The Emotional Support Animals, which is also known as ESA, play a big role in providing comfort and therapeutic benefits to everyone who is currently dealing with mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, autism, PTSD, and so on. While it is true that having an ESA is like having companionship and support, having a legitimate ESA letter is better to ensure the rights and privileges granted to ESA owners. For those who want to get a legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA letter, you can check out the following information.
About a Emotional Support Animal or ESA
ESA is the abbreviation of Emotional Support Animal. This one is defined as an animal that provides comfort and companionship for everyone with mental health or emotional disabilities, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, autism, and many more. It is worth noting that ESA is different from service animals. What sets this one with the service animals is that it does not need to be trained in order to do certain tasks for their owners. Besides, these animals are also not given the same access rights to public places. However, it is guaranteed that they are protected by two federal laws, the Fair Housing Act or FHA and the Air Carrier Access Act or ACAA. Both of them allow the owners of ESA to live together with their pets in housing that prohibits the pets and to bring their pets in the cabin when travelling somewhere via plane without having to pay for additional fees.
About an Emotional Support Animal or ESA Letter
An Emotional Support Animal or ESA letter refers to the kind of letter that is written by a practicing licensed mental health professional or LMHP. Usually, it explains the importance of the animal for you to be able to live and to help with your mental health. In this letter, there should be a few things, such as:
- The name, license number, and contact information of the LMHP
- The date of the letter and the expiration date
- A statement that you have a mental or emotional disability that limits you to do your daily activities
- A statement that states you have a mental condition that qualifies you for an Emotional Support Animal “prescription”
- A description of the type, breed, and name of the animal (if applicable)
- The signature and stamp of the LMHP (if applicable)
Benefits of a Legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA Letter
For anyone who is not familiar with Emotional Support Animal or ESA letters, you may wonder if getting one is worth it. There are a few benefits of a legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA letter, such as:
- You can live anywhere with your pet. Basically, if you want to live in an apartment or rental unit that does not allow animals on the premises or will require a huge fee for keeping a pet, you are recommended to get an ESA letter to waive the fee and to keep your pet in areas that are not permitted. However, it is not guaranteed as it may be different, depending on the rental company.
- If you cannot be away with your pet in public due to your mental condition, you can bring along an ESA letter anywhere you go. When you have to enter a building, for example a store that does not allow pets, you can try to show it to them.
- If you have to travel somewhere but you cannot be separated from your pet, you can fly on some airlines with your pet by showing an ESA letter.
- You can also tell you that your pet can help you to calm your nerves and to improve your mental health conditions.
Finding Out Whether You Qualify for a Legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA
There is only one way to find out whether you are eligible for an ESA, which is to be evaluated by a licensed mental health professional or LMHP. However, before going to a LMHP, you can access yourself by asking these following questions:
- “Do you have symptoms of a mental or emotional disability?”
- “Would an ESA help mitigate your symptoms?”
- “Are you willing to attend an evaluation with an LMHP?”
If the answers to these questions are yes, there is a high chance that you are eligible for an emotional support animal.
Getting a Legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA Letter
In order to get a legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA letter, there are several steps that you have to follow, including:
- The first thing that you need to do is to consult with a licensed mental health professional or LMHP. Talking about LMHP, it can be a therapist, psychiatrist, or psychologist. Any of them is fine as long as they can diagnose and treat mental health conditions.
- During the consultation, your mental health condition will be assessed by the LMHP. The professional will determine if having an ESA would be better for your treatment. When making a decision, they will consider a few things, including your symptoms, medical record, and the therapeutic benefits an ESA could provide you.
- If the LMHP believes that an ESA would be good to improve your mental health, you can be provided with an ESA letter.
- Do not forget to ensure that the ESA letter complies with federal regulations, including the date issued, the credentials of the LMHP, and their signature. Apart from that, a legitimate ESA letter has to also specify the need for an ESA in reducing the symptoms of a mental health condition and grant specific housing and travel accommodations.
- After that, you can register your ESA. However, you should know that it is optional as it is not a legal requirement for an ESA to be recognized. If you want to register, you can contact an organization that offers voluntary registration services.
- In addition, it is also important for you to learn about the laws protecting your rights as an ESA owner, including the Fair Housing Act or FHA and the Air Carrier Access Act or ACAA. All of them ensure that individuals with valid ESA letters like you can live with your pets in housing that may have no pets policy and can travel with your pet in the cabin of an airplane without having to pay for additional fees.
Bottom Line
In conclusion, obtaining a legitimate Emotional Support Animal or ESA letter is an important step for those who are looking for emotional support animals. This one involves consultation with a licensed mental health professional who has the ability to assess the mental health condition of someone and who can issue a valid ESA letter. In order to ensure a smooth experience in housing and travel and getting benefits from the emotional support provided by these animals, make sure to understand the rights and responsibilities associated with owning an ESA.
A bookworm and researcher especially related to law and citizenship education. I spend time every day in front of the internet and the campus library.
