How I Adopted an Emotional Support Animal Abroad

A year ago I was living in Seattle working as a product manager at a start-up. I had built a comfortable life: a great apartment, a management position in a workplace I loved and friends and family close at hand in a beautiful city. However, slowly but surely a malaise began creeping into my life.

The city that once excited me felt dreary and drab, I lost the appetite to see close friends and I woke up with a sense of dread every morning. My nights became longer with my mind overwrought with anxious thoughts and I arrived at work tired and despondent. I loved my job, but long hours and the headaches of playing an integral role at a rapidly growing business were also taking their toll.

My therapist diagnosed me with depression and burnout. I was surprised but not altogether shocked: years ago I had battled with a bout of severe depression after a hard break up and a tough time finding a job after college. I knew how bad things could get if I left my condition unchecked, so I decided to take some time away from work. My workplace encouraged me to take a sabbatical, and I headed south to Mexico to spend some time decompressing.

Three months later, I returned with a new best friend: my emotional support dog Alejandro!

Bringing Alejandro Home

I spent my days in Mexico visiting old friends in Oaxaca and at yoga retreats in Tulum and Puerto Vallarta. During my time in Puerto Vallarta, there was a stray dog that lived near my Airbnb that I befriended. I provided him with food and treats and he would happily follow me to the beach and back home. I fell hopelessly in love!

After a few weeks I couldn’t bear the idea of leaving Alejandro behind. I had wanted a dog for a while, and Alejandro seemed heaven sent. I had no idea if you could even bring a dog back stateside, but I was determined to try.

As it turned out, it wasn’t too much of a chore. I visited a veterinarian and had Alejandro checked and vaccinated. I made sure to get documentation showing Alejandro had a clean bill of health and was up to date on his shots. When booking my flight, I noted that I would be bringing a dog and paid a pet fee to the airline. Alejandro is small enough to fit in a bag, so I was able to bring him onboard and stow him at my feet. When I arrived in the U.S., Alejandro was briefly inspected by a customs officer who looked at his health documents, and I was home free!

Qualifying Alejandro as an Emotional Support Dog

Having Alejandro at my side has been transformative. His constant presence improved my mental health much more than a brief sabbatical could. My therapist agreed that Alejandro was the likely source of my newfound happiness and was helping to keep my depression in check. Our daily walks at least twice a day and overseeing the life of another living being helps get me out of my headspace.

Alejandro was in essence serving as my emotional support dog. He wasn’t however an “official” emotional support animal, since that requires a note from your therapist. I hadn’t bothered asking my therapist about this because I lived in a pet friendly building and Alejandro was small enough to fly with me. A couple of things changed however: I was soon moving into my boyfriend’s place which didn’t allow dogs, and I was flying more often because of work and family obligations and was racking up hefty airline fees.

I spoke to my therapist about my situation, and she agreed that my dog was definitely serving as my emotional support animal and that I likely qualified for one. However, she wasn’t comfortable writing a letter for me because it was outside her area of expertise. Instead, she referred me to a site that another patient of hers had used: ESADoctors.com.

ESA Doctors put me in touch with a licensed social worker who helped evaluate whether I qualified for an emotional support animal. She was able to write a letter for me establishing my need for an ESA for mental health issues. The entire process was easy and relatively quick, and the therapist couldn’t have been sweeter or more understanding about my predicament.

Using my ESA Letter

Having an ESA letter has given me some unexpected benefits and perks. In addition to being able to bring Alejandro into my boyfriend’s pet-free apartment complex, it has also saved me a ton in fees. For example, landlords can’t charge pet fees or deposits if you have an emotional support animal. I wish I had known that sooner — it would have saved me hundreds of dollars at my old apartment.

Having an ESA letter also saves you from having to pay pet fees to airlines. I’m able to bring Alejandro with me on trips which has saved me a ton — both in pet fees, and the cost to have a caretaker for her when me and my boyfriend are away.

Having an ESA letter gives me peace of mind knowing that I have a legal right to have my ESA by my side. Alejandro has been a miracle for my mental health, and he’s a true necessity. It feels good knowing that my condition and need for him are validated and legally protected.

If you’re also in a serious rut and think an emotional support animal could help you, I urge you to talk to your therapist or doctor about it, it changed my life and it could completely change yours as well!