1 in 4 people will experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem within their lifetime. 

The number of people who are affected by mental health is rising.

I have been affected by various mental health problems since I was just 7 years old, including anorexia, anxiety and clinical depression. 

Mental health is NOT something to ever be ashamed of. I am speaking out because I want to help everyone out there who has ever experienced a difficulty or struggle with a mental illness.

People with mental health problems  don't always find it easy to talk. Engaging with various treatment such as impatient or crisis support, still may not end up being particularly successful. What a lot of people really need is just a companion, something they can love, take care of and look after, something that will always be there for them when they need it most, a small little creature depending on them. 

An Emotional Support Animal is a pet that helps alleviate symptoms of a mental or emotional disability through companionship and affection.

Sadly, unlike in America, Emotional Support Animals are still not recognised as a certified assistance animals in the UK. This means that the rules that apply to other assistance animals, such as guide dogs, do not apply to emotional support pets. This means that for people with all kinds of illness, be it scitsophrenia, bipolar, anxiety, ANYTHING- they have no rights to have their emotional support pet. This means the pet could be taken away from them, not allowed in housing etc... this list goes on. At the end of the day, they could be separated from their pet, which would severely impact on their quality of life and emotional well-being. 

There are so many people just like me who rely on their pets for their emotional wellbeing. At the moment, these pets are not recognised. They cannot live in non-pet housing or travel as freely as registered assistance animals, as well as many other things that a registered assistance pet would be able to do.

Mental Health IS a disability. Just like any other. Just because you can't always see it doesn't mean it isn't there...

THIS PETITION HOPES TO BRING LEGAL RECOGNITION TO EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS IN THE UK

"Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much."- Helen Keller

Please Help.