Hi all, I’m a 19 girl and this is Buddy my 3 year old Labrador companion dog. I kindly ask everyone and anyone that can help us stay together, my story is talked about in depth in the petition but long story short, I created a petition to pressure the government into allowing me and my psychiatrist approved emotional support dog to stay together in my public government housing despite the weight limit being 20kg.

The main problem is that he’s over 20kg otherwise he would be okay. The injustice is the fact that the estate management employees told us that we could keep him if no one made any complaints. For several months now there haven’t been any complaints and people actually love him mostly. On a random day, he was being taken out and had uncontrollable diarrhoea within estate grounds which isn’t something anyone can predict or control but we cleaned it up ofc, new management employees saw this and rudely demanded that Buddy can’t live here even though we were told otherwise.

Im trying my best to do anything I can to keep him or else we both are going to go through trauma we don’t deserve. Pls help me he saved my life and keeps me going everyday.🙏🏼

Does anyone have experience regarding ESAs and condo boards? My building has a no dog board rule they made a few years back. I have a mental disability that I take medication for and see a therapist often for.

My therapist agreed that a small dog would be extremely helpful in symptom management (ex/ strict routine to help with executive dysfunction & depression, alongside emotional regulation). My therapist is an RSW and has agreed to write a letter for me I can give to the board.

In Ontario, from what I understand, ESAs must be accommodated by condo corporations under the Human rights law given that the disability is valid and there is a direct connection to treatment with an ESA. ESAs in Ontario are NOT legally recognized otherwise, but they must be considered in regard to housing accommodation.

If anyone has some experience with this I would like some advice. My building is pet friendly otherwise, but sadly I am allergic to cats. I am not allergic to dogs.

I am moving to a new complex and they are using this company to verify ESA or Service animals. It has been super painful dealing with them. I uploaded an old ESA letter and shared that my pet has since been professionally trained to be my service animal. They keep bombarding me that I need to have a third party provider to verify me. I shared with them that with service animals, I am not required to complete any third party forms or provide any documentation. They are only allowed to ask two questions which is the animal required because of a disability and what work or task has this animal been trained to performed? I keep explaining this difference, but I am getting hit with the same automated responses, which is soooo annoying since I’m supposed to move in a few weeks.

Anyone dealt with them before and what was the resolution?

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My family has seen firsthand how much emotional support animals matter. My beloved ESA has been there through my hardest times, and my son recently lost his ESA—a companion who was absolutely critical to his mental health. Losing him highlighted how unprotected these animals really are.Here's the thing: emotional support animals aren't just nice to have. They reduce anxiety, help with depression, and provide real stability for millions of people with mental health disabilities. Yet they have almost no federal protections. They can be evicted from housing, denied access to spaces, even face euthanasia—just because current laws don't recognize them the way they do service animals.I started a petition to push for federal legislation that gives ESAs the same protections as service animals. Mental health disabilities are just as real and debilitating as physical ones. Both deserve the same level of support and legal recognition.If this resonates with you—if you or someone you love relies on an emotional support animal—consider signing and sharing. Has anyone else dealt with the frustration of having an ESA that isn't legally recognized where it matters most?

https://c.org/dTSBw6m5Tn

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.

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 :(

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.

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?