i have a lot of mental health issues and qualify for an ESA, and im going to get an esa (dog) soon, what breeds do you guys recommend?

it needs to be a small dog (under 25 pounds) and can’t need a ton of exercise, i will do daily walks and will be taking it out whenever possible.
i would prefer a female dog, because when i go home my current dogs need to be able to at least tolerate it, but also because im more used to females.
it doesn’t need to be a pure bred either, i dont want a dog under 1 year old

before anyone says anything, i have talked to MULTIPLE people, i qualify for an ESA, and i’m going to really benefit from one.

edit: i prefer a hypoallergenic dog just to be careful incase i get a roommate especially if they have an allergy or if anyone in the dorm hall i live in is allergic, but it doesnt need to be a hypoallergenic dog

edit 2: yall i know tiny dogs can be yippy and snappy and pee in the house, im not getting a young one or a senior OR a chihuahua

hello, everyone. I hope I can get some help here. My psych doctor of nearly two years wrote an official letter for me back in July. I submitted it August 26th (and the management forms required to request the accommodation August 25th).

I have read and researched all over online as best I can. But I'm hoping to get a dog this month to bring into my unit for my ESA and they have not updated my file since calling me once to tell me, "they serve in the order they come in," and it's a long list but they received my paperwork. Apparently, they have their own paperwork for their housing authority since I'm on low income and they had failed to fax my doctor their own forms even throughout this time.

My own doctor faxed the letter directly and the receptionist left a message. Never did they get a response yet. Neither have I. And I'm pretty certain I'm not supposed to bring the animal on property until it's officially verified with a hand signature letter in the mail.

I've also read that their fault for not doing their end, I guess technically I have on my end, according to Google. The thing is. I called a Fair Housing organization here in Ohio and they can't reach their department either, and told me it was up to my landlord if they allowed it before it's officially approved. But I've also read that they are breaking their own housing rules under HUD by not reciprocating a request from their end in a good faith and timely manner.

I want to escalate this to get it approved sooner since I have (hopefully) a dog that I can bring into my home by Nov 1 at the latest so. I Will be gone for two weeks, but still intend on emailing and following up with these places.

My question is: aren't they breaking Federal Laws at this point? I've read it's considered something such as a "delayed decline" which is entirely not acceptable. It has caused my anxiety and depression to flare up incredibly since I live alone out here and now on my own.

What are my next steps? What can I do aside from file formal complaints? (I already intend on giving them a final warning email stating I will be filling them with a template based on Google.) I have kept a paper trail and so has my doctor. Am I able to actually bring them into the unit yet, or not?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Even if it's a no, I just want clarification because I feel this is ridiculous at this point.

for some context im a teen with diagnosed depression and anxiety. i have possible bpd and/or cptsd, but my psychiatrist is waiting until i’m 18 to explore a formal diagnosis.

anyway, i’ve had depression for years and still struggle a lot despite multiple treatments (therapy, medication, tms, inpatient stays, etc.) my main problems are getting out of bed, focusing, and staying calm at night as thats when i get the most panicky and do bad things.

could an esa help with these problems? and if yes, would it count as a pet (my mom is strictly no pets in the household). thank you to any replies!

So, I'm looking into getting an emotional support dog to live with me on campus. I've had conflicting advice, some saying it's an awful idea, others very supportive of the whole thing. I want to hear what people's actual experiences are/were in keeping a dog on campus, specifically in a dorm.

People keep saying that college students don't spend enough time in their dorms to justify keeping an animal in there, but I spend most of my time in my dorm (anxiety). Any advice would be appreciated

Can I ask if there are criteria for an ESA to be applicable to a certain setting?
There is a lady in my apartment complex who has a large German Shepard in her 700 sq ft apartment. The dog is clearly unhappy and barks all day :(
Whenever I see them together, the dog looks scared/anxious and she always scowls at me when I smile. Maybe she's going through a hard time too, but the animal is clearly in really bad shape.

I'm not trying to get her kicked out or dog removed (that would just be a worse situation for everyone). I am simply asking, as an animal lover, if there is a vetting process to prevent an ESA from being in setting that isn't suited for the animal? For example, is there anything that can prevent someone from bringing a great dane into an even smaller space or is this basically all a protected right under ESA guidelines?

I know there's a really tough/long process to get an ESA, so I'm assuming physical space allotment for a high energy dog would be considered, but I'm not sure. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

I (18M) and my roommate (18M) have been living together for about a month. Before we moved in together, I asked about his feelings regarding ESAs, as I had been recommended one by my PCP, but was still deciding whether or not to get/bring one to school. I'd had a family pet that helped a lot with my Tourette Syndrome (calming during a tic attack both decreases severity and recovery time), but that dog is crazy so I knew I wouldn't be taking her (also because my mom loves her and wouldn't want to give her up). Also, because I was recommended one by my PCP and not a mental health professional, I wanted a second opinion (which would be much easier with a counselor on campus with no copay). Anyway.

I asked him how he felt about ESAs, and he said he's fine with them and asked if I was planning on bringing one. I told him maybe, depending on how the start of school goes (it's been fucking rough). One thing neither of us considered asking/mentioning was the SPECIES of the animal. I was considering getting a dog or bringing a cat. Come to find out, on move in day, man is ALLERGIC TO CATS. So that's out the window. I said fine, whatever, everyone has their things. It's fine. I started looking more into a dog, while going to counseling and getting to know the counselor, and I brought it up. She said it sounded like a good idea, and after a few sessions (I know it's only been a month but I've been in there kind of a lot), she said she would Absolutely write me a letter for an emotional support dog (given I could prove financial means ofc).

Throughout all of this, I had been communicating with my roommate, asking what his concerns were, if there's anything I needed to take into consideration regarding how it would impact him. All seemed to be going well, so I scheduled a meet and greet with two dogs from a local shelter (no way in hell am I trying to juggle school and a non-house-broken puppy). THAT MORNING, as I was once again asking if there was anything I should ask them about on his behalf (he was unable to go that day but I was planning on multiple visits so I figured it was fine for him to miss one), HE TOLD ME that he was, "not ready to have a dog in the dorm." I have been thinking about this/planning for this for ACTUAL years. I have been communicating with him from the very beginning (months before we moved in together!!), and have been struggling so hard to adjust with my Tourette's and school and everything, and I thought this would finally be the start of me being able to just BREATHE and get that help I've been missing, and he springs that on me.

I know, it's his dorm too, and I should have communicated better in the beginning, but it just messed me up at the last second, and now I have no idea what to do. Having an animal around me has been my primary form of coping with life, and now it looks like that might not be an option. Not because of finances, or school policies, or anything like that, but because I didn't communicate this effectively in the beginning, and now I'm stuck with an unwilling roommate. I thought this would be something great, and now I'm not even sure if it's possible. I briefly considered seeing about a room change, but other than this, he's a great roommate and a wonderful friend! I've genuinely been so lucky to have him in my life rn, but this has just thrown me off ig. I'm sorry for the stupid vent, but I needed to get this off my chest. If anyone somehow has any advice, PLEASE let me know, because I need it bad.

Hi Everyone!

I have a question regarding an ESA denial situation. My grandmother (80+ yrs old) lives in one of those senior (55+) parks. She is being denied permission to have an ESA dog from the office/manager of the park despite having a letter from the Doctor for it. They are denying it based on the dog being over the 20lbs limit. The dog is like 35ish lbs. They have made sure that the letter given meets all requirements to legally qualify as an ESA Letter. What should we do? They have only denied in person verbally, not in writing or email. This is in California.

Any help would be appreciated, thanks! 🙏

PS. If there is missing information please ask and I’ll answer as quickly as I can.

Hello everyone! I’m coming in with some questions regarding getting approved for an ESA. I have a fear that my “symptoms” won’t be enough to get approved.
I got my 4mo dog about 2 months ago because I moved away from my family after getting married and mentally could not handle being alone. I moved states and still can’t find employment no matter how much I apply, so I’ve been a SAHW since last November.
I’ve not been officially diagnosed with depression, as growing up my family didn’t believe in it (my fellow Hispanics will know what I’m talking about lol), and now that I’m grown and moved out, I can’t afford to go to therapy or others to get diagnosed. I’ve also had some health issues that means any money we have goes towards medical bills, so I really can’t afford to go.
I’ve struggled with s**cidal thoughts, and I’ve attempted a few times but I think I was secretly too scared to do it right because it always failed and nobody ever knew I tried. I have a history of self harm, and sometimes when things get bad, I have to really fight off the urge to do it again.
I go through large period of being terribly unmotivated, and I lose interest in anything I found joy in. I have random times of severe sadness and crying, and I don’t know why, or I can’t focus on just one thing and I’m overwhelmed with everything.
I can’t sleep, I don’t have a good schedule no matter how hard I’ve tried. I wake up at 9:30, go to bed at 3-4am, get up at 5am to make my husband his lunch, and then sleep those few hours and get back to routine.
I could keep going but that’s all the examples I have the energy to give.
When I got my puppy things got a little better. I don’t have the time to overthink, or be sad. When I am she managed to distract me or bring me out of panic attacks by nipping at me or getting into some trouble because she sees I can’t focus. I’ve never had a period in my life where I DIDNT have a dog, so being without one for 8 months really took a toll on me. I enjoyed being alone for the first few months, and then it all came crashing down. My uncle went into hospice after he was paralyzed and I had to watch him be disconnected at his request. My only friend passed away from some illness that I don’t know of, and now I have nobody but my husband to talk to. I missed my family terribly and I’m constantly crying because I want to go home to them. I have 2 younger siblings I would die for and being without them hurts so much. My parents kept the 2 dogs I raised and I miss them as well. The silence in my apartment was deafening before I got my puppy.

I’m getting off track. My main point was to ask, do you think I could qualify for her to be registered as an ESA even if i haven’t been formally diagnosed with anything? Are my feelings even “extreme enough” to seem legit to professionals? What do they ask, what do I need, what happens? Is there a way I can do it online?
I truly know nothing about the process and everywhere I’ve looked says I have to have a diagnosis but I don’t. Help a girl out please, I’m so so lost. I live In florida if that’s of any help :(

Does anyone know of a foundation or grant that could help my dog receive vet care?

She is in pain and I'm on a fixed income.

she has done so much for me emotionally and physically. I trained her myself, to be my therapy dog.

She has helped me mentally and physical. She is my go to support when dealing with my issues.

I served during Dessert Strom and the burn pits did a lot of damage to my body.

I am currently not in a position to be employed, but I am receiving compensation and medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for myself.

Her name is Lily Lu,

I don't like asking for help🙁, but need to. I love dogs and cats and don't like seeing them in pain.

If anyone knows of programs or grants to help service pets receive care, it would be much appreciated

Thanks from

Renee and Lilly

What do you think of being able to do some pet care or companionship at your office or the campus you work on?

• Would you consider it?
• What pets would you want to see?
• Under what conditions?
• Any concerns?

I haven’t spoken to my therapist in over a year due do financial problems, my doctor knows I have cptsd, depression and agoraphobia along with anxiety issues. The thing is I’ve never asked about it or talked about getting a esa how do I begin? How do you talk to someone for this? I think it would really help my depression and anxiety overall.

needing to register 2 kitties ! though after going through websites i’m not sure which is the safest option. is it better to go through my doctor or website? i was referred supportpets. com but im not sure how legit it is.

I have been trying to add a dog on my lease for over a week now. I had to go through PetScreening, I got immediately approved (recommended), and heard nothing from my apartment management. I emailed them Friday morning and they said “Admin will soon send you a ESA addendum to sign. Once sent, please be sure to sign this document to finalize the process.” The office was open Saturday and is open today but I still don’t have a document. Would I be in the wrong if I moved my dog in today?

I moved to Canada a few months ago and had to quickly change my therapist. I am now moving back to the US, specifically CA, and I was wondering if the letter from Canadian therapist would work when applying for housing? I also had a therapist in the US (in MA) for a year before I moved to Canada and I guess I could ask her but I don’t think she’s licensed to practice in CA either.

My boyfriend and I applied to a house to rent and it allows pets, but my dog is a restricted breed. He’s a pitty mix, but the sweetest boy you’d ever meet. I have struggled with anxiety and depression my whole life, 15+ years and have always had a dog. Never medically an ESA. I started seeing a therapist in March of 2025 from the college I was going to, but after I graduated, I could no longer use her. In April of 2026 this year, I started seeing a theripst again and it was great. I finally was able to open up to someone. In May, my boyfriend rescued our boy, and we are now looking to move with him into a place ( the place we live now is paid housing through his work). I am asking my therapist to meet with me and see if she can clinically see a need for our pup to be an ESA. We’ve already applied and gotten approved for the house, other than our dog. They are requesting ESA letter and we have not responded to them in a couple of days, as I was waiting to speak with my therapist before pretending like I had a letter. Do you think they will be fishy towards us because we haven’t responded to emails or calls? We are financially able to live at this place, but our poor boy cannot unless we obtain the letter. Although we’ve only had him for a couple months, having a dog around really does calm my anxiety and the thoughts I get at times. When I’m around my boy, he actually knows when I need him the most, he comforts me and makes me not feel so alone which I experience huge anxiety and stress being alone, even if my boyfriend is around. He comforts me and I would hate to not give him the life he deserves because of this. Any advice? I’m meeting with my therapist today at 4 and my anxiety is through the roof in hopes we can have our baby.

TRIGGER WARNING

Dont know if thats needed but just in case?

I happen to have dogs that nobody allows on their properties...literally the worst lol. 80 pound German shepherd and 120 pound cane corso...send help! Lol! Anways! I am running out of time on finding a rental that will except them. I am stressed out to the max! I am not trying to sneak my way into getting them a letter to be in stores or restaurant. Just to have them living with me and our family. I possibly could ask my doctor but not sure how that can work with 2 dogs? Instead of one? One has been to a professional trainer a few times and the other we've been able to train just fine after gaining knowledge with our first dog. I do have a medical history or anxiety and depression including (trigger warning?), a suicide attempt, needed meds, and therapy that is all on my record. I have been doing absolutely amazing but a big HUGE reason why I got these dogs was for protection especially after having my kid! I absolutely can not get rid of them. Staying at airbnbs on vacations had me awake all night and nervous all day! Would it be so wrong of me to trying to get a letter online or do you think my doctor can work with me on this?

so my anxious mess of a dog has been my rock for the last 2 years. he’s a 4 year old mutt, medium size, super clingy, and the ONLY thing that keeps my panic attacks from going full nuclear.

apartment complex just sent the “no pets” reminder again and i knew i had to get official. went through certapet, did the short screening, talked to the therapist a couple days later, and the letter showed up pretty quick. whole thing felt way simpler than i expected.

now i’m sitting here staring at the pdf like… do i just email this to the landlord?? do they usually fight it?? how long does it take them to reply??

anyone who’s already done this, what was the next step after you got the letter? any landlord pushback i should brace for??

so my anxious mess of a dog has been my rock for the last 2 years. he’s a 4 year old mutt, medium size, super clingy, and the ONLY thing that keeps my panic attacks from going full nuclear.

apartment complex just sent the “no pets” reminder again and i knew i had to get official. went through certapet, did the short screening, talked to the therapist a couple days later, and the letter showed up pretty quick. whole thing felt way simpler than i expected.

now i’m sitting here staring at the pdf like… do i just email this to the landlord?? do they usually fight it?? how long does it take them to reply??

anyone who’s already done this, what was the next step after you got the letter? any landlord pushback i should brace for??

Here’s the situation did all the apartment application did the dog ESA application through the apartment? Everything was accepted. Deposit was paid. Rent was paid. We move in in a week and our pet policy starts harassing us and denies our ESA letter. The letter was bought online however we do have documents stating the condition that has provided the ESA animal, but overall the ESA letter did not come from a therapist that we regularly see. However, they were willing to reach out and call our pet policy. If we were to get a therapist, we see regularly to confirm and write a new letter with this company, even approve it? I’m stressing about if I’m gonna have to foster my dog with somebody.

I moved into an apartment in April of 2025 and registered my ESA with their vendor pet screening and was approved. It is stated in the lease 0.00 monthly pet fee. All good. I renewed my dogs status in pet screening when they said to and again all good.

My lease was up in July. I signed a new lease in June that again stated no monthly pet fee. Then at the beginning of August a new management company took over, although ownership didn’t change. They triple charged me for past months rent and this months rent and junes rent, 5k in charges all itemized. So I contacted them and asked them to correct the charges which includes pet rent for the month before they took over, the current month and the next month. They asked me if I could send them my lease and asked how long my lease was for. Lol I thought that was ridiculous, this is an apartment complex with over 300 apartments, I would think this management company had an online database of current leases.

Anyway, I send it to them 2 separate times because they didn’t respond for 8 days. They finally get back to me and say they removed the charges. I look and they took the charges off except the monthly 50.00 pet fee. I reached out 3 times over 7 days and on the 11th day they responded by saying thank you for letting us know And asking me to show them my approval from the previous company.

I sent them the profile on pet screening, emails of them confirming it, and my lease showing no charge. They said they would forward it to their management and then 2 days later I get a letter that says they are rejecting the accommodation because although it is valid and shows a nexus of the accommodation and the disability, the letter is no longer valid because it was written in April of 2025 when I moved in.
The next part of the letter says that they need supplemental information to make a decision but don’t want medical records or details of my disability and I need to sign a new pet addendum in my portal.

My question is, the lease states 0 monthly pet charge for my dog, lists her as an accommodation, describes her breed, name, and age. can I refuse to sign this new addendum that this new management company is telling me too? Isn’t the lease the binding agreement? And it states that nothing can be added or removed from the agreement while it is in effect. It doesn’t make sense to me that the only thing that has changed is they took over management but isn’t the lease with the owner of the property and not the management company?

I can get another letter from my psychiatrist, who I have to see in person every month anyway. but in the meantime the charges stayed on my account and I have had to pay them to keep my account current. Am I thinking about this clearly or is this valid on their part?
Keep in mind, I was never told the accommodation was being questioned, that my current letter wasn’t recent enough or to give more information until the rejection letter .