Understanding Emotional Support Animals in San Diego

The question of what an emotional support animal is and whether you can have one with you is a complicated one. As time goes on, we are realizing more and more how much animals help us and can improve our health. Service animals and emotional support animals are getting more attention, but before you can proceed with things like acquiring one, there are a few things to know. When you are considering an emotional support animal in San Diego and California in general have a few laws to be aware of.

First, remember that San Diego and California in general has a very clear line drawn between service animals and emotional support animals. When you are looking at an emotional support animal in San Diego and California state that it is not an animal that performs a service animal. A dog that is a service animal aids its owner in some way, whether that is providing physical support, patrolling an area to reduce anxiety or acting as a blind person’s eyes. An emotional support dog, on the other hand, merely stays close to its owner to keep them calm.

When you are in San Diego ESA policies are going to vary widely. According to California law, as long as a place makes a reasonable effort to accommodate you and your emotional service animal, that is all they need to do. In general, this is a very loose ruling with very little precedent set. Essentially, what this means is that though you can make your case, there is no law forcing an establishment to accept the presence of your emotional support animal.

One way to make your case a little better, however, is to make sure that you comply with all of the regulations for getting one. For example, you cannot diagnose yourself with a need for an emotional service animal. This is a decision that you will make with a therapist or other mental health professional. After that, you will acquire an animal with their assistance, and they will write you a letter stating what the animal’s purpose is and how you are helped by it. This letter is what you would offer to any licensing agency that will help you get things like collars, certifications and tags that will identify your animal as more than just a pet.

When you are looking at San Diego ESA policy, keep in mind that your best chances for getting your needs met is to get everything documented and to make sure that you know the rules!