When individuals think of service or emotional support animals, they often associate them with dogs or cats. Dogs are the most common service animals because they are specifically trained to perform a job for an individual with a disability. It is important not to confuse service animals with emotional support animals. Service animals (dogs and miniature horses) require specialized training and are afforded more federal rights because they are not pets. Service animals perform specific tasks that their disabled handlers cannot perform. Under federal law, service animals must be allowed to accompany their handlers wherever the general public is allowed to go. Emotional support animals are not required to have any specialized training or certifications but provide therapeutic help to their handlers. Emotional support animals are not protected under the ADA and therefore do not have the same rights as service animals. Instead, emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act. While service animals are restricted to dogs and miniature horses, there are no restrictions on what type of animal can be an emotional support animal, including birds.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals provide individuals with psychiatric or physical disabilities the companionship and emotional support they need to help them navigate daily activities. Emotional support animals do not require any specialized training or certification. There are no restrictions on what animals can be an emotional service animal, only that the animal provides the emotional support an individual requires to live their life. Some of the most common emotional support animals include:
- Dogs
- Cats
- Horses
- Rabbits
- Guinea Pigs
- Reptiles
- Birds
How to Get an ESA Letter for my Bird
To qualify a bird as an emotional support animal, you must first have an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional. The ESA letter should be written on the medical professional’s official letterhead and include their licensing information, the date the letter was written, and information about the client’s need for an emotional support animal. You can either seek support from a local medical professional or find one online.
Click the image below to start your ESA process online
Emotional Support Birds
Birds make excellent emotional support animals because they show high levels of empathy. Some species like parrots and parakeets can learn phrases and words that can help them work with their handlers during specific episodes. Birds can sense emotional triggers, including anger, stress, tension, and distress, and can provide the emotional support their handler needs to help calm them down before they experience an emotional episode. Listed below are some reasons birds make excellent emotional support animals:
Convenience
Unlike other animals, birds do not require their handlers to take them outside to walk or use the bathroom. Having to take their support animal out can become inconvenient for handlers depending on their disability, where birds live in cages that can be easily cleaned and do not need to leave the cage to use the bathroom.
Intelligence
Birds are exceptionally intelligent and can learn words and phrases that they can use to help soothe their handler before or during an emotional episode. Speaking to an emotional support bird and having them respond can be extremely comforting and helps their handler feel more connected and supported.
Size
Birds are relatively small in size, making them easier to care for and accommodate. Birds do not require a lot of space, making it easier to find suitable housing for both the bird and the handler. Since the bird can eat, drink, and use the bathroom in their cage, they do not require as much care as other animals.
Travel
Individuals that require emotional support animals can experience issues when trying to travel, but individuals with birds as emotional support animals tend to have an easier time because the birds can be put in a cage. In addition to already being secured in a cage, birds are smaller and need less space making it more convenient to accommodate them.
Aggression
Since emotional support animals do not require any specialized training, some animals have reputations for being aggressive, whether the service animal itself is extremely well behaved. Due to this stereotyping, an individual with these types of animals may have a harder time traveling and housing. Since birds do not show this type of aggression and can be secured in a cage handler, they tend to have an easier time with housing and travel.
ESA Rights for Emotional Support Birds
Emotional support birds have certain rights under the Fair Housing Act.
While emotional support animals do not have as many rights as service animals, they have specific rights involving housing by the Fair Housing Act. The only documentation an individual with an emotional support bird is required to show an ESA letter. Registration of an ESA is not required by the law to qualify for the bird as an emotional support animal. To see if you qualify for an ESA letter, complete the ESA questionnaire in the link below.
Qualify for an ESA Letter for your Bird Today
Get the Love and Support you deserve!
Canadian geese are federally protected in the US… Is it legal to get a wild CG certified as an ESA? I’m not asking for myself. We are having issues with someone who is causing problems here at our complex
You cannot qualify a wild animal as an emotional support animal. ESAs must be small, domesticated animals typically kept as pets in the home. They are for the most part animals like dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, etc.
I have 2 pigeons (one has a broken wing and the other has a broken leg) they are my ESAs but my Management in our apartment complex is giving me a hard time about it, is that legal for them to be picky when the birds are protected under the Fair Housing Act and are not considered an exotic animal which are illegal to have in the apartment? I want to know because I am not finding anything online stating that it is illegal and they provide emotional comfort for me because I do suffer from anxiety and they calm me down.
Small birds that can be kept in the home can qualify as emotional support animals as long as you have an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional.
where would I get an emotional support animal? also, would I be able to get an emotional support cockatoo I know it sounds weird but they are very small and don’t take up too much space. I’m 13 and I don’t know if you have to be a certain age but it would be nice to have at least someone there even if it is a animal.
This link contains helpful basics on how ESAs work: https://esadoctors.com/how-it-works/
I have been living with Milton, my Umbrella Cockatoo for ten years.Next week I will be talking to her about certifying him as an ESA.
I expect no problem in doing this.
One thing…Cockatoos are very intelligent and very sensitive birds!
Milton is my “Force of Nature”… for good reason…
What steps should I take in regards to finding out if I can have my emotional support bird with me at school? I have an IEP for physical and mental health as well as a shortened school day schedule. I stay in one room for most of my academic school day with IEP case managers/teachers. I assume it’s different for each school and changes depending on diagnoses and how my ESA help me.
We recommend you reach out to your school’s administration, many schools have policies and guidelines when it comes to ESAs.
Would an ESA bird be required to be in a dog carrier and put with the luggage under the aircraft. Or can a travel cage be ok in the aircraft? I would need measurements or cage to fit under the seat. Is that where they would need to go? What is required taking my bird out of the state or country? Would the ESA letter be valid to take to other countries or on an international cruise, perhaps?
Where would I get this information?
My bird is rare. I wouldn’t want any problems with traveling internationally.
Also what about taking with me in travel crate in uber or lyft? Is that permitted with esa letter? I understand I only need letter for bird, registration not required. Does his name speciesetc need to be on the ESA letter?
I have a cat too. Would she need a separate esa letter with her info?
Thanks so much. I am happy to find you online. I thought I had to register the bird. But does the cat need to be registered?
You’ve been great.
I appreciate your help.
Thanks very much!
CR
To clarify, you do not “register” an animal companion to make it an official ESA. The only way to qualify an ESA is to obtain a recommendation letter from a licensed mental health professional who has assessed you. Airlines generally must accommodate dogs, cats and miniature horses, but they have discretion regarding other types of animals. We recommend checking with the particular airline to see what their specific policies and requirements are regarding ESAs.
you said you were only 13 ? I wouldn’t recommend a cockatoo at all. for one they aren’t that small and two they can be extremely loud like decibals like a jet plane loud and they are known to scream. also you’re young and your life will take many changes school college moving relationships children etc and they can live 80 plus years also there’s ALOT of work that goes into having parrots believe me I’ve got an African grey and a macaw and it’s constant work and expensive, and yiu can’t do anything on a whim etc so please think of stuff like that because that’s why almost every rescue is full with parrots because akot of people think how cute cuz of youtube videos but that’s not real life all the time that’s only a small part of having parrots
Hi. Can an Emotional Support Animal go into a rehab facility . I am going to be having a knee replacement. I live by myself with my little bird named Coco. She has helped me get through cumulative family deaths since 2012.
Emotional Support Animals have rights in the context of housing and air travel. We recommend checking with your facility about what their policy is regarding ESAs.
Hi . My name is David.
I am under a psychologist for long term depression ( 10 year’s plus ) . I have 2 birds that I use to help control my depression and emotions. My psychologist has written me a letter to the above and I have no trouble getting my birds into shopping complexes . Can you tell me what I have to do to be able to take my 2 bird’s with me on the train .
I also have a disability caused by a genetic Skeletal degenerative disorder.
Sorry if I sound confusing as I’m not very good with the internet.
David
ESAs do not have public access rights. They do not have the legal right to be in shopping complexes (although some shopping complexes may make an exception) or on trains. You should check with your train company however to see if they have a policy regarding ESA accommodation.