Get An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter To Get Your Pet Certified
Do you feel like your pet is your best friend? A lot of people feel that way, and that’s why an emotional support animal can be so beneficial.
If you’re looking for a way to get your pet certified as an ESA, we can help.
Exclusive Guaranteed Acceptance ESA Letter
Traveling alone can be stressful. And a home just isn’t a home without your best friend. Pet Companion ESA understands the comfort and companionship that a pet can provide, and we don’t think you should have to go without it.
That’s why we’re devoted to helping you secure an ESA Letter, if you qualify, through a guided process that involves a free screening, a session with a licensed therapist and customer support that is dedicated to getting you all the information you need. We make sure your letter is 100% compliant with state and federal regulations.
Get An Emotional Support Animal Letter
Take a FREE Screening Test to see if you qualify
How it works
3 Simple Steps To Get Your ESA Letter in Florida
The Getting an ESA Letter is Easy. Now you can receive a recommendation directly from licensed professionals in just 24 hours
Step 1
Your Free Pre-screening Test
Answer our brief survey to find out if you qualify for an ESA Letter. It’s easy and confidential.
Step 2
Speak to A Licensed Therapist
Our comprehensive consultation scheduled with a licensed mental health counselor takes about 15-30 minutes.
Step 3
Get Your ESA Letter
Thats it! Print your own letter, or have one mailed to you*
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal aka esa dog is a type of assistance animal that helps mitigate the symptoms of mental or emotional disabilities such as depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Such assistance animals are typically prescribed by a licensed mental health professional as part of an individual’s treatment plan. The prescription takes the form of an official document called an emotional support animal letter, also known as an ESA Letter. This document confirms that an individual has a legitimate need for the support that their companion animal provides and entitles them to certain rights under federal law.
What is an ESA Letter For?
An ESA letter is an official document signed by a licensed mental health professional. An ESA letter can also be prescribed by other health professionals who have familiarity with an individual’s medical condition or a person’s disability, such as a general practitioner or a psychiatrist.
Essentially, an ESA letter takes the form of a prescription. It recommends the use of an emotional support animal as part of a person’s treatment plan when it comes to managing their mental health. This means that the mental health professional believes their client can benefit from the therapeutic relationship and emotional comfort that emotional support animals provide.
ESAs are commonly prescribed to those living with mental disabilities or emotional conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), and other types of mental disorders which can be found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, a handbook published by the American Psychiatric Association and used by mental health professionals all over the world to establish reliable diagnoses.
When a mental health professional has determined that a person can benefit from the companionship of a support animal, they will issue that individual an ESA letter. A legitimate ESA letter will be printed on the licensed professional’s letterhead and include their licensing information in addition to being signed and dated by the prescribing professional. The ESA letter will clearly establish that the patient in question has a confirmed disability and that an emotional support animal provides them with needed support.
These days, the internet is rife with scams when it comes to fraudulent ESA websites and fake ESA letters. As a result, it’s absolutely essential for those in genuine need of an emotional support animal to understand what a legitimate ESA letter contains as to avoid getting scammed by services that don’t comply with federal and state regulations. Only a legitimate ESA letter is recognized under federal law, and only a legitimate ESA letter entitles an individual to certain rights when it comes to reasonable accommodation from housing providers while also permitting an individual to travel with their animal on ESA-friendly airlines.
It’s important to note that an ESA letter does not designate a companion animal as a service animal. Emotional support animals and service animals both provide assistance to their handlers, but they hold different designations under federal regulations and are entitled to different kinds of rights.
Ready to Get Started?
See if you qualify for an Emotional Support Animal right away! Take our free, 5-minute pre-screening test right now and receive immediate results. If you qualify, you’ll have the option to move forward with an ESA Letter Consultation with a licensed mental health professional!
Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Laws
It’s helpful to understand the difference between service animals and emotional support animals when it comes to important issues such as the basic requirements of their training regimen, the functions they must perform to uphold their designation as an assistance animal, and how an individual can qualify for one or the other.
Another important distinction between service animals and emotional support animals are the rights and privileges each is entitled to under federal regulations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Fair Housing Act?
The Fair Housing Act applies to both emotional support animals and service animals. It was signed into law in 1968 and protects people from discrimination during housing-related activities such as renting when it comes to race, religion, or disability. The Fair Housing Act ensures that an individual with a mental illness or mental disability does not experience housing discrimination because of their need for an emotional support animal or service animal. Housing providers must instead provide reasonable accommodations for these individuals and are not allowed to charge the individual any type of fee, such as pet deposits.
Those with emotional support animals will need to present their landlord with an ESA housing letter to demonstrate their need for the animal’s support. This is why it’s essential to seek out a legitimate ESA letter, as only a legitimate ESA letter is recognized under law. Legitimate ESA letters must be signed and dated by a licensed mental health professional, must include the professional’s licensing information, and must be printed on the practitioner’s professional letterhead.
Just like with the ADA, there are local government agencies and other federal departments that work to ensure fair and equal housing opportunities for all, such as The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides comprehensive resources on tenant rights, laws, and protections.
The ESA letter entitles its holder to reasonable accommodation when it comes to housing (meaning an individual cannot be charged a pet fee or pet deposit for having an ESA, nor can they be denied housing in a no-pets property). This reasonable accommodation is made possible because of the Fair Housing Act
Are Emotional Support Animals Allowed on Flights?
As of January 11, 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation allows each individual airline to determine its own policies and regulations when it comes to emotional support animals.
While airlines such as Delta, United, and Air Canada no longer recognize emotional support animals as a type of assistance animal, these air carriers may still permit individuals to travel with their comfort animal as long as the individual pays a pet fee, the way pet owners typically do when traveling with a companion animal.
There may, however, be restrictions in place in terms of an animal’s weight, size, or breed, so ESA owners should always contact their airline of choice ahead of time for more information about the air carrier’s policies. Those with concerns can also opt to travel with one of several ESA-friendly airlines that still permit emotional support animals onboard flights. These airlines will require proper documentation (in the form of an ESA letter) in order to confirm that the animal’s presence is required to help with emotional conditions or a mental disability.
Emotional Support Animals vs. Service Animals
There are all kinds of assistance animals in the world today that provide a great service to those who rely on their support.
Emotional Support Animals, also called ESAs or comfort animals, are companion animals that offer comfort and support to those living with emotional disabilities such as anxiety, depression, social phobias, and other mental health disabilities.
The most common type of emotional support animal is an emotional support dog, and there are many popular dog breeds commonly used for their natural talent for providing emotional comfort, but there are no federal regulations stating that only dogs are permitted to provide this service. Emotional support animals can also include cats, rabbits, and other types of pets. The animal simply needs to be able to provide emotional support to an individual in order to be recognized as an ESA.
ESAs aren’t individually trained to perform tasks the way service animals are. As a result, their rights are limited when it comes to certain types of public access and, in some cases, air travel.
Service Animals, on the other hand, receive extensive training (and often highly specialized training) in order to provide assistance to their handlers. The most common types of service animals are service dogs.
Service dogs are commonly trained to perform a specific task or a set of tasks. A seeing-eye dog, for instance, helps a visually impaired individual or fully blind person navigate life in a safe manner that gives them their independence back. Other types of service dogs include diabetic alert dogs, hearing dogs, and mobility assistance dogs, among many others.
Because service dogs provide assistance for major life activities such as getting around throughout the day, opening doors, turning on lights, setting off alarms, and in some cases alerting a person to potentially-deadly blood sugar levels, they’re entitled to the broadest possible range of privileges and rights under federal law.
How do I get a legit ESA letter?
To receive a legal ESA (Emotional Support Animal) letter, you must first contact a mental health specialist, such as a mental health professional or psychiatrist.
Professionals at Petcompanionesa.com will be able to evaluate your mental health and determine if you might benefit from an ESA. If they feel that an ESA would be useful, they will write a letter outlining their reasoning and providing their professional qualifications.
What is in an ESA letter?
An ESA (Emotional Support Animal) letter is a statement from a mental health practitioner such as Pet Companion ESA, stating that an individual has a mental or emotional handicap and requires the presence of an animal for emotional support is known as an ESA (Emotional Support Animal) letter. The following information should be included in the letter:
- Name, address, phone number, and professional license number of the mental health practitioner.
- The letter’s initial date.
- A statement indicating that the applicant requesting ESA has been under the care of a professional and has been diagnosed with a mental or emotional impairment.
ESA letters are different from service animal letters, which are written for animals that have been taught to perform specific activities for people with disabilities. Furthermore, ESA letters are only valid for a certain time, generally approximately a year, and must be renewed by a mental health specialist.