Recently, a friend on Facebook made a post about ESAs, and while a lot of what they said was perfectly reasonable, I see the subject a little differently. Of course, I see most things a little differently, because I am neurodivergent, and honestly, that’s my point in making this blog entry.
This post was in response to an incident where somebody had an ESA in a store and it had an altercation with a service animal. The ESA was not leashed.
I have an issue with the statement. “. . .the second your ESA dog acts a fool in public, that particular store will have no choice but to ban all animals, regardless of their status.”
Yeah, but NO.
A store can ban ESA animals, and they’d be justified in doing so if there was an issue with ESA animals, but because of the Americans with Disabilities Act, they couldn’t ban service animals (except on an individual basis in the case of misbehavior), so that statement is overblown.
And the statement: “Don’t ruin it for them with your mutt you rescued 3 months ago to help with your depression.” First, that’s devaluing some awesome animals, including the mixed breeds that are certified service animals. There are loads of them. Also, unfortunately, American society has stigmatized mental health disorders, and this is just another example of how depression is often viewed as just another word for sadness. Depression can be a very serious condition that makes everyday life a struggle just to stay alive. An emotional support animal’s ability to help someone suffering from it shouldn’t be underestimated or invalidated.
Another thing ESAs are helpful for are people with PTSD or autism. And given the fact that box stores like Target and Walmart are so overstimulating with the miles of product, the colors, the noise, the crowds and the fluorescent lights, it’s perfectly reasonable for an autistic person to have an ESA or PSA in a store with them.
I have an ESA who keeps me grounded and focused. She is always leashed, and when she accompanies me indoors, I carry her. I keep her registration with me, and she wears a vest in public. Numerous times men have disdainfully said to me “Anybody can put a vest on their dog and call it an ESA.” Except, that’s not exactly true. You can’t register a dog as an ESA without a document from a registered mental health professional: which can’t happen unless you are an established patient and the MHP thinks an ESA would be helpful. There is also a cost involved for registration. Do some people find a way around the legalities? Of course they do — there is always someone breaking rules to ruin things for others –that’s typical human behavior. But I still think ESAs get a bum rap.
Up on the Woof 