Woman Asks If She's Wrong Not To Buy An ESA For Daughter, And Redditors Are Dividing Themselves To Reply

Dogs are amazing creatures. They are adorable, loyal to the end, and incredibly intelligent. Also, they are trained to work as rescue dogs, military dogs, guide dogs, and service dogs.
Well, service animals (SAs) are trained to do specific tasks for their owners who have certain physicals and mental health issues. Emotional support animals (ESAs), on the other hand, are nothing more than normal pets, except for the fact that they provide indoor comfort and security to people with psychological or developmental problems. Depending on your condition, your doctor (or therapist) will suggest whether you should have a specially-trained SA or you just need an ESA.
A woman has recently posted on r/AITA asking for advice on a domestic problem between her and her daughter. The OP started by telling that her daughter suffered from anxiety disorders. Her therapist suggested that she have an ESA to help with her treatment. The woman had a Maine Coon cat, so she thought it would become her daughter's ESA.

Source: ExchangeSuccessful21

Source: ExchangeSuccessful22

However, what the doctor really meant was a trained dog that could accompany her daughter to public places. The mom, therefore, denied the recommendation due to two following reasons. Firstly, according to the therapist, her daughter needed an ESA, not an SA. Secondly, she didn't like dogs and didn't like the idea of bringing one home.

Source: ExchangeSuccessful23

As a result, a conflict happened between her and her daughter. Therefore, she asked Reddit for advice.
An overview of people's responses shows that they are holding different opinions on the problem. Many people agree that the OP is NTA and blame the therapist for the way he gave recommendations.

There is a huge difference between ESAs and SAs. A SA has access to public places such as buses, airplanes, schools, and hospitals because they are well-trained to help their owner whenever they need it. Meanwhile, an ESA stays at home and is not allowed at some places, according to the laws ranging from region to region.

The doctor said that her daughter needed an ESA, but then he suggested a service dog. That resulted in some misunderstandings, and the problem became more complicated.
Meanwhile, some people blame the woman for refusing to get an animal for her daughter just because he doesn't like dogs. If a service dog is recommended by the therapist, then it's desperately necessary for her daughter's health.

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Netizens suggest that she should come to another therapist for a second option. Because there are many way we can treat patients with anxiety issues, not just by having an ESA.

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