I have a dog I got as emotional support. My therapist is the one who started me down the service dog road because she noticed my mental health was so much improved when he was around. My issues are PTSD, anxiety and depression from chronic and acute illness (fibromyalgia and permanent trauma injury, and cancer). I am training this dog through a local service-dog training facility.

Right now he is in the basics, not trained for any particular task yet, though I have taken him everywhere I could since he was a puppy, to get him used to being in many public situations without concern. I would eventually like to have him (assuming he can be trained this far - so far his prospects are quite promising) stop anxiety attacks and rage attacks by intervening, and lifting my mood by licking or comforting when he notices cues; there is also due to my illness a potential for physical assistance to a limited degree (he is quite small). Honestly, the only thing his trainer sees possibly barring that would be my own lifespan not being long enough, as the cancer has been rather aggressive.

But right now he provides support with things like sitting with me in the hospital in medical treatments that are painful and stressful and lifting my mood by his amazing temperament and innate ability to comfort by doing things such as licking my throat until he notices my change in mood. I take him everywhere, and his presence helps greatly in keeping me steady in places like restaurants, stores, and other places where things may not always go smoothly and where I am inclined to have problems.

I have been referring to him as an emotional support animal, believing this was a variation on a service animal and the proper term, but am now reading here that this does not allow him places where I NEED him. He is not yet a fully trained service animal, but trust me when I tell you he has saved my life and I do not feel "normal" except when in his calming presence. So what do I call him and what is allowed? I do not want to run afoul of the law. He is a perfect gentleman in public, I keep him clean, and he is genuinely helpful. I do my best to give service dogs a good name by training him under a licensed trainer, as I do not want those who come after me to be mistrusted, and not asking more of him than he is trained for. He does get distressed when I am not around; if this is a failing, it is my fault since I am so dependent on his presence to maintain my own calm and presence of mind. It is not just my opinion: my therapist and doctors feel his being right there with me (as opposed to haning out at home while I'm out) is extremely important to my emotional stability.

I should note that we have never found an antidepressant or antianxiety medication that has helped. Either they haven't worked or they have had debilitating and bizarre side effects (one med, for example, caused back spasms and another caused hallucinations without either ameliorating the original problems). So it's pretty much this dog or suicide. So where are the lines, because they look pretty grey to me. One person's relief is another's lifeline. To call both nonessential seems to me a mistake and a potential tragedy. I would appreciate feedback on this.