Maybe you are looking to adopt a teacup puppy because you have heard what amazing emotional support animals they make. You know a furry companion by your side would help ease your intense feelings of depression and anxiety.
In fact, the Journal of Evidence-Informed Social Work reported that after just one week of owning an emotional support animal, owners with PTSD experienced an 82% reduction in symptoms. In addition, research has shown that people with other mental illnesses, such as anxiety, depression, social anxiety, and agoraphobia, all benefit from having an emotional support animal.
If you are looking to adopt a teacup puppy as an emotional support animal, here are some steps to take if you are new to owning and certifying one.
Qualifying
To qualify for an emotional support animal, you must have some mental illness or disability, which to some degree inhibits your day-to-day life. A mental health professional or therapist can diagnose you and recommend getting an emotional support animal to alleviate your symptoms.
Certification
To certify your emotional support animal, all you need is a letter written by a mental health professional. Emotional support animals can be any kind of animal companion that brings you comfort. Letters must be renewed once a year.
Rights
Once you have your certification letter, you can live with your teacup puppy anywhere for free, even if the location has a no pets policy or pet fee. This right is protected under the Fair Housing Act. However, emotional support animals do not have the same rights as service dogs. This means you cannot take your support animal out in public with you without permission or stay in hotels. At work, you must also ask permission, and airlines may require you to pay pet fees.
Other Considerations
If you are adopting a teacup puppy as an emotional support animal, make sure to train it well. To be a quality emotional support animal, it will need to be extremely well socialized and not easily startled. In addition, you need your dog to be calm in all circumstances, even when you are panicked or distressed. Finally, it is also important that your dog does not cause any damage to property or persons. As shown, adopting a teacup puppy as an emotional support animal is not difficult at all. With a few simple steps, you can gain a comforting, furry companion to have by your side. Just choose a puppy to adopt, get approved by a mental health professional, and get a letter of certification. Here at Puppy Therapy, we have teacup Yorkies, poodles, Chihuahuas, Shih Tzus, and more. Learn more about adopting yours today or contact us with any questions.
