How ESAs Support Veterans

Published on: July 27, 2020

By: ASP Administrator

As Americans, when we think of Veteran’s day, we consider it as a time to show our support to the veterans of our country. Emotional support animals are a natural therapeutic method for our veterans suffering from emotional and mental disabilities such as PTSD, social anxiety, and depression.

Sometimes the challenges of past military life, both in and out of the war, can alter a veteran’s life forever. Their emotional, mental, and physical state can sometimes change according to the situation they are in. In the case of veterans, emotional support dogs are often the best choice when it comes to having an emotional support animal that can help treat and improve their lives.

An ESA letter is the documentation needed to obtain an emotional support animal. Once obtained, veterans are able to start their journey and reap the benefits of having their own personal ESA.

Benefits of having An Emotional Support Animal

Mental Benefits:

Decreased Anxiety/Depression- Veterans can experience a number of emotional and mental traumas from everyday military duty. Those traumas can carry over to their life after the military. Something as simple as petting an ESA dog can release specific hormones, such as oxytocin, into the body. Oxytocin is common to help individuals reach a calming state. This is particularly important for veterans who may be experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Verbal Communication/MotorSkills– An ESA animal encourages veterans, especially those who live alone, to communicate and exercise with their emotional support animal. Social anxiety and lack of communication are some disorders that don’t have to stick with you. By having an ESA, they help them throughout their daily living. This can also help the feeling of loneliness for some veterans who are not able to socialize as much as they would like.

Physical Benefits:

Motivation- Many veterans may be recovering from physical illness or injuries. Emotional support animals are often a “best friend” or “companion” for many individuals. Veterans that know they have a friend that is counting on them, will be motivated to do what is necessary to get better more quickly.

Cardiovascular Health– No matter the type of emotional support animal, having a companion will encourage veterans to get active. Getting enough daily exercise is always important to maintain physical health. It is also a great way for veterans to improve overall muscular functions, especially if they may not as active as they once were.

AmericanServicePets.com makes it easy to find the right ESA letter for veterans who would benefit from this type of companionship. Remember that this is not only for emotional support dogs. There are countless ESA options such as birds, cats, rabbits, and even miniature horses.

Get Your ESA Today

ATTENTION

Due to the new Department of Transportation (DOT) policy, Emotional Support Animals are NO longer allowed to fly in airplane cabins for free. However, Psychiatric Service Dogs are eligible.