Emotional support animals continue to rise in popularity due to their ability to help people who struggle with mental health issues. Whether it’s general anxiety or prolonged loneliness, an emotional support animal can sometimes be as powerful as medication! That said, what if one emotional support animal isn’t enough and you need two? Or what if you need even more?
The good news is that we’re here to help. So, can you have two emotional support animals? Well, the short answer is yes, but there’s more to it than that. Read on to learn everything you need to know below.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal (ESA) is an animal that helps people who have mental health disorders. They can assist with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and many other mental health issues, which makes them a popular treatment option. Plus, emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), so they’re allowed to live in otherwise non-pet-friendly housing.
Emotional support animals can also be just about any type of animal. The main requirement is that they’re calm, non-threatening, and able to fit in your living space without causing problems. That said, ESAs only have protection in housing units and don’t share the same protections as service animals. For example, ESAs can’t go on planes without permission from the airline, and public places are allowed to reject their entry.
For these reasons, emotional support animals are treated like pets in all aspects, aside from their ability to live in apartments that don’t usually allow pets. Keep this in mind when choosing between the ESA and service animal route.
Who Qualifies for an Emotional Support Animal?
Anyone who has a mental health issue can qualify for an ESA. Qualifying for an ESA comes down to having a licensed mental health professional write you an ESA letter that explains how the animal is helping with your mental health issues. Therefore, the only requirements are the animal, the letter, and your reason for needing one.
Some examples of things that qualify for an ESA include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loneliness
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Eating disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Schizophrenia
- Panic disorders
- Seizures
These are only some conditions that qualify for an ESA, and you’ll find that it comes down to whether or not a licensed mental health professional feels you qualify.
Can You Have Two Emotional Support Animals?
Yes, you can have two emotional support animals. As long as your licensed mental health professional signs off on the fact that you need two animals, you can have two. In fact, there are no specific rules in place limiting the number of emotional support animals you can have. Therefore, you can have six emotional support cats if you want!
That said, there are some limits. For example, landlords may be able to ask you to leave your apartment if you have three giant Great Danes as emotional support animals, especially if they’re damaging the property or scaring others. For this reason, if you’re going to have multiple emotional support animals, you’re better off going with something small and quiet like cats – and who doesn’t love those little purring machines?
Do You Need Two Emotional Support Animal Letters?
Believe it or not, you only need one emotional support animal letter. That said, your licensed mental health professional will have to sign the letter and state that you need two specific emotional support animals. What’s more, information about both of the pets needs to be listed, along with an explanation of why two pets are necessary instead of just one.
Therefore, you don’t need a second ESA letter, but you may need to have your original letter updated if you already have one ESA and want to add another.
Register Your Two Emotional Support Animals Today!
Now that you know you can have multiple emotional support animals, all that’s left is the registration process. You’ll need to get an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional, and they need to sign it stating that you need both ESAs.
We recommend using a reliable ESA registration platform like US Service Animals to get the paperwork you need to live with your two emotional support animals. These services help you connect with licensed mental health professionals over the phone so you don’t have to wait for an appointment.
Once you have your letter, you’re all set!