How to Register Your Dog as a Psychiatric Service Dog in Illinois?

We all know that dogs are among the most intelligent canines that can easily catch human emotions. Studies have also proven that dogs can positively affect a person’s happiness, fitness, and stress levels. All these skills, along with training to carry out specific tasks for people with mental illness, are carried by psychiatric service dogs.

Which Mental Illnesses Qualify for a psychiatric Service Dog?

Although emotional support animals have received significant attention in recent years, other animals, like service dogs, can also help people with mental and emotional disabilities. These animals receive special training to enable individuals with disabilities who struggle to carry out daily duties like crossing the street and issues picking up objects.

Although many people believe that service animals only help those with physical disabilities, people with mental illnesses like depression, PTSD, Schizophrenia, and chronic anxiety can also benefit significantly with the assistance of a service dog.

Psychiatric Service Dog Laws in Illinois

Different states have different laws regarding service dogs. There are certain laws that protect service dogs and their owners in Illinois. These are:

Illinois White Cane Law

This state-specific provision mandates that guide dogs, hearing dogs, seizure alert dogs, seizure response dogs, and other “support” dogs are accepted in public places. Even though there are no clear definitions for these service animals in this provision, these canines must be specially trained to aid someone who is visually impaired or has any other seizure disorder.

Service Animal Access Act

Similar to the White Cane Law, the specific provision includes guiding dogs, hearing dogs, and dogs that assist individuals with physical disabilities.

Fair Housing Act (FHA)

According to the Fair Housing Act, any person who is disabled has the right to live on the property of their choice and enjoy a home on an equal basis. Landlords and housing providers must provide reasonable accommodations to persons with mental or physical disabilities.
The FHA prohibits landlords from discriminating among people who own a service dog based on the dog’s breed, size, and height. If the landlord denies your request for reasonable accommodation, you can easily file a complaint under the HUD and the ADA guidelines in Illinois.

Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)

According to the Air Carrier Access Act, you can easily travel with your service dog. This means you are given access to places like airplanes, trains, buses, and other public transportation. Service animals can easily accompany you on flights and have the right to travel in the cabin at no additional cost. To fly with your service dog, make sure you carry a psychiatric service dog letter (PSD letter) as a confirmation that your dog is a part of a medical treatment.

How to Get a PSD Letter Online In Illinois

If you’re looking for a psychiatric service dog letter online, Fast ESA Letter is there to help! We provide a fast and easy process of getting a service dog letter for your dog in Illinois. You just need to take out your five minutes and apply on the Fast ESA Letter website;

Apply on the Online Portal

Fill out a short form with information about you and your pet. Don’t forget to include information about your medical history in the form.

Get Evaluated By a LMHP

After you submit the form, a state-licensed health professional will evaluate your application for getting a PSD letter.

Instantly Get Your PSD Letter Through Email

We will email your PSD letter if the LMHP authorizes your disability. To present your letter to the landlord or airline, download or print it.

How Can My Dog Become a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Before making your dog act like a service dog, ensure that they are intelligent, amiable, peaceful, motivated towards work, and perform the tasks well. Although many breeds can make good service dogs, not all types are suitable for all jobs. For example, a small dog, like a Pomeranian or Miniature Poodle, won’t be able to perform a particular function because a service dog needs to be large enough to open cabinets and turn on lights.

If you are planning to bring a service dog home or already own a pet, training is important for a service dog. There are many ways to train your dog like self training, working with a professional trainer or adopting a trained dog. Let us discuss about these ways in detail:

Self-Training: It is one of the types of training your dog by yourself. However, it can be complex, lengthy, and quite exhausting because when you try to train your dog on your own, your mental health is at risk. Self-training is a time-consuming and slower path to get a service dog.

Working with a Qualified Dog Trainer: This is the most popular choice among dog owners since it enables you to learn with your dog. It ensures that you and your dog work towards the greatest possible benefit for your disability. A trainer has the knowledge and can assist you in teaching your dog the skills you need to put in your dog to help you with your disability. They can solve your queries and are aware of the ADA laws, which can help improve your and your dog’s lives.

Adopting an already trained service dog: This type of training option is expensive, but it provides owners with a dog who is already trained and prepared to assist them in navigating the outside world. Although trained service dogs can cost you more, they are well worth the investment because they need little effort on your part.

Places to Visit with my Service Animal in Illinois?

Under the Americans With Disabilities Act, you can visit various public places with your service animal where the general public is allowed. These are:

• Hotels and other types of lodging
• Terminals, depots, and stations
• Establishments that sell or rent food and beverages, such as restaurants
• Any public gathering space, like a theatre or shopping mall
• Amusement parks, educational institutions, and museums.

Conclusion:

Under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), there is no need to register your service dog. But you must obtain a recommendation from a licensed mental health professional stating that you’re taking therapeutic advantages from the assistance of a service dog to avail the benefits from the Illinois State laws and rights.