June 25Jun 25 Hi all, we are new to this military life and new parents. My husband is just about to graduate from AIT and we are to PCS to JBLM this August. I am 25 weeks pregnant and since he's been away for almost 6 mos, it was just me and my dog who motivated me get out of the house and helped me emotionally and mentally. Upon filling out the housing application form I read that my dog falls under the "restricted breed" she is a chow mix. I have a psychiatrist, but we are rather new about 2 weeks now and I did ask about the ESA letter, and he told me he won't be able to give me just yet. Which I totally understand. We do not consider living off-base as our E4 BAH will not get us a house with yard and in a safe environment in Washington. My husband prefers to live on-base so he has a peace of mind if he ever gets deployed, leaving his wife and newborn kid. My question is, besides ESA letter from my psychiatrist (I hope I get it before the move) what the other ways we could try so our dog can live with us? I read about asking for commander's approval or ask our vet to change her breed since she's mix?? For backup, has anyone used any "legit" website that military housing accepts for ESA letter? P.s she can be territorial and anxious sometimes, but she is very sweet and very lazy would nap 20hrs a day.
June 26Jun 26 My dog is a lab mix, for a reason. Easiest option, IMHO, is to get a vet or a piece of paper that says your dog is a mix breed. Not sure how the emotional support animal strategy would play out. Good luck. Very sweet looking pup! Edited June 26Jun 26 by StrikeOut312 needed to add
November 4Nov 4 Ran into this situation during our PCS. The housing office mostly cared about whether the letter came from a real provider who actually evaluated the case. I went through Wellness Wag because they did the clinical review part without the long wait. After that, they asked for a behavior check. If your dog is laid back, that usually goes smoother in person than on the form. Changing the listed breed rarely works. Showing the dog is safe and trainable works better. Edited November 6Nov 6 by fonike777
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