Rabbits can serve humans, but they’re not always able to help as much as dogs can. Some don’t even believe that rabbits qualify as service animals.
Despite not being on par with dogs in performing tasks, rabbits can be great companions for people with disabilities. They’re also intelligent and friendly to humans.
With that said, bunnies could count as service animals. However, the previously mentioned traits aren’t enough for the government to officially recognize them as service animals.
In this article, we’ll discuss whether rabbits can be service animals and how they can assist people with disabilities.
Can Rabbits Be Service Animals According to Government Standards?
Dogs are the most common service animals to date. They’re highly trainable and can provide help to people with disabilities.
On March 15, 2011, the Department of Justice issued directives implementing ADA for Title II and Title III, officially recognizing dogs as service animals.
According to the ADA requirements, dogs are the only ones officially recognized as service assistants. The statement conforms to what a service animal is and what it does.
With that said, other pets don’t qualify as official service animals, including rabbits.
What Animals Can Become ESA?
Emotional support animals don’t carry tasks, unlike service animals. The mere presence of an ESA alleviates the condition of a person with a mental health condition.
So, do ESAs need to be trained? Luckily, there’s no special training needed for your pet to be an ESA. Any domesticated pet, like dogs, cats, pigs, birds, and rabbits, can be an ESA.
Rabbits are great ESAs. They’re naturally affectionate and silly, which could benefit a person suffering from depression or anxiety. These furry friends make great companions and create a great bond with their humans.
Getting a rabbit is a good choice if you suffer from any mental health condition. If you consider its temperament, it’s unlikely to lash out or cause distress to the person needing its companionship.
While rabbits don’t get the same applause as dogs for being intelligent and highly trainable, they’re lovely as emotional support animals.
Can Anyone Get an ESA Rabbit?
While anyone can get a pet rabbit, not everyone can have an ESA rabbit. A letter from your licensed mental health care professional will help you get an ESA rabbit.
Here are the things to determine whether a person needs an ESA rabbit:
- Does the person have a mental disorder or disability?
- Does the person feel better when around animals?
- Is the person willing to work with a licensed doctor to qualify for an ESA letter?
Rabbits as Emotional Support and Companion Animals
Human disabilities aren’t limited only to physical ones. That said, people who suffer from mental disorders need emotional support, which they could also get from pets.
Despite being intelligent and warm towards us, rabbits aren’t eligible as service assistants. However, this doesn’t mean that bunnies are utterly useless.
Rabbits can still provide emotional support to people with disabilities. Their companionship can uplift the spirits of people suffering from depression and the like.
Just because rabbits don’t qualify as service animals, doesn’t mean they can’t give help.
A rabbit, for example, can be an emotional support animal (ESA) that can provide therapeutic comfort to people who suffer from mental disorders. These lovable pets can give the companionship, comfort, and support that a person needs.
Can Rabbits Help with Anxiety?
Suffering from anxiety is mentally and emotionally draining. One way to take your mind off constantly worrying is to get a pet with whom you could frequently interact.
People with anxiety can rely on rabbits for emotional support. For example, they can help people take their minds off personal anxiety triggers.
Additionally, the calm nature of bunnies can be soothing to a person suffering from anxiety.
Can Rabbits Sense Anxiety in Humans?
Rabbits tend to match the energy of their owners. They’ll hop or dance to show their pure joy if you’re feeling happy. However, they’ll approach you and show concern if you feel distressed or sad.
These furry animals can pick up fear and anxiety and will try their best to cheer you up. The reason why they can sense changes in your mood is due to it being chemical.
Rabbits have a good sense of smell, so any chemical changes in their owner’s body are noticeable to them.
Can Rabbits Help with Depression?
Depression isn’t easy, especially if one has to go through the painful experience alone. It would be helpful if the person going through it could get a pet that’ll also serve as emotional support.
A rabbit is among the animals that can provide comfort and companionship to people with depression. Its high spirits help people cope with this mood disorder easier.
Despite being unable to perform more significant tasks like dogs, rabbits are great support systems for people suffering from depression.
The calmness and positive energy bunnies radiate are contagious and can uplift the mood of their owners. They’re also sociable and can quickly adapt to human companionship.
It won’t be long until their owners grow to love them.
Can Rabbits Help People with Autism?
People diagnosed with autism will enjoy having a pet rabbit around as their emotional support and companion.
There are two reasons bunnies are excellent comfort animals for people with autism. One, bunnies are quiet, and two, these animals like routines just as people with autism do.
Rabbits love attention and constantly beg their humans to pet them, but they’re not going to be aggressive about it.
For someone who has difficulty connecting with other people, having a rabbit allows an autistic individual to interact. There’s no fear of establishing a bond because a rabbit doesn’t judge its human.
A person with autism can easily relate to a bunny. It’s great for the person’s overall being as these animals can keep them calm and happier.
Do Rabbits Improve Mental Health?
Some pets are excellent in providing companionship as they significantly reduce anxiety and stress.
Rabbits, for example, are a great source of motivation and entertainment for owners suffering from extreme sadness. They help improve the mental health of many through their playful and tame temperament.
Here are some reasons why rabbits help improve our mental health.
1 – They’re Great Companions
Rabbits are hard to resist as they’re adorable and love to follow their humans around. Aside from that, they love attention and would often snuggle to get more head pats.
With their eagerness to be constantly close to you, you’ll never feel lonely knowing that they love to share space with you.
2 – They Can Keep You Motivated
People suffering from depression often lack the drive to go on with life. It can be difficult for them to carry on their everyday routines as they don’t have the motivation.
Having a rabbit as your emotional support animal can motivate you to get up from bed. This ball of sunshine will push you to feed it, as it demands its food at the same hour every day.
If you lack the inspiration to carry on with your life, your bunny will give you a reason to live and see the beauty in it.
3 – They Keep You Preoccupied
Having a rabbit around also entails responsibilities. While you look after it and keep its home clean, you forget the sad thoughts that could come up from an idle mind.
Additionally, your interactions with your rabbit eliminate constant worrying as it keeps you busy. It can sometimes be tiring, but having a rabbit is rewarding.
4 – They Teach You to be Receptive and Sensitive
Rabbits can teach you to be gentle. They’re naturally docile and loving animals.
Aside from that, rabbits can reciprocate your love by snuggling and cuddling. If you have a strong bond with your pet, it can recognize your voice and will approach you when you call it.
Keeping a rabbit makes you responsible and receptive to the needs of others.
Can Rabbits Become Therapy Animals?
There’s a difference between service animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals.
Therapy animals differ from ESAs because these pets give emotional support to patients in a group setting.
While ESAs are more like personal pets providing emotional support, therapy animals work better in larger groups, like hospitals.
A rabbit could be a therapy animal if it got its training from Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). Aside from that, it has to be registered in a national therapy organization to gain access to psychological facilities and hospitals.
Final Thoughts
To answer whether rabbits can be service animals, you should go back to ADA’s specifications. While it clearly states that only dogs can be legal service animals, it doesn’t mean that bunnies can’t do much.
Rabbits are good for giving emotional support, companionship, and comfort to specific individuals.
Overall, rabbits are great for people diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and autism due to their calm and loving nature. They help people suffering from mental disorders greatly because of their positive energy and ability to quickly bond with their humans.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.