Who can be an ESA holder in Arizona?
A poor emotional state of a person or the presence of mental disorders is considered a sufficient reason for owning an emotional support animal. For example, disorders that will qualify you for an ESA letter in Arizona include:
- depression,
- bipolar,
- panic attacks, PTSD, OCD, phobias, and fears.
An emotional support animal helps reduce stress levels and brings you peace, tranquility, and comfort. Thanks to the animal, you can distract yourself from your problems, clear your brain of annoying thoughts and worries, and talk to someone who will listen to you without giving comments or advice.
In addition, animals can change a person’s temperament. A person feels more protected and confident next to an animal. This contributes to developing such character traits as sociability, openness, and cheerfulness. It is easier for animal keepers to make new acquaintances, as the animal often becomes a topic of conversation.
Emotional support animals can also help children and adults with learning disabilities. This affliction is characterized by the inability to learn, store, or generalize new information due to insufficiency or defects in attention, memory, or logical thinking. For example, a person may have dyslexia or dysgraphia. Manifestations of these disorders often become more noticeable due to stress. Yet, the animal allows you to relax and becomes a point of support for its owner. If you have a pet and have noticed that it helps you cope with negative emotions and brings peace, you can register it as an emotional support animal. To do this, Arizona residents need to contact a licensed mental health care provider. A specialist will be able to properly diagnose your condition, identify the problem, and provide you with the paperwork you need to become an emotional support animal holder in Arizona.
An appointment with a LMHP
Take responsibility for finding a therapist that you feel comfortable working with. Your main goal is to get the right help, so you can ask friends or colleagues for recommendations. The desire to receive support will not disappear until you find “your” specialist. For this purpose, you can as well use the Internet.
Pay particular attention to the specialist’s education, as a competent specialist must have the appropriate one. Psychologists can easily demonstrate their qualifications and will not be denied access to a diploma. The lack of education suggests that the search should continue.
It is also important that the chosen psychologist or psychotherapist has an up-to-date license number. Without a license, the specialist cannot provide you with services, and the documents issued by him will not have legal force.
In addition, if you intend to obtain an ESA letter, choose professionals who have the appropriate qualifications and specialization. If the therapist is not sufficiently aware of the impact of emotional support animals on the human psyche, they will not be able to correctly assess how beneficial ESA will be for you.
During the first consultation with a specialist, you can evaluate their approach and draw some conclusions. A good therapist tries to understand you and find the cause of the problem. Conversations based on trust will produce certain results.
It is also worth from the beginning of your work with a specialist to indicate your intention to become the owner of an emotional support animal. In this case, you will be able to discuss all the advantages and disadvantages of this method of therapy for you. Nonetheless, in order to make sure that the animal can improve the dynamics of your therapy, the expert will need several meetings. Therefore, do not expect that you will be able to receive the document immediately.
What does an Arizona ESA letter look like?
There are two ways to get an ESA letter in Arizona. Either you can meet with a psychotherapist in person, or you can get a document online by filling out a form about your mental health. However, you need to be very careful not to become a victim of fraudsters.
There are several nuances that you need to consider when choosing an ESA letter provider. First, you will not be able to receive the letter instantly. The online application form asks you for detailed information about your disorder and its symptoms. After you submit the application, it is sent to specialists in the field of mental health. Only after the evaluation by an expert, you’ll manage to get the desired document.
In addition, you should know what a legitimate ESA letter looks like and what information it should contain. First of all, the document must be issued on official letterhead and signed by your therapist. It should also contain information about the health care provider, including their contact information and license number. The letter does not provide detailed information about your disorder and the treatment process. However, it must contain the confirmation of your need for an emotional support animal and evidence that the animal has a positive effect on your psycho-emotional state. This document is personal and required for each ESA. It also provides information about the animal itself, such as its breed, size, and other physical characteristics. Given that the ESA letter is valid only for a year, it must include the date of the issuance and the date of its expiration.
Why do you need to have a registered animal?
If your emotional support animal has official status in Arizona, you get certain privileges. For example, householders cannot refuse you accommodation even if pets are strictly prohibited. Arizona has the federal Fair Housing Act, which protects ESA owners.
Although the ESA letter is actually the only document required to officially confirm the status of an emotional support animal in Arizona, you can additionally register your animal. If you have an ESA letter from a therapist, you can order an emotional support animal ID card or a Pet Tag, which will serve as additional confirmation of the animal’s status.
Emotional support animals in Arizona are not required to wear special animal vests or other identifying marks. Nevertheless, it can be convenient for you and will help avoid unwanted questions from strangers. You can order all the necessary accessories from the registrar’s MyServiceAnimal.
Moreover, some pet keepers give a false account of their pets as emotional support animals or service animals to get bonuses. Misrepresenting an ESA in Arizona is a misdemeanor and punishable by law. Therefore, to avoid accusations, we recommend that you always have the ESA letter at hand.
Access for Emotional Support Animals in Arizona
Under federal law, emotional support animals are a separate category of animals from pets, however, they are not service ones. Service animals have the indisputable right to accompany their owners wherever they go. Compared to this, the rights of ESA may seem limited, since their public access extends mainly to the field of housing.
In Arizona, emotional support animals are considered a therapeutic tool necessary for the normal functioning of people with mental disorders. Therefore, ESAs are allowed to live with their owners even where pets are prohibited. In addition, proprietors are prohibited from charging a fee for an emotional support animal or requiring a deposit. However, in the event that an animal causes damage to the premises, you undertake to reimburse all costs for repair work.
The lessor cannot prohibit the residence of the ESA or evict the animal without objective reasons and sufficient evidence. Housing providers cannot deny an ESA because of the species, breed, or size of the animal. Arizona law also does not require special training for emotional support animals, so a householder cannot require certificates proving the animal’s level of training.
However, you still need to show the landlord a valid ESA letter to prove your needs. In addition, the proprietor may ask you to show them the animal’s veterinary health certificate and documents on the presence of all necessary vaccinations.
You may be denied housing for an animal if you cannot provide the required documents or provide false ones. Also, the lessor has the right not to provide housing to animals that behave aggressively and may pose a threat to other residents and the lessor’s property. For this, the landlord must provide sufficient evidence of their testimony, as otherwise their actions may be considered discrimination.
Great news for Emotional Support Animal owners in Arizona! You have the privilege of bringing your supportive companion with you to the workplace. However, it’s essential that your animal is equipped with the proper accessories to ensure a seamless experience for everyone involved.Of course, state laws do not require employers to allow ESAs in the office, yet, if you have an ESA letter, most employers will make concessions. Therefore, if you feel that an animal can help you cope with your work duties better and positively affect your productivity, discuss this possibility with your management.
In all other areas of life, ESAs, unfortunately, have the same rights as pets. Since companion animals do not have the appropriate level of training, the authorities cannot grant them more rights without jeopardizing the safety of other citizens. But, if necessary, you can additionally train the animal and requalify it into a psychiatric service dog.
