1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year and in England, 1 in 6 report experiencing problems such as depression and anxiety in any given week.

The UK is currently experiencing a mental health epidemic. People of all ages and walks of lives are affected, whether it’s your friends, family, colleagues or neighbours, chances are you know someone who is currently experiencing mental health issues.

Many people affected by mental health issues find that their pets provide great comfort to them and have a huge impact on their wellbeing. Simple things like taking your dog for a walk or having a companion with you at home to make you feel connected to another being can often make the difference between a good or a bad day.

Currently, in the UK, the animals that those affected by mental health issues count on to help improve their well being are not recognised as Assistance Animals. This can be a stressful barrier to their owners in their everyday lives as it affects the homes that they can rent and how and where they can travel if they need their animal to come with them.

Landlords are not required to give the same kind of leeway to emotional support animals as they are to Assistance Animals. This makes finding housing for those affected by mental health problems a struggle, which can result in the living in areas or properties they would not normally chose, having further negative implications for their mental health.

The team at EmotionalSupportAnimals.org.uk are striving to overcome this barrier as well as the others caused by the lack of recognition emotional support animals receive. We want to help improve the wellbeing of those who experience mental health problems in the UK by raising awareness and creating a discussion around the laws that dictate what constitutes an Assistance Animal.

Kirret Kanna
Founder