If You're Seeking Emotional Support Animal Guidance, Is the Support Pets Service Legit?

Various laws in the U.S. govern how service animals differ from emotional support animals, as well as gentle animals who serve as therapy animals in various capacities.

The nomenclature and specificity of the laws can be overwhelming to learn, but the details affect many aspects of life, from waived fees for various housing options to an animal's access to be on a commercial flight, and even how you must file your taxes for the appropriate deductions.

Many online services claim to support individuals in need of emotional support animal verification, and retailers like Amazon feature no shortage of vendors offering collars and tags for such animals, as well as the inclusion of your companion animal in their database of service animals and emotional support animals.

All of that said, is the Support Pets service actually reputable and safe for those seeking support? Let's dig in.

No, Support Pets is not a legitimate service from which individuals and families should seek verification of their companion animals' identities as emotional support animals.

They are only legitimate inasmuch as a random online service promising to match uninsured individuals with a healthcare provider who will write a prescription for various medications is legitimate. In both cases, these are vastly unregulated industries with dubious intentions.

As Reddit users attest, a piece of paper stating your companion animal is an emotional support animal verified by Support Pets is legally meaningless.

Additionally, requesting such documentation from your primary care provider, in conjunction with a certified mental health therapist, is free. Thus, companies like Support Pets prey on uninsured individuals desperately seeking proof that their emotional support animal supports them in an emotional capacity.

Also, as The Guardian explains, there is no such thing as an official registry through which the records of emotional support animals are managed. “Presently, this area is a free-for-all,” the late Dr. Rebecca Johnson, a professor at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, said.

Per Johnson, the unregulated industry — which includes companies like Support Pets — makes it that much harder for individuals in need of emotional support animals to be taken seriously.

There are legal protections in place to ensure that individuals with service animals are not discriminated against in their daily lives.

For example, if you apply for housing and a landlord denies you on the basis of having a service animal, you should seek legal consultation to ensure your rights are upheld.

The Americans with Disabilities Act website, which is managed through the U.S. government, outlines the various key roles of service animals and emotional support animals, and multiple resources are available throughout the website for those in need of support.

Furthermore, you do not need to display proof of certification to attest to the function of your animal, no matter how angry and pushy a business owner may become.

Per the ADA website, businesses and state and local governments cannot "require certification or registration of service dogs," nor can they "request any documentation that the dog is registered, licensed, or certified as a service animal."

Paid services like Support Pets know that many people are ignorant of these ADA guidelines. Therefore, Support Pets knows the emotional leverage they hold over distressed individuals who erroneously believe documentation from a certifying body is necessary.