Pets are like extended families in a house. They are never treated as an animal and get the importance of a member as important as the kids and the elderlies. But this only a pet lover can understand and appreciate. People who have never had a pet will never know about the possible attachment and can never appreciate the same.
Trouble when one has to move
A family often has to move from a city to another for job or business. Taking the pet along with the family becomes a problem. While most of the airline carriers do not allow them on board, even landlords at new places might just not agree to rent a house to them with a pet inside. Some again try to play the trick to enhance the rentals exponentially in case a pet is there.
One cannot do anything but think of a way out in such a case. Earlier, there were no way but today, one can get an emotional support animal certificate for the pet. While this can make the pet eligible to fly and any landlord will be legally bound to accept it and cannot deny a stay for the family, the only problem is to get these certificates.
Most of the medical practitioners and general physicians who are eligible to issue such certificates do not entertain these requests. They are afraid of any legal tangle in future. Sometimes, they are just not equipped enough to handle such cases, since they may not have a questionnaire required for the applicant to fill up and get assessed by the doc. In short, getting such a certification was not an easy job till a few days back!
Has things eased out a bit today
Thankfully, a lot of doctors have started appreciating in this need of a family and the pets as of late. Thus, many of them have flocked together to form organizations that work specifically on this issue. These organizations offer emotional support animal certification as a one-stop solution to the aspirants. Filling up a simple questionnaire can get them the certificate. Fulfilling only one criterion in it, unlike the other clinics that makes it mandatory to qualify for quite a few, can get the certification process through.
These certifications are valid for the whole country. Any carrier or landlord ignoring the same can get into legal trouble!
Types of certificates that one can get
The simplest type of certificate one can get is for travel only. It is a one-time paper that makes the pet eligible to fly to and fro from one destination to another along with the fanmily in the same flight. Another one is to make it mandatory for a landlord to allow the dog inside a rented property provided the canine passes the FHA and HUD guidelines. This one remains valid for a year and has to be renewed annually. These two certificates are short term ones and cost less.
A third certification comes for a lifetime. It costs more but makes the pet eligible to fly with the family and also stay with it for the whole of its lifetime. It is a one-time affair and is easy to get through at these pet friendly certification clinics.