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There’s a broad spectrum of emotional support animals that individuals with psychiatric conditions find comfort in. While dogs and cats are the most popular choices, they aren’t the only type of emotional support animal.
Next to these prevalent emotional support animals, birds stand out as a unique choice. After all, they are one of the most popular types of pets. In fact, over 6 million households in the US have at least one bird as a pet.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about emotional support birds. Read to the end to find out if birds can be emotional support animals.
Can Birds Become Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional support animals are assistance animals that provide comfort to individuals with a psychiatric condition. They don’t have any training requirements, and emotional support animals don’t need to perform specific tasks for the benefit of their handler.
While this reminds many of service animals, there aren’t any rules that limit emotional support animals to a certain group of species. Therefore, any animal, including birds, can be an emotional support animal.
Although birds serving as emotional support animals may sound strange to some, they can be excellent in this regard. Like any other pet, birds provide companionship, and getting involved in their routine or simply listening to them chirp or talk can instill a sense of calm in their owners.
There’s also the commitment. Birds require much less upkeep than other types of pets commonly utilized as emotional support animals. This makes them a suitable emotional support animal choice for individuals living a busy life and those who may already feel overwhelmed.
How to Get an Emotional Support Bird
Now that we’ve answered that birds can become emotional support animals, here’s a brief overview of how you can get an emotional support bird.
Speak to an LMHP
First and foremost, you must obtain an ESA letter from a licensed mental health professional to have an emotional support bird. However, there isn’t a guarantee that you will receive this document for an emotional support bird or any other ESA.
It is up to your mental health professional to decide if an emotional support animal as part of your treatment would be beneficial for you. This, of course, can only happen after attending evaluation sessions.
That said, contact a mental health professional licensed in your state to know if an emotional support bird can be an option for you. Determining this can take several sessions, but it will all be worth it in the end, as you will know if having a bird as an ESA or any other will help with your psychiatric condition.
Obtain an ESA Letter
If your mental health professional decides that an emotional support animal would help your psychiatric condition, you will receive an ESA letter. This legal document essentially recommends an emotional support bird for your condition.
Although an ESA letter doesn’t have many uses other than stating that you require an emotional support animal for your condition, it can be used for housing when needed. Emotional support animals, like service animals, are protected under the Fair Housing Act. If you live in a no-pet rental property, you can provide your housing provider with a copy of the ESA letter to request reasonable accommodation.
Registering Your Emotional Support Bird
After obtaining your ESA letter, you don’t need to take any other action for your emotional support bird. There’s a common belief that emotional support animals require registration, but that is completely false. Emotional support animals and other support animals don’t need any registration or obtain specific certifications.
However, going through an emotional support animal registration with a reputable registry can be beneficial in many ways.
For instance, US Service Animals, the largest ESA registry in the US, issues animal ID cards and provides legal support throughout an ESA’s lifetime. They can also connect you with a licensed mental health professional in your state to write you a prescription letter for an emotional support animal for housing.
With all these, consider registering your emotional support animal bird with reputable registries like the US Service Animals. Even though it isn’t a legal requirement, registration can make life easier for emotional support animal owners.
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