A significant population of the world today - both adults and adolescents- struggle with mental and emotional disabilities. The good news is that there has been a growing acceptance and understanding of mental health struggles. There has also been an improvement in the mental health services available to people struggling. Among these services are emotional support animals.
Mental health professionals have conducted countless studies that prove the effectiveness of emotional support animals. Emotional support animals provide much-needed comfort and companionship to people struggling with mental health conditions. Service animals offer support to people suffering from emotional disabilities. They have been a great tool in navigating through mental health disorders.
There are certain rules and regulations that one needs to follow in order to own an emotional support animal. You must have the necessary paperwork for your ESA. The one thing that sets your emotional support animal apart from other pets is an ESA letter. There are many reputable emotional support letter services that offer valid ESA letters.
Here is a list of the best emotional support animal letter services you can use to get a legit ESA letter.
Best ESA Letter Website
- ESA Pet - Best for both ESA and PSA letters
- CertaPet ESA- Overall best ESA letter provider
- CertaPet PSA - Best PSA letter provider
- SupportPets- Best for travel
- AmericanServicePets- Best for US-based therapists
1. ESA Pet - Best for Both ESA and PSA Letters
- Is ESA Pet Legitimate?
Yes, ESA pet is completely legitimate and complies with all state and federal laws. You can use the letters under the air carrier access act or the fair housing act. The company also only worse with licensed mental health professionals, so you know the letters are legitimate.
- How does ESA Pet Work
You can get an ESA letter with ESApet in 3 easy steps;
- Step 1: Pre-screening
The first step is a 2-minute pre-screening process. The assessment involves answering a few questions to determine if you are eligible for an ESA OR PSA letter.
- Step 2: Talk to a Therapist
If you pass the first step, the company sets you up with a telehealth appointment with a mental health professional from your State. They will evaluate your emotional o mental health disability to determine if you need an emotional support animal letter.
- Step 3: Gets Your ESA Letter
Once approved, you will get your ESA letter within 24 hours of service.
Pros
- They offer a simple and quick process. Assessment only takes two minutes.
- They only work with licensed mental health professionals who are ready to help.
- They have a quick turnaround on the letters - you can get them within 24 to 48 hours.
- They also offer PSD letters.
- They have great customer reviews.
- They are relatively affordable.
2. CertaPet ESA- Overall Best ESA Letter Provider
CertaPet prides itself as the best ESA letter service provider. CertaPet is an online company that offers valid ESA letters to people struggling with mental or emotional disabilities. The company has many licensed mental health professionals and therapists who provide diagnostics services. They then evaluate a person's eligibility to receive an ESA letter and prescribe one if they pass.
The company also offers services to patients seeking animal therapy. One can talk to the many mental health professionals available on the site. You can also find plenty of information on mental health that can help you navigate your struggles.
Is CertaPet Legit?
CertaPet is a legitimate ESA letter service provider. The company complies with all federal and State laws and follows all health information privacy protocols.
How Does it Work?
Certapet helps you get an ESA letter in easy and quick and easy steps. The website facilitates the transaction and lets you get your ESA letter in three simple steps.
Here are the steps to follow to get an ESA letter with CertaPet;
- Step 1: Get a Free Pre-Screening Test
The site requires you to get a pre-screening test when you get started. This will serve as your first assessment to determine whether you are viable for an ESA letter. It is given in the form of a questionnaire.
The questionnaires are just basic questions about who you are and about your pet. There will also be questions to evaluate your emotions over the recent weeks. Your responses will determine your eligibility to get an ESA letter.
- Step 2: Speak to a Mental Health Professional
If you qualify for the next step, you will need to pay a fee to speak to a mental health professional. CertaPet provides a list of all their services fees accordingly. They assure their customer's confidentiality on their payment information.
After paying the fees, the company will assign you a licensed mental health professional in your state to assess your case. The medical professional will evaluate your mental health and determine if you need an emotional support animal.
All this is done online or through the phone. You do not have to visit the medical professional physically. This takes about 20-30 minutes of your time.
- Step 3: Get an ESA Letter
Once the licensed mental health professional approves your request, you can get an ESA letter. The letter can be sent to your address, or you can find it online. You can also get an information package about using your ESA letter.
A bonus is that CertaPet sends you a custom treatment plan on how to address your particular mental or emotional disability.
Pros
- Quick turnaround on ESA letters.
- Their ESA letters are legally binding.
- The company complies with the Fair housing act and Air carrier access act.
- They have qualified mental health professionals in every State.
- They have excellent customer service and are reachable through email or phone.
- They provide plenty of information on ESA letters and emotional support animals.
- They provide a custom treatment plan to their customers.
Cons
- They are relatively expensive compared to other ESA letter providers.
- The site requires you to pay all pet fees before finishing the evaluation process.
3. CertaPet PSA - Best PSA letter provider
People with psychiatric service animals know just how valuable these animals are. A psychiatric service animal has been trained to perform a specific task for an individual. PSAs are primarily dogs; in most cases, their owners cannot live without them. They perform unique tasks for their handlers and are crucial for people with a disability.
CertaPet offers letter services for psychiatric service dogs. A psychiatric service dog can be trained to perform any task for their handlers. An animal like this needs to be with their owners all the time. To ensure this, you need to have the necessary paperwork for your PSA.
Psychiatric Service dogs can help with many conditions, such as;
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD
- Bipolar disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Claustrophobia
- Anxiety disorders
- Panic disorders
- Depression
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders
- Autism
People with these conditions can highly benefit from having a psychiatric Service animal.
How to Get Started
- Step 1: Get a Free Pre-Screening Test
Certapet requires you to undergo a brief but thorough pre-screening test. This involves answering a bunch of questions to evaluate whether you need a psychiatric service dog.
The questions are mostly about revealing personal details about yourself and your disability,
- Step 2: Speak to a Mental Health Professional
If you qualify for the next step, you must pay a fee to speak to a licensed mental health professional. The LMHP will determine whether a psychiatric service animal would benefit your treatment plan.
If the medical professional finds you eligible for a psychiatric service dog, they will write a letter of recommendation. This confirms that you qualify for receiving a PSA animal.
- Step 3: Get your Psychiatric Service Dog
With your letter of recommendation, you can move forward with getting a psychiatric service dog. The dog can already be part of your family, or you can adopt a new dog.
It is much easier to get a service dog from specialized service dog organizations because they are already trained. Getting a new dog will require that it undergoes training.
How to Train a Public Service Dog
You can self-train a public service dog using the General Public Access Test guidelines. Another option is to hire dog trainers to train your dog for you. Most people do not have the energy or patience to train a dog for themselves. A trainer can help you ease that stress and has years of knowledge and experience handling dogs.
A more convenient option is getting a service dog from specialized service dog organizations. These dogs are already trained to perform unique tasks and make your work easier. These particular dogs are relatively more expensive due to their extensive training.
CertaPet helps to make work easier for you when it comes to training psychiatric service dogs. They work with dog trainers who coordinate with their mental health professionals to make the process easier. Working with dog trainers as CertaPet is cheaper, convenient and, best of all - hassle-free. They also have many Psychiatric service dog training options that you can take advantage of.
Pros
- They work with licensed mental health professionals who offer medical or psychological advice.
- They coordinate with dog trainers to help train your psychiatric service dog.
- They provide many training options for psychiatric service dogs.
- They are accredited to offer valid PSA letters.
Cons
- The site requires you to pay all pet fees before finishing the evaluation process.
4. Support Pets- Best for Travel
If you highly depend on your pet for your emotional and mental well-being, then it is only prudent that you should carry it everywhere. Support Pets is probably the best Esa letter service provider for people who want to take their pets to different places they go.
Many laws protect the right of people to have emotional support animals. However, some establishments, landlords, and airlines may try to turn down that right. Support Pets ensures that your right to have an ESA is well protected. With Support Pets, you can carry your ESA to hotels, trains, buses, stores, airlines, and more.
Is Support Pets Legit?
Yes, Support Pets is legit as it adheres to all federal and State laws on emotional support animals.
Pros
- It is a reputable company with many positive feedbacks.
- Get your ESA letter approved by licensed mental health professionals.
- They offer 100% money-back guarantee to applicants who do not get approved for emotional support animals.
- They have a quick turnaround on ESA letters. You can get your letter between 24 -48 hours after approval.
- They offer both travel and housing ESA letters.
- Their ESA letters give you 99% acceptance chances in many different places.
- The letter exempts you from paying certain pet fees, especially in housing-related pet fees.
- They have an all-around customer care team seven days a week, and you can reach them on a toll-free line.
Cons
- It is relatively expensive compared to other ESA providers
5. American Service Pets- Best for U.S.- Based Therapists
American Service Pets is one of the best emotional support animal letter providers. They have a user-friendly website that is relatively easy to navigate. You can find all the information you need to get your ESA letter quickly.
The site provides additional information you will need with your emotional support animal. They have a team of qualified professionals who will take you through the process. They also offer 24/7 customer care service and can be reached via email or phone.
How to Get Started
You can get an ESA letter from AmericanServicePet in three simple steps;
- Step 1: Complete a Questionnaire
In this first step, you will need to answer a few simple questions online. It is fast and easy to complete- it only takes a few minutes.
If you qualify to speak to a mental health professional, you should pay a small fee to talk to a doctor. Paying this upfront helps to save you money in the long run.
- Step 2: Doctors Review It
The qualified Mental health professionals will evaluate your answers to see whether you deserve an emotional support animal letter.
- Step 3: Get Your Letter
As soon as the medical professionals approve your request, you will get an email to confirm it. It takes only 24 hours for one to receive their ESA letter. You can print the letter or download it.
Pros
- They offer free pre-screening services.
- They have a quick turnaround - same-day approval.
- They have one of the lowest fees among other ESA letter providers.
- They offer a money-back guarantee for those who fail to qualify for an ESA letter.
- They are compliant with the Housing and Urban Development and Fair Housing Act.
- They are airline compliant.
- They offer 24/7 customer support.
Cons
- They offer no discounts or promotions for their services
How to Choose an ESA Letter Provider
You need a valid ESA letter to own an emotional support animal freely. A valid ESA letter is one that has been issued by a therapist or licensed mental health professional. Letters from family and friends do not qualify as valid ESA letters. If it is not a legitimate ESA letter, it will not be accepted by airlines or housing providers.
Only qualified ESA letter providers can issue legitimate ESA letters. When choosing an ESA letter provider, there are certain things to look out for with providers.
- The provider should be licensed or certified in your state.
- The provider should also only work with licensed mental health professionals
- The provider should have a reputable company and have experience issuing ESA letters.
- The provider should be registered with Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Related
ESA site FAQs
What Kinds of Animals Can Be Emotional Support Animals?
Emotional support animals can be any domesticated animal. The most common emotional support animals are cats, dogs, rabbits, and birds. Other common ones include hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats.
Any animal can be an emotional support animal as long as they are calm, friendly, and well-behaved. It is crucial to pick animals that will put those around you at ease. Ensure safety for your pet and the people around you.
Can You Have More Than One Emotional Support Animal?
Yes! You can have multiple emotional support and have to get an emotional support animal letter for each. If a qualified mental health professional signs off that you need multiple emotional support animals, you can have them.
What Kind of Mental Health Conditions Qualify to Get an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
Many common mental disorders qualify one to receive an emotional support animal. Common conditions include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, or phobias.
However, emotional support animals are not limited to people with mental health issues. As long as a mental health professional certifies that you need an emotional support animal for your well-being, you can get one.
Does an ESA Letter Reveal Details About My Mental Health Condition?
No, an ESA letter does not reveal details about your mental health conditions. It only indicates that you have a disability that requires you to have an emotional support pet. It also details how your animal helps to support you and the importance of keeping it close. The letter does not state the specific disability one is suffering from.
Do ESAs Need Special Training?
No, emotional support animals do not need special training. However, ESAs need to be well-behaved and comfortable around other people.
Best ESA sites: Key Takeaways
Emotional support animals make quite a difference in the lives of people with emotional and mental disabilities. They significantly improve a person's well-being and help them live fulfilled lives. This is why their owners need emotional support animal letters to certify that they need the animal.
An emotional support animal letter protects you from any discrimination. It allows you to carry your ESA to different places. It further exempts you from paying certain pet fees, especially housing-related pet fees. Get your ESA letter from a reliable and legitimate letter service provider. We hope that this article helps you to make the right pick.
