b'There is no denying that for people with genuine needs, emotional support animals provide a service to their owners.program is abused, the program is placed under a mi- Airlineattendantsandotherpassengershavebeen croscope, and new guidelines have been introduced. attackedandbittenbyanimals,causinganintense safety issue in the air. College campuses are typically Thefirststeptosecuringanemotionalsupportanimal-free, as animals have been known to cause animal designation for your pet is for a therapist todisruptionsamongstudents.Manyhavebeenslow sign a letter for the pet owner declaring a need fortocreateguidelinesonemotionalsupportanimals the animal, which must be renewed annually. Underfor fear of finding themselves on the wrong side of new proposed standards, mental health professionalsa lawsuit.must:F Conduct a thorough evaluation of the But how can anyone prove that an animal person requesting an emotional support is for genuine emotional support?animal certification.Its an issue that everyone is facing with emotional F Assess the animal to confirm that it support animals recent rise in popularity. In a recent performs all valid functions. study on public perceptions, researchers concluded that in general most people dont feel that individuals F Review the interaction between the animalare abusing the system. However, they maintain that and the person to ensure the animal has ahigh-profile incidents in the media reflect negatively demonstrated benefit to the person. ontheseanimalsanddrivetheviewsofasmall, but vocal minority. To suppress the growth of this F Understand and apply laws that regulateminority, it is expected that guidelines and regulations emotional support animals. will grow, becoming more stringent and making it After a thorough investigation that results in a signedtougher for others to cheat the system.letter from a licensed therapist, pet owners are free to apply for the designation for their pets. Theriseofemotionalsupportanimalsiscausing aconundrumformanybusinessesonhowthese animals are to be handled, specifically airlines and collegecampuses.Airlinesarenotoriouslyclose-quartered and are faced with their own regulations. 41'