What Is An ESA letter?
An ESA letter is a prescription that makes you eligible to get an ESA for yourself. Just like not everyone can have an ESA dog, similarly, not every medical doctor can provide you with an ESA letter. Only mental health professionals are qualified to provide a legitimate ESA letter and qualify you for an emotional support dog.
How To Get An ESA Letter?
To get a valid ESA letter, you need to arrange an appointment with a mental health professional. There are thousands of mental health professionals in the United States. Any one of them can provide you with a legitimate ESA letter. Arrange an appointment with your therapist. He will then access your condition if you suffer from the mental diseases mentioned above. If you do, he will write an ESA letter for you so that you can get your animal.
If you feel that you don’t want to talk to a doctor, there is a better alternative for that. There are several online websites that can provide you with an ESA letter in just a day or two. Find a legitimate website, fill out the application. A mental therapist will review your application and check if you qualify for an ESA. If you do, you will get your letter in no time.
You will find a lot of websites that claim to provide an ESA letter. Not all of them will provide you with an authentic ESA letter. If you get caught with a fake letter, it will be considered a federal offense. Look out for the websites that might be a scam.
Components Of An ESA Letter
A legitimate ESA letter should have the following components.
●Name of the patient
●Confirmation that the person suffers from a mental disease
●How is it affecting the daily tasks?
● It should be written on the professional letterhead of the doctor
● Name of the doctor
● His license number
● His signature on the letter
● Date of issuance of the letter
Don’t fall for the fake websites. Ending up with a fake ESA letter is the last thing you want!
Who Qualifies For An Emotional Support Animal?
Nearly every 1 in 5 people suffer from an emotional disability in the United States. Are you one of those? If that is the case, you can get an emotional support animal for yourself. Every person can keep a pet, but not everyone can have an emotional support animal. Only a person with a mental disability is eligible to keep an emotional support animal.
To qualify for an emotional support animal (ESA), you need to prove that you suffer from a mental illness. Only a licensed therapist can provide you with a prescription letter to get an emotional support dog. The main purpose of emotional support animals is to provide comfort and mental relief to the people who are depressed or going through stress. The federal laws are also made for those people so that their furry friends can boost their energy and lift their spirits.
If you suffer from anxiety or depression, you can qualify for an emotional support animal. Here is a list of mental diseases; a person suffering from any of them can have an ESA.
●Depression
●Anxiety
●Stress
●Bipolar Disorder
●Panic Attacks
● Fear and Phobias
● Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
● Attention Deficit Disorder
● Separation anxiety
● Attention Deficit Disorder
● Postpartum Depression
● Social Anxiety Disorder
● Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
● Any other Psychiatric condition
Only a person suffering from any of the above conditions can qualify for an ESA letter.
Laws For The ESA Owners
The sole purpose of an emotional support dog is to provide companionship to their owners. This is where you can see the difference between a pet and an emotional support animal. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) protects the ESA owner from any discrimination in getting accommodation or in traveling. The laws are made for the ESA owners so that they can enjoy the companionship of their fuzzy friends.
Accommodation
According to the Fair Housing Act, no landlord can discriminate against a person with an emotional support animal. A landlord is supposed to provide accommodation to a person with an ESA even if there is a no pet policy. A no pet policy does not apply to emotional support animals since they are not considered pets. Similarly, a landlord cannot ask for any additional fees for the ESA. It is difficult to find a pet housing facility, but the Americans with Disabilities Act allows the ESA owners to live with their ESA dogs in their apartments. Providing mental relief is the sole purpose of keeping an ESA.
Traveling
When it comes to traveling in a plane, no airline can deny ESA owner access to travel. According to the Air Carrier Access Act that was passed in 1986, ESA owners have the right to travel in the plane with their ESA. According to the act, your ESA can join you in the cabin. ESA owners can also travel in public transport along with their dog. They cannot be denied access to travel with their dog even if there is a no pet policy. Also, you cannot make an ESA owner sit in a specific spot because of his emotional support dog. You will not have to worry about leaving them behind when you go on a vacation. The purpose of keeping an ESA is that they can provide you mental comfort and relief. What’s the use if you cannot bring them along?
However, there are a few weird animals that are not allowed on the plane. Imagine taking your snake on your vacation?
Education And Employment
The federal laws allow persons with a disability to keep their emotional support animals along with them in the office. Any employer cannot discriminate against a person with a disability. If he does so, that will be considered a federal offense. In the same way, emotional support animals are also allowed access to the schools and public places. If a student needs an ESA, his educational institute has to allow him to keep his ESA. The places that are open to the general public are also accessible by the ESA owners, along with their companions.
Is Emotional Support Animal Different From Service Animal?
Don’t confuse an ESA dog with a service dog. Assistance animals are given special training according to the disabilities of the person. A person who is visually impaired or blind can use a service dog to guide him while walking. Similarly, a person who is deaf or his hearing is impaired, he can use a signal dog for his help. Just like an ESA, you don’t need a service dog registration. All the assistance dogs with service dog certifications are registered in the animal registry. Keep your dog certification along when you are traveling with your service animal. The purpose of keeping an emotional support dog is to relieve stress. They don’t have to be individually trained for this. Their presence is what matters. That is the reason why there are laws made so that an ESA can accompany his owner everywhere he goes.
Your ESA Dog Is Your Responsibility
Your ESA is there to support you at every step of the way. It is your responsibility to take care of them. What can make your furry friend happy? Some treats, pet food, some toys and most of all, your affection and attention. After everything they do for you, they deserve some love and special treatment. Spend time with your companion animal. It is a win-win situation.
Do you want to certify your dog as an ESA? Get your emotional support animal letter sample and enjoy the perks it offers.
