It can be oh so easy to confuse service animals with emotional support animals. After all, what is the difference? Both help their owners with disabilities.
The main thing to remember is that an emotional support animal is not trained for their position and just needs to have a non-aggressive temperament and be well-behaved.
While service animals are specially trained to help people with various disabilities by alerting them of strokes, seizures, or blood sugar drops for example.
They are trained to help with many different conditions and undergo extensive training to do so.
Generally, when we think of animals that help humans we think of dogs.
But what if you are a fan of snakes? Could you have a snake as an emotional support animal? Well, the answer is yes.
But let us take a closer look at everything you need to know about snakes being emotional support animals and everything else you need to know.
What Exactly Is An Emotional Support Animal?
We have just talked about the basic job role of an emotional support animal. But let us take a more in-depth look at what exactly these animals do for their owners.
These animals are typically assigned to individuals that are struggling with severe mental health issues. In some cases, this can be more helpful than medication.
This will depend on whether your mental health professional determines if an emotional support animal suits them.
Most often people that have emotional support animals will register a pet that they already own but if you do not have a pet then you are free to choose any kind of domestic animal as your ESA.
These animals do not require any special training to qualify which is why most people will register their own dogs, cats, horses, snakes, or anything else as their ESA.
But, what kind of animals can be emotional support animals? Let’s take a closer look.
What Animals Can Be Emotional Support Animals?
So, we have just said that any domestic animal can be an emotional support animal. That can include an almost endless list of animals. Below are some of the most popular ones:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Llamas
- Alpacas
- Sheep
- Goats
- Chickens
- Pigs
- Parrots
- Horses
- Ponies
- Rabbits
- Guinea Pigs
- Snakes
- Lizards
The list can go on, there is no real limit as to what kind of animal you can pick as your emotional support animal. So pick something that makes you happy.
How Do Snakes Help With Anxiety Relief?
You might not think that a cold-blooded snake can relieve any anxiety. But they are actually wonderful companions that allow their owners to focus on caring for and managing them.
It is that process of having a creature that depends on you that helps people get out of their own heads which in turn can really help to relieve anxiety.
On top of that, having a snake that you can hold and interact with can be comforting for many individuals. For these reasons and many others, snakes make wonderful emotional support animals.
Why Are Snakes Good Emotional Support Animals?
But why else are snakes so good as emotional support animals? Below are several fantastic reasons you should consider getting one as your ESA.
Snakes Are Easy To Look After
If you are looking for an emotional support animal and you want a companion that will stay independent while also allowing you to give it attention then a snake is a fantastic choice.
Snakes are the best of both worlds. You can leave them be and also spend hours playing or caring for them.
Snakes Do Not Have An Odor
Snakes do not have fur. Obviously. This makes them significantly more odorless than other pets. So those of you that are highly susceptible to odors can have a snake without any real issues.
Snakes Are Hypoallergenic
For the most part, snakes are hypoallergenic which means that having one in your home should not trigger any pet allergy. This is especially good for those of you that are allergic to dogs or cats.
How Do You Register Your Snake As An ESA?
There is not really paperwork that is required to register a snake as an emotional support animal. However, it is essential to have the appropriate tags and paperwork.
This is so that there will not be any issues that you encounter in the long run. With this documentation, you will be able to take your emotional support snake in public, on airplanes, and you will not face any housing restrictions.
Below is the basic process you will need to undergo if you want to register your snake as an emotional support animal.
Talk With Your Professional Mental Health Provider
The first thing you will need to do is make an appointment with your therapist or another mental health professional. This in turn will help to determine whether you are eligible for an ESA.
It would be a good idea for those of you that see a therapist regularly to talk to them about the possibility of having an emotional support animal.
Your Professional Mental Health Provider Will Give You An ESA Letter
There may be a possibility that you will not qualify for an emotional support animal and for this reason you will need your therapist or another mental health professional to write you an ESA letter.
This letter is proof that you have permission to register your snake as an emotional support animal. It is the bit of paper that makes the whole process legal.
Register Your Chosen Emotional Support Animal Online
Firstly, you need to acquire your snake. If you already have one you will not need to purchase a snake to be your ESA. But once you have your snake you need to register your animal online.
Final Thoughts
We hope that you have enjoyed reading our article on whether snakes can be emotional support animals.
There is a lot to know about this process and we hope that we were able to shed a little light on the subject. Have a fantastic day and we will see you next time.
The result of that was Bunny - a 5 year old labrador who follows me around everywhere and is trained to detect when I’m about to have an anxiety attack. Through our three years together, Bunny can even sense when I’m feeling just a little bit anxious and work to calm me down.
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