For those of us who’ve had or currently have a special pet companion, we understand just how impactful and beneficial they can be in our lives. As someone who has had pets throughout her childhood, from guinea pigs to hamsters to most recently, a rabbit, I can personally attest to the impact pets have on my childhood and adult life and how they’ve helped me get through the most challenging periods in my life. I recently adopted a bunny this past September from my local rabbit shelter, and it was ultimately a dream come true. Growing up, I always wanted a rabbit and now, as an adult with her own apartment and stable income, I was able to grant my inner child’s wishes by adopting the bunny of my dreams! While this experience abruptly ended due to my bunny, Mango, having an unknown pre-existing health condition, which led to him passing away shortly after adopting him, I cannot deny how quickly we bonded throughout our weeks together. While our time was short, I was grateful to have been able to experience something so special. Similar to me, my mom has adopted as well. She currently has a dog, named Benji, and he is her emotional support animal. Over the years, he has served as an amazing companion for her, as someone who has multiple mental disabilities and as her daughter, I’m comforted knowing my mother is not alone. Pets, especially emotional support and service animals can be great for anybody, but especially those with disabilities. Having a companion, especially a trained one, can make all the difference during someone’s journey or period of transition.
According to the article “The Benefits of Emotional Support”, Jennifer H. Moyer discusses the many ways in which having an emotional support system can be beneficial for an individual and why it’s needed in the first place. She explains “Emotional support is the sensitive, understanding approach that helps individuals accept and deal with their difficulties or illness. Although some individuals may believe the need for emotional support is a sign of weakness, research has shown the benefits of such support. Often shame and embarrassment prevent others from seeking emotional support. There should be no shame in seeking help. Criticism for the need of emotional support has largely been answered by clinical studies that have shown that emotional support can increase longevity, improve psychological function and cause improvement to immune system function. In fact, even having a pet can provide beneficial emotional support” (Moyer, “The Benefits of Emotional Support”). Emotional support is something everyone needs, whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. Having a strong support system is essential during times of restlessness, unease, and discomfort and sometimes a pet can be a key part of that support system. No only can emotional support animals pick up on their owner’s behavior and help calm them, but ultimately, simply being around is often enough as it is for some people. Emotional support animals or pets in general can be especially beneficial to those with disabilities. Although emotional support animals, or ESA’s, are not trained, they can still promote the positive growth and overall health of their owner.
For people with disabilities who require specific training or “skill set” in order to have a companion, these pets or animals are called “service animals”. The difference between an emotional support animal and a service animal is that a service animal is trained to assist their owner with their specific needs. For example, in the article “Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals, Where are they allowed and under what conditions?” provided by the ADA National Network, “A service animal means any [animal] that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Examples of animals that fit the ADA’s definition of “service animal” because they have been specifically trained to perform a task for the person with a disability [include] Guide Dog or Seeing EyeDog, Hearing or Signal Dog, Psychiatric Service Dog, Seizure Response Dog and sensory signal dogs or social signal dog. Tasks performed [by these dogs] can include, among other things, pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, reminding a person to take medication, or pressing an elevator button” (ADA National Network, “Service Animals..). While the ADA covers service animals and most commonly, dogs, this doesn’t mean that other types of animals can be beneficial for other services, such as therapy, emotional support or overall comfort. Depending on what someone is looking for, they may choose to have their pet trained and certified under the ADA or simply welcome its companionship without the need for documentation. Everyone’s needs and wants are going to be different, especially depending on their reasoning for getting a pet and their disability. However, one thing is for certain and it’s that no matter what someone decides, having a pet companion is always a plus!