Most of us have owned a pet some time throughout our lives. From the beta that we caught at longkang fish farms to a giant golden retriever you recently added to your family, they all bring us the same happiness and joy, or even sadness and anger at times (when they simply refuse to stop barking even at the wee hours of the morning).

Furkids create tails of happiness for pawrents, but can they be used to support us emotionally? The answer is yes! This is where the Emotional Support Animal (ESA) bridges the gap between that of a service animal and a pet.

You may have heard of service or assistance animals, commonly reported on the news or on Stomp. These are animals are trained specifically to assist individuals with physical or psychological disabilities which hinder their ability to carry out activities of daily living. These animals–including guide dogs or signal dogs–help individuals with visual or auditory impairments travel or watch out for danger. In other words, service or assistance animals help their owners to live a more independent life.

While pets can bring us the occasional dose of happiness, an ESA is often employed together with psychotherapy to help alleviate mental health conditions (such as depression or anxiety) and provide a therapeutic benefit. The difference between a service animal and an ESA lies in the training of the animal, as service animals are trained specifically to fill a gap for an individual with a disability. An ESA might not necessarily be trained to do so, but is used to provide emotional support to its owner. 

Benefits of Emotional Support Animals

Apart from being adorable and lovable, ESAs can benefit patients and have been found to alleviate psychological conditions. Evidence suggests that ESA ownership can reduce suicide attempts, hospitalization, anxiety, and medication use. In addition, ESAs can also improve an individual’s functioning, with increased abilities to work and attend school.

It is hypothesized that we typically form an attachment with our pets, and this close attachment can serve as a form of social support for individuals with mental health conditions, reducing social isolation and loneliness. Caring for an animal is also a routine task that we have to engage in daily, which creates stability in life and provides us with some mental space away from negative events. It has been found that in palliative settings and in children with autism, patients experienced elevated moods when animals such as dogs, cats, or rabbits were introduced in the environment.

How Do I Get An Emotional Support Animal?

Getting an ESA is a complicated procedure as the rules and regulations vary throughout the world. Unfortunately, ESAs are not recognized as assistance animals in Singapore, and have to comply with existing import regulations for animals. This means that certain breeds of animals may not be allowed in Singapore, despite a memo from a licensed professional.

In general, an official memo from a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist stating that the ESA will assist an individual’s recovery is required if they are intending to bring the ESA across borders. To obtain the note, the mental health professional will assess and determine if the individual has a mental health diagnosis and if the animal will facilitate recovery.

In addition, you may require import licenses, health certification, import permits, and other documents alongside the memo. You can take a look at the requirements here and here.

Certifying that an ESA is required for recovery can be a tricky issue for both mental health professionals and their patients, due to the differing laws across the world and various ethical concerns. Clinicians may be expected to sign off on their patient’s ESAs, despite no therapeutic benefit being identified. Refusing the request may result in the therapeutic alliance being ruptured. Hence, it is important for patients to understand that while a pet may bring them an abundance of happiness, it may not be required for recovery and thus the clinician may not provide the memo certifying a need.

Conclusion

Owning a pet can have many benefits to us and our mental health. However, it is important for us to recognize that not every pet can be certified as an ESA, but this may not be necessary unless you are travelling overseas. If you are travelling overseas and require a memo from a psychologist, come talk to us. Our psychologists are able to give you a hand (unfortunately not a paw) with conducting an assessment and subsequently determining if your pet can classify as an ESA.