We all love our pets and would love to take them everywhere we go. If you suffer from any disabilities, then it is likely you would want your pet to be by your side to help you navigate through life. An emotional support animal can greatly and positively impact your life, from assisting you in difficult tasks, uplifting your spirits, keeping you company, calming your anxieties to making you feel supported and loved. The bond is very strong and unbreakable.
As ideal and loving as this partnership sounds, you would want to be sure beforehand that it is the right decision for you, as it truly depends on each case. Does this type of situation suit your needs and are you capable of taking on the responsibility as well?
Like any partnership, this one is not one-sided, while your assistance animal will help to take care of you, you must also be able to take care of them.
So, we have collected important factors one should consider before getting an assistance animal.
Consider Your Emotional State
While your assistance animal is there to benefit your life, you will find that you may come across certain predicaments. This is why if you do decide you would like to get licensed and see the blessing it is to partner up with emotional support animals, it is recommended you consider the therapy and help that mental health professionals offer. Make sure your anxieties will not become triggered with the newfound attention you may receive while you are out, as your situation will attract onlookers.
You will also have to consider whether you struggle with facing conflict, as partnering with a service animal will throw you into encounters you may be uncomfortable with due to having an emotional support animal by your side. You may be subjected to grief at work and your boss might seem resentful, you may also receive some backlash online or at school, so it is important that you care for your emotional state in order to rise above the conflict and find ways to handle the circumstances without affecting your well-being.
Consider Your Finances
When people decide to apply for an emotional support animal, they often focus on their needs and what the pet will do for them, rather than whether they are fully equipped to embrace this new addition. It is important to do your research and understand the amount of money it costs to host an animal in your home for up to approximately ten to fifteen years of your life.
You will be responsible for raising your emotional support animal and will be the one to finance their needs, provide them with food, water, vet appointments and so on. If the assistance animal that is best suited to you is a dog, you will also be financing their dog training as well.
So bear in mind, the costs of caring for your emotional support animal.
Consider Your Time
If your schedule is rather busy, you would have to rearrange parts of your lifestyle to suit your pet. A partnership with a service animal is just as big of a responsibility as having children; if your job requires a lot of your time, you travel frequently or you spend very little time at home then this may not coincide with your obligations as a pet owner. You want to be sure you have the time to put into caring for your assistance animal and are willing to schedule your everyday life to support your new family member. You will spend a lot of time providing a clean home for your pet, feeding them healthy meals at routine times, providing enough time to stimulate them, love them, socialize them, train them, groom them, and be as willing to take care of their emotional well-being as they are willing to take care of yours.
A service animal is not an accessory or merely a prop; this is a big responsibility so you must ensure you can give them quality time.
Just like any other family pet, your assistance animal will enhance and transform your life. It is a wonderful thing to partner up and have each other’s backs, as long as you make sure to get tested as to what type of service animal will suit your needs and benefit your life. Consider your finances and make sure you can dedicate much needed time to your new buddy. And remember, you may get some stick for it, but it is important to take other opinions with a grain of salt and do what is best for you.