILL make a huge difference in thousands and thousands of people's lives!