Emotional Support Snake?

[GpBp]

Please tell me you're not serious about wanting to have Geno travel with you on a plane. Unless you are moving to a new permanent place to live (and even then I hope you're not imagining him curled up on your lap on the plane) I can't see any reason to justify bringing a snake on a who-knows-how-long flight and stressing him out with potential frequent travelling.

It's a nice idea to have Geno be an ESA but you need to think about what's best for Geno and not what you want him to do for you. Honestly everyone else already brought up some fine points and the sites/articles you've read are for sure not legit. Anything that claims you can register an ESA pet is a scam and won't hold up to anything.

As Kira pointed out you need an ESA note from a therapist that has had multiple sessions with you so they can evaluate and be familiar with your issues to see if an ESA is necessary. It's definitely not something you can drop in going "hi can I have an ESA letter for my snake? Thank you and bye!"

I think this idea is more selfish than it is practical and better not pursued. Just food for thought

And no haha, I'm not trying to get Geno as a travel buddy! (I rarely even fly anyway) I just mentioned it as a benefit of having an ESA, not necessarily a snake. Again, I/m just so worried that I'll go somewhere and they just won't allow him. I'm not trying to be selfish in anyway, and I obviously want whats best for Geno. The snake ESA article wasn't legit? Well, actually I believe that it seemed pretty off. So... everything that says I can register an ESA is a scam? This one too? https://www.emotionalsupportanimalco.com/

I know I need a note, and I'm more than happy to have these sessions w/ a therapist. I know It'll take time.
And I'm really again not trying to be selfish, I just want to know I can always be with Geno. (For this 30 something years of his life)
(I have other snakes, Geno has a very special place in my heart. Don't tell the others!)

[MissterDog]

A refund for what? ESA letters do not cost anything if they are legit. That sounds really sketchy to me.

The snake ESA article wasn't legit? Well, actually I believe that it seemed pretty off. So... everything that says I can register an ESA is a scam? This one too? https://www.emotionalsupportanimalco.com/

I'm with Kira on this, the site sounds fishy as heck despite trying to look legit. I wouldn't trust it.

[GpBp]

I'm sorry but (IMO) that is an abuse of the ESA system (so you can 'legally' have him live with you in places that do not allow exotic pets; regardless if you have anxiety or not).
Not trying to offend you.

I guess I agree. I see where you're coming from. I don't like that bp's don't fit the domestic pet group, but it makes sense. Thank's for sharing, you make a good point. Probably not then.

[GpBp]

What about this...?
https://www.esaregistration.org/

[AbsoluteApril]

Thanks, I'm really glad you didn't take it the wrong way, as I was not trying to be mean or offensive.
I agree, I wish they were simply considered good pets as they don't make any noise, hardly smell and don't usually take up much room. So much easier than fish or birds. I wish landlords understood they are a very easy pet to keep and they don't (normally) cause property damage. It's taken me and my bf over a year to find a new place to rent that allows my 2 cats and our reptiles. We started seriously looking January 2017 and just now found a place. It's such a hassle but better to be on the up and up than to game the system or hide them from a landlord.
I wish you the best of luck once you are out on your own! Places can be found, it's just takes time.

[redshepherd]

Thank you for mentioning! I thought I could just follow the process on Emotional Support Animal Co's website (https://www.emotionalsupportanimalco.com/) but is it not safe? Their process is:

1. Fill out our questionnaire
2. Select your service "We offer different therapy services to you whether you need one for travel or housing situations."
3. Connect with a licensed therapist "A Licensed Therapist will speak with you about your options of owning a therapy pet."
4. Recieve your confirmation

They also say "Here at EmotionalSupportAnimalCo.com, if you do not meet the need for an ESA after therapist review, you will receive a full refund."

This is not legit, as are ANY "ESA register" websites... They are all scams. The ONLY legal way to get an actual ESA is through a mental health professional's note, and it is up to their discretion whether to write you an ESA note or not. You can request it through a mental health professional, but it is not your choice. Think of it as a medical prescription.

There are a lot of ESA lies out there, and unfortunately many average people, the public, and stores do not know what qualifies as a "real ESA" and showing them some fake certificate will make most of them think your ESA is legit. But if you are doing anything legal, such as housing or flights, they will know it is fake.

[MasonC2K]

I personally don't think that snakes should be ESAs on planes, Like it or not, most humans have a deep seeded fear of snakes. Therefore your snake that keeps you calm may cause great stress to a great many people. The same could be said for spiders and other creatures that aren't "cute and cuddly." If larger public places people can choose to get away. On plane, not so much.

[L.West]

I'm sorry but (IMO) that is an abuse of the ESA system (so you can 'legally' have him live with you in places that do not allow exotic pets; regardless if you have anxiety or not).
Not trying to offend you.

My thoughts exactly. Don't make a mockery of the ESA program. Too many people are jumping on this band wagon - thats a darn shame for the people who actually need this service. Sorry to be so blunt.

[enginee837]

Esa's are not service animals and are not afforded the protections of ADA. There is some federal protection (from the ACAA) given to esa's for travel however it is largely up to the discretion of the travel provider and it explicitly forbids reptiles, rodents, sugar gliders and ferrrits Furthermore they are expressly forbidden if they are untrained or pose any threat of nuisance to other passengers.
Links for reference.

In my experience most esa's are a joke and give true service animals a bad name.

http://www.jems.com/articles/print/v...t-animals.html

https://www.transportation.gov/indiv...upport-animals

[Kcl]

I'm pretty sure I could get my ball python status as my "emotional support snake" from my therapist if I asked for it (~2 years of therapy with her, she's seen me both before and after getting him, it wouldn't be a rubber stamping). However, I probably never will because it's highly unlikely to be worthwhile. One of the major problems is that if you try to force the issue with a landlord that doesn't want to accept a snake in their property, there is a very high chance that they WILL fight it. Said fight would take time, money, and emotional energy and leave you in a bad spot with any landlords that ask for previous landlord references because that one will not be happy. You're better off spending your time and energy looking for a situation where the landlord doesn't care, or where they're swayed by the argument of it being silent, in a cage, and completely non-destructive. If living in on-campus housing, you'd again likely be better off speaking to housing accommodations first to explain your situation and garner any sympathy you can (and again explain silent/caged/non-destructive) and see where to go from there. As far as planes go, many carriers will not allow snakes, ESA or not. Essentially, ESA is not a widely-accepted set of rights, so it's easier to find what you want in other ways then to try to force your way to it. Obtaining a right that isn't widely accepted can be difficult and really require the person to be resilient and determined - a rather tall order with the types of issues that emotional support animals are generally for.

Anyway, tl;dr, getting anything worthwhile out of having an emotional support snake would be such a pain. Find appropriate housing or work with people instead.