It is common at times to find people in airplanes having animals, especially service animals accompanying them. Such animals are supposed to provide some services to the person. However, a dog or any other animal can be more than just a helper. In this case, we are talking of an emotional support animal or ESA.
As the name suggests, emotional support animals are vital for helping you cope with emotions or a mental disability. You would not just get a dog and start using it everywhere as an ESA. You need to have the proper approvals before walking around with such an animal. The kind of approval you need is an ESA letter.
Several companies offer such letters, and that is what we look at. We also help to answer the question, do online ESA letters work? Keep reading to understand more.
Editor’s Choice
- Fast approvals for the ESA letter
- Federal and state laws compliant
- Work with real mental health professionals
Top 3 Best Emotional Support Animal Services
- CertaPet - Editor’s Choice
- Pettable - Best for Transparency
- Emotional Pet Support - Best for Fast Approvals
1. CertaPet
Pros
- The screening process is fast
- Approval times are short
- Has a helpful support team
Cons
- The refund does not include consultation fee
Click here to get the best on CertaPet
Certapet is a popular website where you can get an evaluation for an emotional support animal and a psychiatric service dog then be awarded the relevant documents. The process for getting an ESA letter is simple. There are three main steps you have to follow, and one of them includes talking to a licensed mental health professional for mental health assessment. Certapet coupon should help you save even more as you start your journey to dealing with multiple and emotional disabilities.
The company is also 100% compliant with state and federal laws on service animals and assistance animals. It is why the ESA letter you get from the company for emotional support animals will be easily accepted in different states. Also, you will be assessed by real mental health professionals before being given the approval.
There is still a blog on the company website with important guides on how to use your emotional support animal. So long as you can care for it, then it should not be hard to live with such an animal. The customer support team is also readily available to help you understand the process and get you answers to the queries you might have in mind.
The overall design of the website is clean. In case you are new to using its services, you can always find your way around with ease. The Certapet reviews also find it is fast in terms of approval. You can get the approval quickly so that you can have the emotional support animals to help you with the daily activities.
2. Pettable
Pros
- Same-day approval options available
- You engage real and approved professionals
- Excellent support team
Cons
- Charges extra for same-day approval
Click here to get the best on Pettable
To end up with the best emotional support animal also requires proper assessment by a licensed mental health professional. That is what you get when you opt to try out this company. The professional assesses a person’s disability before making recommendations. The good thing is that the process is smooth and fast.
Pettable also guarantees that the letters will work for you. This is thanks to a money-back guarantee offer on the services. The aim is to keep you from being stressed after being denied the company of your emotional support animal even after experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder.
Recommending emotional support animals is not something to be taken lightly, considering the company works with top mental health specialists in different states. You can now easily get an ESA letter regardless of where you live. This has made the company easily accessible to different people in the country.
The company also publishes the profiles of its selected therapists. Here, you can now be sure that you are actually working with reliable professionals. You could always research more about the therapists before signing up.
3. Emotional Pet Support
Pros
- Fast approval times
- Multiple packages to consider
- Tends to have offered more often
Cons
- The website layout could be better
Click here to get the best on Emotional Pet Support
If you need an emotional support animal letter approval done fast, then consider checking out this website. The company has a high approval rating for those who genuinely need the use of emotional support animals. As such, you can have your ESA letter within a day.
What is the process like? Well, you will start by submitting an online exam. This is simply a brief questionnaire to help the doctors understand you better. Do not worry as the charges are 100% refundable if you are unsatisfied. Next is to have meetings with mental health professionals who assess your condition before approval is done. All of this can be completed in a single day.
There are three main plans to consider when using this company. You should go through the three options to see which one would be suitable for you. You might be lucky as sometimes you get discounts on the price of getting the ESA letter. Once you have the approval, go ahead and get yourself an emotional support dog.
Who Uses the Emotional Support Animal Registry?
Animals and emotional support can be traced several years back. It is why you would want to get yourself an ESA since it can help you with emotional support, among other things.
Below are those who might need to use the emotional support animal registry.
- Depressed people due to trauma or emotional difficulties. Also, anxiety and other negative mental disabilities can lead to such a scenario where you need help from a support animal to have better health.
- Veterans in the military who have served in hostile environments. Such animals would help them deal with the trauma associated with such exposure.
- People with autism or Aspergers. People with such a disability can benefit from the help of such an animal to improve their emotional life.
- People experiencing PTSD or related psychotic disorders. Such people definitely need an ESA to help them handle their emotional disabilities and work on getting better overall.
How to Register My Dog as an ESA?
The Air Carrier Access Act and Fair Housing Act are some of the legislation that helps you have an emotional support animal without discrimination. The best part is that you cannot be asked for a pet fee. That might have made people think you must register these therapy animals.
Well, there is no official database you can use for such types of animals. However, you will need to have your ESA letter for the emotional support animal to be allowed entry into certain places. Take note that such letters must be approved by a mental health professional.
Why Are Emotional Support Animals Effective?
An emotional support animal is quite vital for ensuring that you get better. Well, this is mostly based on research. As always, animals we consider pets are used mostly for company. These are animals that would generally make you feel happier and at times, help someone feel fulfilled.
Some might argue that emotional support animals are not any different from pets. Well, the jury is still out on that. However, so far some of the support animals have shown to be better than just the regular pets at helping you get better. An example is that you cannot use a fish as an ESA, but it can be a pet.
Research done in 2016 found that there is little evidence that an emotional support animal would have more therapeutic benefits compared to pets. Well, it might be why people use their pets as ESAs since they are already comfortable with them. However, such would not be used as service animals since they would need additional training to make them better than regular pets.
How Much Does An ESA Letter Cost?
It mostly depends on where you are getting the ESA letter to get yourself emotional support dogs or any other animal. On average, it will cost you around $100 to $150 before the approval.
It is best to avoid some scam companies that might claim to give you such approval for the cheap. Some might claim that a therapist’s assessment is unnecessary. You must get one where a mental health professional is used to validate the letter.
Rather than physically visiting specific organizations, you can always consider online options to get an emotional support animal letter of approval. The online platforms make work easier, and there is always a therapist involved. Always ensure that the platform is HIPPA compliant and the therapist can conduct the examination via a video app before making a final statement.
Conclusion
Looking at the guide above, you already see how important it is to have an emotional support animal letter. In case you want service animals, you can still get the same from these companies. Such approval allows you to have a service dog which is different from having emotional support animals. Since you are examined by a mental health professional, you are sure to be in safe hands.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I have to meet with a therapist to receive an ESA letter?
No. You can have the examination done online via a video call too as a way of being approved for an ESA letter.
2. Is it a must to be approved by a therapist for an ESA letter?
Yes. This is to prove that you actually need the stated letter. It must be done by a licensed mental health professional.
3. Are emotional support animals allowed to go anywhere?
You should take note that emotional support animals are not allowed to go anywhere. They might be restricted to some areas. Only service dogs are allowed to go anywhere.
