An emotional support animal letter is the one and only way through which you can keep a support animal for your mental wellbeing.
It isn’t strange that a pet brings joy to its owner’s life. Similarly, people suffering from a mental disability often find comfort and solace in an animal or pet.
However, people are still confused about the entire concept of emotional support animals and how to get an emotional support animal letter. There are many misconceptions about the registration process, the emotional support animal requirements and benefits.
If you want to learn how to obtain an emotional support animal letter to either live with your support animal or to fly with it, continue reading.
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter?
An ESA letter is an official document that is written by a professional and Licensed Mental Health Therapist (LMHP). This letter is also known as the ESA Prescription Letter and this letter certifies that your animal is important and needed for your mental and emotional well-being. However, the person will need to qualify for them.
The emotional support animals help with a number of emotional and mental issues and help the ESA owners live a normal and peaceful life. The ESA letter makes sure that you do not lose your animal and avail other benefits as an ESA owner. To write the letter, the therapist has to be licensed to work in your state.
What are the Components of an ESA Letter?
Getting caught with a fake ESA letter is punishable by the law. To save yourself from paying fines and imprisonment when getting caught with a fake ESA letter, you must know how a valid ESA letter looks like:
Following are the elements that a legitimate ESA letter must have:
- Patient’s name and details of the animal (breed, type, etc.)
- Confirmation that the person has an emotional disability and an ESA is necessary
- A description of how the animal will help the person
- Mental health professional’s letterhead with his signature and date of issuance
- Mental health professional’s details: name, license type, license number, date of the license, state
- Prescription or recommendation for an emotional support animal
For a better understanding, you can check out a free emotional support animal letter sample online to get a better idea. A sample emotional support animal letter will help you understand the basics of this type of letter.
How to Get an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
Either ask your therapist to write the ESA letter for you or apply for it online.
The process of getting an ESA prescription letter is simple. No matter what method you choose, your letter should be written by a licensed mental health practitioner. The LMHP writes and signs the letter when he believes that an Emotional Support Animal would help an individual, and he or she will benefit from its companionship.
This letter enables an individual to assert their rights under state and federal laws, which protect them from unscrupulous landlords and help with airline travel also.
How to Get an ESA Letter Online?
Most people who have mental illness find it hard to leave the comfort of their homes. If you are one of them, then you need not worry as you can get your letter online as well.
All you need to do is go on the internet and find a legitimate website that offers ESA letters. Pet owners seeking valid ESA documentation are well-advised to deal only with authorized providers, such as the one found at RealESALetter.com.
The process to order from us is simple; we ask you to fill out a questionnaire to access your symptoms. If you qualify, then you place your order. Once that is done, a licensed mental health professional reviews your application. If you qualify for an ESA, your letter is then emailed to you.
How to Identify a Real ESA Letter?
Don’t know how to identify a real ESA letter? Here are some ways of identifying a real ESA letter:
- The therapist will consult you before writing the letter
- It is written on the official letterhead of the therapist
- It has the original signature of the therapist
- It has the complete details of the therapist like full name, qualification, and state where he is licensed to work
- It has the license number and date of its expiration
- The date of expiration of your letter is clearly mentioned
All of these are the sure signs of a real and genuine ESA letter. When getting one, make sure that you consider all of these points. Besides, there are also some excellent ways to identify a genuine ESA letter.
Who Can Write an ESA Letter?
Medical doctors or your family doctor can’t write you an ESA letter. Only a licensed mental health professional has the authority to prescribe a letter for an emotional support animal. These professionals include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, licensed therapists, clinical social workers, and professional counselors.
In case you don’t get your emotional support animal letter from a licensed professional, the airlines and landlords won’t recognize it.
What is ESA Registration?
Most of these scammers trick people by offering legitimate emotional support animal registration. There is a misconception among people that they need to register their pets or service animals online.
The truth is that such registration does not exist; there is no such thing as an ESA registration. If you come across any such website that is offering to register your pet into their database, look the other way. They are only trying to fool you by offering an ID card for your dog, a certificate, or dog tags.
None of these things can make your dog an ESA, or help you enjoy the above-mentioned benefits. Instead, getting caught with an illegitimate ESA letter has severe consequences. Therefore, it is better to acquire legitimate emotional support animal certification for your beloved cat or dog.
How to Spot a Fake ESA Letter?
Here are some of the factors of a fake ESA letter and ESA website:
- They offer the ESA registry.
- Delivery within an hour or so
- No mental health professional assessment or screening
- Provide an ESA letter to everyone
- No follow-ups
- The letter is not written on the official letterhead
- The licensed practitioner does not sign it
- It does not have the practitioner’s details
- It does not have the therapist’s state where he is licensed to work
- Your letter does not have an expiry date
Today, there are dozens of illegal online “ESA letter” websites offering “instant approval” or false certifications and registrations.
The documents these scammers produce, have absolutely no legal basis, and will not pass even the most cursory review by landlords, the managers of public spaces and hotels, or airline personnel. There is no such thing as an emotional support animal registration and if someone is offering it, then it is fake.
Penalties of an Illegitimate ESA Letter
The number of people faking an emotional support animal letter just to enjoy the benefits is increasing day by day. This is the reason why the penalties have been made stricter.
If you are a legit candidate for an ESA, then you have to make sure that you obtain your letter from the right people. A person caught with an illegitimate letter can be charged with up to $100,000, community service, or even imprisonment.
How Can an ESA Letter Help You?
If you feel that having a furry companion can improve your daily life, then getting an ESA letter is your best option.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a support system right next to you wherever you go?
Well, an ESA letter will enable you to do that. Here’s how:
Are you planning a vacation this summer?
Are you concerned about your ESA and whether you should leave him alone or not? You’re worried that you wouldn’t be able to function without it?
We have news for you then. You don’t have to leave your emotional support animal behind. All you need is a valid emotional support animal letter for flying with your dog whenever you want.
Under the provisions of the Air Carrier Access Act, pet owners with valid ESA documentation may have their pets accompany them in the cabin of any domestic or commercial airline during flight. Flying with an emotional support dog is not a problem now.
What is the use of an ESA if he can’t join you on your journey? Emotional Support Animals are adopted for this exact reason. Their love and support are what get you going, right? That is why these laws were made to help the ESA join their owners everywhere they go.
Airlines often require a prior review of such documentation with an explanation about the nature of the disability and its benefit for the owner.
No landlord or property owner can deny you suitable accommodation only because you have an ESA dog or cat.
All you have to do is to show your emotional support animal housing letter to the landlord. Even if the landlords have a “no-pet” policy, it won’t apply to someone with a legit ESA letter. Just give your ESA letter to the landlord and tell him about your legal rights, in case he does not know.
A pet housing facility is hard to find if you want your companion animal to live with you in your apartment. With the help of the Fair Housing Act and a valid emotional support animal letter, housing cannot be denied. And a landlord cannot discriminate against a person with an emotional support animal.
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Take your Animal to Work and College Dorm
As per the law, you can bring your ESA dog or cat to your workplace and college dorm. This includes no-pet college dorms also as the college authorities and employers cannot discriminate against the ESA owners.
However, you must be careful where you get your letter from, as there are several scammers waiting to rob people.
How to Qualify for an Emotional Support Animal?
To qualify for an emotional support animal, an individual must be suffering from a mental or emotional disability, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- OCD
- PTSD
- Panic attacks
- Phobia
- Insomnia
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Bipolar disorder
- Mood disorders
Emotional support animals provide a feeling of love and comfort to its owner and help alleviate the symptoms related to their emotional disability. There are different kinds of animals that qualify as an emotional support animal, but the most commonly seen is an emotional support dog. This is why ESA letters for dogs are the most common among all the letters.
An emotional support dog is not individually trained to perform any particular task, unlike a service dog that helps people with physical disabilities and helps them perform tasks. A valid and genuine emotional support dog letter or an emotional support dog certification is enough.
The federal laws protect these emotional support animals: The Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Air Carrier Access Act.
These laws ensure that there is no discrimination against people with mental disabilities. Under this law, the ESA owners can easily find accommodation without paying an additional pet fee. They can also fly with their support animals in the main cabin of an airplane without any hassle.
However, just having an emotional support animal isn’t enough to avail of these facilities. You will need a legitimate emotional support animal letter from a licensed mental health professional to have your four-legged friend accompany you wherever you go.
Animals can make you happier and stress-free—the silly things dogs do while playing. Cat’s purring while laying down in your lap, these are the things that affect the psychological condition of a mentally disturbed person.
While their unconditional love can help you go through the day, they also need protection so that they accompany you wherever you live or go.
Get your emotional support animal letter today, and make your life happier!