Today, animals can be a whole lot more than just pets. There is an ever-increasing need for emotional support in humans when suffering from any mental or emotional disability. Some animals are now being labeled as support systems. They are specifically referred to as emotional support animals or ESA’s.
There are some rules and laws to follow regarding emotional support animals. You must have the necessary paperwork to identify your animal as an emotional support animal. This way, you won’t have to deal with any housing or travel restrictions and pet fees.
The first thing you need to do is to acquire an ESA letter. Acquiring the ESA letter is not complicated if you use a reputable and reliable ESA letter provider. Here is a list of some of the best emotional support animal letter providers you can find.
Emotional Support Animal Letter Providers
- ESA Pet – Best for both ESA and PSA letters
- CertaPet – ESA – Overall best ESA letter provider
- CertaPet – PSA– Best PSA letter provider
- ESA Doctors – Best compassionate ESA letter provider
- Real ESA Letter – Best flexible payment plan
- Pettable – Best turnaround time
ESA Pet
ESA Pet is an ESA letter service that offers the best of both worlds when it comes to support or service animals. On the site, you can secure a legitimate, legal ESA letter. Likewise, if you need a PSA letter instead, ESA Pet can still deliver! With an impressive delivery within 24 to 48 hours, it’s one of the most reliable, albeit newer, ESA letter service providers on the web.
The company strives to help customers understand the differences between a PSA and ESA letter. They also understand that both have their uses. Together, you can find the right support option to take your pet with you anywhere. With a quick and painless screening process, it’s almost too easy to sign up with ESA Pet!
Pros
- Responsive, friendly customer service
- Two-minute quick pre-screening process
- Wide range of options available
- Streamlined, easy way to get your letter
- Helps customers receive tailored solutions for their mental health needs
- One of the cheapest ESA letter service providers
Cons
- The highest level of support requires the most expensive package
- Not able to help with certain pet fees
- Newer, so not as well-known as some other sites on our list
CertaPet – ESA
CertaPet is one of the most reliable emotional support letter sites to obtain a legitimate ESA letter. They have helped over 65,000 customers and have been recognized by reputable enterprises like Forbes, Fox and Entrepreneur Magazine, and others.
CertaPet’s process is pretty simple, quick, and secure. They offer free pre-screening and use the help of licensed medical health professionals to determine if you qualify for an ESA letter.
Unfortunately, there may be instances where you may not be eligible for an ESA letter.
A licensed mental health professional session follows your free pre-screening. This qualified health professional is the person who determines whether or not a support animal is best for you. If they find an emotional support animal you need, you’ll be issued an ESA letter.
You’ll also receive a custom treatment plan along with your ESA letter that you can find on CertaPet’s online portal. You can print your letter from there as a PDF, or you may choose to have the ESA letter mailed directly to your home address if you wish.
Pros
- Most reliable ESA letter provider
- Free pre-screening
- Licensed mental health professionals
Cons
- The money-back-guarantee does not include the small consultation fee
CertaPet – PSA
CertaPet also offers PSA services. A PSA is a service animal and not a support animal. An example of a service animal is a seeing-eye dog that the visually impaired depend on to navigate the world. Similarly, a psychiatric service dog can help with invisible disabilities such as anxiety and PTSD.
You’ll need a PSA letter and not an ESA letter in some cases. A few airlines no longer allow emotional support animals on planes. If you need your animal to fly with you, you will need a PSA letter. Fortunately, CertaPet’s PSA letter services follow the same hassle-free process as obtaining an ESA letter.
You start with the free pre-screening, and then they pair you with a licensed mental health professional in your state. During the therapy session, the mental health professional will determine whether or not you’re eligible for a PSA letter.
CertaPet guides you through the entire process, so you don’t need to worry too much. The support team must adhere to all state and federal regulations to ensure that you receive a valid PSA letter. Your letter will include the emotional or mental disability you’re suffering from and why the animal is necessary for your mental and emotional health. It will also include all other things like the licensing information of the mental health professional and other details.
Pros
- Trusted psychiatric service dog letter provider
- Quick and hassle-free process
- The support team helps you along the way
Cons
- Slightly Pricey
Esadoctors.com
ESAdoctors is another excellent option if you’re looking to obtain a valid ESA letter. The best thing about this ESA letter provider is their unique approach to empathy and compassion. ESAdoctors understand that it can be pretty hard to reach out for help when suffering from mental health disorders. Their process is filled with compassion and empathy to get an ESA letter online.
ESAdoctors offer both ESA and PSA letters. They both follow the same process, so regardless of the letter you need, ESAdoctors can get it for you. The first step is to fill out the questionnaire on the website. Once you’ve completed the questionnaire, your answers and details are then sent to a mental health expert for evaluation.
The professional mental health counselor then determines your eligibility for a letter. If the mental health expert finds that you require an ESA or PSA after their evaluation, you will be issued an ESA or PSA letter. You’ll receive the letter in about 3 to 5 days after approval.
ESAdoctors Works with licensed independent mental health professionals in your state. They also make sure they stay up to date with the latest ESA laws issued by the Department of Housing and Transportation. You could also make use of the after-service support since some landlords and airlines may still give you a hard time even though you have a valid ESA or PSA letter.
Pros
- Compassionate support animal letter services
- Both ESA and PSA letters
- Always up to date with ESA federal and state laws
Cons
- They charge a cancellation fee
Realesaletter.com
It doesn’t matter if you’re under the care of a mental health professional or physician. Realesaletter can get you an ESA letter. They will pair you with a qualified mental health professional in your area to make a mental health diagnosis.
Realesaletter uses a legally certified process that is quick and easy. All it requires is that you fill out the online questionnaire, and if you qualify, you simply place your order. Once the order is placed, a licensed therapist will review your application and decide if you need an ESA letter.
If the therapist finds that you are eligible for an ESA letter, you can receive your letter in as little as 24 hours or so. The therapist will sign the letter and include their licensing information, including their license number and contact information.
This emotional support animal ESA letter provider has a flexible payment plan. They allow you to pay 50% of the total upfront and the remaining balance upon delivery. And if that isn’t enough yet, they also offer 100% satisfaction with a money-back guarantee.
Realesaletter does not stop there either. They also provide follow-up consultations on the rules and procedures you need to follow when boarding an airline with your emotional support animal.
Pros
- Flexible payment plan
- 100% satisfaction and money-back guarantee
- Provides follow up consultations
Cons
- No refund is issued if you cancel
Pettable.com
If you’re in a hurry for an ESA letter, Pettable is the best option. They can get your pet certified as an emotional support pet in just 24 hours. The letter will be written and signed by a licensed mental health professional. It will identify your pet as part of your ongoing treatment to deal with your mental health condition.
If you qualify for an ESA letter, Pettable’s process is easy and follows just three steps which result in quick turnaround times. The first step involves taking the three-minute quiz so that you get matched with the right mental health professional for an ESA evaluation.
The second step includes a phone call consultation with a licensed medical professional to determine if an emotional support animal is best for you. If the therapist feels like you require an emotional support animal, you can receive your emotional support animal letter in 24 hours.
You can easily access and download a copy of your ESA letter from Pettable’s website to your smartphone, so you always have a copy handy. On the other hand, you can print a copy to show anyone or any place with pet and animal restrictions.
Pros
- Fast turnaround times
- Simple 3 step process
- Downloadable copy
Cons
- Consultation over the phone only
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an ESA letter for?
An ESA letter is an official document that has been written and signed by a qualified mental health practitioner. The letters will state that your pet serves a specific purpose related to your mental and emotional disabilities. An ESA letter ensures that you aren’t separated from your emotional support animal when it comes to anyone or any place with pet restrictions.
There are many pet restrictions when it comes to housing. Landlords may request housing-related pet fees or have a no-pet policy. Thanks to the FAIR HOUSING ACT, an ESA letter will make you exempt from these restrictions. This law
means your pet can live with you regardless of these restrictions.
Travel is also one area that many face issues with. As of January 11, 2021, airlines were granted the right to no longer recognizes emotional support animals as service animals by the US Department of Transportation.
This ruling means that some airlines may charge you a pet fee if you choose to travel with your ESA. It may be better to see if you qualify for a PSA letter instead to avoid this.
How to qualify for an ESA letter?
To legally qualify for an ESA letter, you’ll need to have a mental health diagnosis recognized by a licensed mental health professional. Many mental illnesses or mental disorder types allow you to qualify. These include generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other conditions like depression, etc.
The mental health expert will determine if the condition or disorder you’re suffering from is enough to qualify as a disability that requires the help of an emotional support animal. They will also issue a custom treatment plan that may include medication therapy or both.
What makes an ESA legitimate?
A legitimate ESA letter must be written and signed by a qualified and licensed mental health professional. It must be printed on the licensed professional’s letterhead and include their licensing information. The letter also needs to be signed and dated by the licensed mental health provider.
The ESA letter must include the mental health issues you’re suffering from and how your ESA provides support.
It is essential to ensure that your ESA letter contains these bits of information, or else you’ll end up with a fake ESA letter that has no merit.
Can I have more than one ESA?
You can as long as the animals aren’t breaking any state or municipal regulations and your therapist agrees you need more than one. However, you will need individual ESA letters for each ESA.
What type of animals can be an ESA?
Dogs are the most common type of pets used as ESAs. However, cats and rabbits can also be ESAs. In some cases, any domestic animal can qualify as an ESA because, unlike service animals, ESA’s are not required to undergo any specific type of training. They are simply there for therapeutic support. The only requirement is that the animal behaves in public and not cause trouble.
Do ESA’s have a size limit?
There are no set size limitations or restrictions on ESA’s since any domestic animal may qualify as an ESA. However, some ESA’s may face restrictions based on their size in certain instances. These include airlines that may not allow your animal in the main cabin due to its size.
How often should ESA letters be renewed?
ESA letters are only valid for one year, implying you will need to apply and see if you qualify for an ESA letter after the 1 year is up.
Conclusion
If you are suffering from any type of mental disorder like post-traumatic stress disorder, mental illness, and others, an emotional support animal can help in various ways. They can bring you comfort, lift your spirits and regulate your central nervous system.
To see if you qualify for an emotional support animal, try any of the trusted ESA letter providers above. You can get a valid ESA letter without any trouble if you qualify. A legitimate ESA letter can ensure that your ESA is with you at all times to make a living with mental disorders and emotional disabilities easier. Remember helping your dog stay calm while travelling is important too. Using dog CBD products can help minimise stress and make sure it goes smoothly.
The post Best ESA Letter Services & Sites: Get Legitimate Emotional Support Letters appeared first on The Village Voice.
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