Pitbulls are a controversial breed, and this dog is often misunderstood by the general public. Due to a history of being used as a fighting dog, pitbulls have earned the reputation of being aggressive and hard to own. However, many pitbulls fit well into a family environment, and proper training and socialization for your pitbull are essential to helping this breed thrive in your care.
In many cases, individuals may have pitbulls that provide them with comfort or companionship, relieving the symptoms of certain mental health conditions. It is possible to get your pitbull officially recognized as an emotional support animal, though you will need to follow state and federal rules to achieve this. Our article tells you more.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
Emotional support animals (ESA) are animals, typically dogs or cats, that provide their owners with comfort, companionship, and relief from certain mental health conditions. Qualifying conditions for an ESA include things like anxiety, PTSD, depression, and chronic stress, and a licensed medical provider or mental healthcare provider is required for the diagnosis and prescription of an emotional support animal.
Emotional support animals differ from service animals in that they are not specifically trained to help with disability-related tasks, such as guiding the visually impaired or providing medical alerts. Instead, the primary benefit of an emotional support animal comes from their companionship.
With this in mind, it’s important to note that emotional support animals have different rights from service animals. While service animals are typically granted wide-reaching public access rights, emotional support animals are typically only granted housing protections to live alongside their owners in any reasonable area of housing. The Fair Housing Act is the most notable piece of federal legislation when it comes to emotional support for animal rights.
Are There Breed Restrictions for ESAs?
Neither federal nor state laws provide any restrictions on the breed that your emotional support animal can be. In fact, your ESA can even be an animal that isn’t a dog or a cat, such as a rabbit or a snake. However, you must be able to reasonably care for your emotional support animal, and you cannot bring a highly exotic animal or an animal that needs lots of special care into an area where they can’t be provided for, such as a small apartment unit.
Keep in mind that this means your pitbull can be an emotional support animal. Making sure that your pitbull is officially recognized as an emotional support animal is especially helpful, as pitbulls are often subject to breed restrictions. With a valid pitbull ESA, you won’t be required to adhere to any breed or pet restrictions in your chosen area of housing.
How Can I Make My Pitbull an ESA?
Turning your pitbull into an officially registered emotional support animal starts with speaking to your licensed mental healthcare provider or a licensed medical professional in your state. Your provider will be able to evaluate your condition and symptoms, and they will approve you for an emotional support animal. You must be able to provide for your pitbull and care for them financially in order to be eligible to have an emotional support animal.
Once you have been approved for your ESA, your provider will write you a letter stating your need and the details of your pitbull, such as their name and age. They may also include the medical history of your dog and state that the dog has no history of aggression or biting. Your medical provider will sign off on this letter, and then you will be able to show your landlord or rental agency the letter when applying for housing.
As long as your animal is listed on a valid ESA letter, your landlord or rental agency must accept the animal into a reasonable area of housing.
Do I Need to Train My Emotional Support Pitbull?
Unlike service dogs, emotional support animals are not required to be trained or to complete tasks that are related to their owner’s disability. While your ESA may pick up on low moods or understand basic commands, they are not required to have any training; your ESA’s main purpose comes from the comfort that they can provide you with and the regulation that the routine of caring for them provides.
Where Can I Adopt an Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals can come from anywhere, and if you are especially interested in a pitbull, you may easily find this breed at a local shelter. Pitbulls and pitbull mix dogs are often located in shelters due to their misunderstood history, and many of these dogs are in need of a loving home. By looking through local and national shelters or rescue organizations, you can find a pitbull that is ready to help you with your ESA needs.
What Documentation Do I Need to Show My Pitbull is an ESA?
The only documentation that you need to prove that your pitbull is an emotional support animal is your valid emotional support animal letter drafted by a mental healthcare provider or medical professional licensed in your state. Your provider can discuss the contents of this letter with you further, and you should keep in mind that most valid ESA letters have an expiration date of about a year before you will need another one.
You should also note that only a licensed mental healthcare or medical professional in your state can write you an emotional support animal letter. Purchasing a templated letter online or printing off an ESA letter you found on the internet won’t make your pitbull a valid ESA, and you risk being turned down by a landlord or rental agency if you attempt to pass your pitbull off as an ESA like this.
Could My Pitbull ESA Be Denied?
Even if you have a valid emotional support animal letter written by a licensed mental healthcare or medical professional in your state, your pitbull may still be denied. This is rarer, however, as long as your dog is well-behaved and non-aggressive.
Reasons your emotional support pitbull might be legally denied include:
- Your pitbull is dangerous, out of control, threatening other tenants, or aggressive
- Your pitbull is destructive to the property outdoors or to the inside of your unit
- Your dog cannot be accommodated by the housing unit, such as being too large of a dog for your chosen unit or attempting to house many ESAs in one small space.
Any other reason for the denial of your pitbull ESA might be a violation of the Fair Housing Act, depending on the circumstances and the reasoning your landlord or rental agency gives. It’s always important to understand your state and federal rights when applying for housing with a pitbull emotional support animal to ensure you can advocate for yourself.
Keeping Your Pitbull ESA at Your Side
Pitbulls are typically considered controversial, though this breed does make a good emotional support animal for those in need. If you need to keep your supportive pitbull at your side, officially registering them as an emotional support animal is an essential step. Start this process by speaking with a mental healthcare provider licensed in your state to learn more about whether you are eligible for an emotional support animal.