newsprompt.coCRM SUPPORT SPECIALIST
An estimate of 61.5 million Americans (or 1 in 4) suffer from a mental or emotional disability.
From post-traumatic stress disorder to depression to over-stressing in situations, what if there was a way to help all of these conditions by only a simple letter and the love of your dog?
Emotional Support Animals are there for you and helps alleviate symptoms of a mental or emotional disability through companionship and affection.
Emotional Support Animal Basics: Step 1
Unlike most types of assistance animals, such as service dogs, ESAs are not required to have any kind of specialized training or experience.
Recognized as a reasonable accommodation for a person with a disability under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), here’s what the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development(HUD), a government agency overseeing the FHA, has to say about Emotional Support Animals:
People have used emotional support cats, pigs, and even miniature horses as Emotional Support Animals!
Moreover, an Emotional Support Animal isn’t limited to just companion dogs.
Emotional Support Dog Related Laws and Regulations: Step 2
There are two main federal laws applicable to ESAs and their owners, these include the Air Carrier Access Act and the Fair Housing Act.
It is important that anyone considering obtaining an ESA letter be aware of the laws that apply to owners and what they should expect from Emotional Support Animal Letter provider under the law.
Flying Laws 101: The Air Carrier Access Act
As long as ESA owners provide verified identification for their Emotional Support Animal, airlines cannot refuse transportation or require advance notice before offering service to individuals who are disabled emotionally, mentally, or physically Housing Laws 101: The Fair Housing Act
Commonly known as FHA, this law requires apartments and housing communities that ordinarily restrict pets to make “reasonable accommodation” for ESAs.
Conditions that Qualify You for an Emotional Support Animal: Step 3
In order to enjoy the benefits of having an ESA, all you need is an official Emotional Support Animal Letter written by a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP), such as a Psychiatrist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or Psychologist.
Typical qualifying conditions are (but not limited to): post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD, anxiety, depression. fear/phobias, panic disorder/panic attacks, mood disorders, personality disorders, seasonal affective disorder, social anxiety disorder, etc.
Take CertaPet’s 5-Minute Pre-Screening: Step 4
To get your ESA Letter online, all you need to do is take a 5-minute pre-screening which will determine your eligibility for an ESA dog, ESA cat, or other animal today.
Completely confidential, our brief questionnaire only takes a few minutes to finish.
Connect with a ESA Knowledgeable Therapist: Step 5
Once you qualify, you will have access to a licensed mental health professional and begin the process of becoming an Emotional Support Animal owner.
We understand time is essential, especially when you have a flight booked or looking to move into a “No Pets Allowed” community. So once you finish the 5-minute pre-screening, it’s smooth sailing from there.
Support Animal Letter within 48 Business Hours: Step 6
After your Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) signs off, you will obtain your ESA Letter within 48 business hours!
This means you don’t have to wait weeks on end to travel or live with your pet.
No line, no wait, and no hassle.
Are Emotional Support Animal Registration Sites Legitimate?
We’re often asked if ESA registration sites are real.
The answer is NO.
To make it clear, the ONLY way for people to qualify for emotional support animals is an ESA Letter from a Licensed Mental Health Professional.
If you see a site claiming to be a “national service animal registry,” “emotional support dog registration,” “official service dog registry,” “US emotional support dog registry,” or a “US service dog registry” they’re handing out false information and only wanting you to pay for a “fake” document.
Emotional Support Dogs: Are they for Sale?
While the idea of buying an Emotional Support Dog all ready to go is appealing, it is not actually possible.
An ESA letter is awarded to a patient with a mental disability, not to an animal.
If the licensed mental health professional believes that the patient’s current pet is providing vital mental support to the patient’s well-being, he/she will likely designate the existing pet as the patient’s emotional support animal.
In case the patient does not have a pet yet, the therapist, psychiatrist, or another health expert will advise him/her to get a pet that can provide much needed mental support, and the newly acquired pet will be designated as an ESA.
If you are in need, rescue shelters and animal adoption centers are always overflowing with supportive furry friends and are a great place to start when thinking about Emotional Support Animals.
An ESA dog letter or Emotional Support Animal prescription will typically include the name of the patient plus details about the animal (name of the animal, breed type, etc).
