About Emotional Pet Support

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a person’s pet that has been prescribed by a person’s licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist (any licensed mental health professional). The animal is part of the treatment program for this person and is designed to bring comfort and minimize the negative symptoms of the person’s emotional/psychological disability.

All types of domesticated animals can be Emotional Support Animals (cats, dog, and birds) and they can be any age (young puppies and kittens, too!). These animals do not need any specific task-training because their very presence mitigates the symptoms associated with a person’s psychological/emotional disability, unlike a working service dog. The only requirement is that the animal is manageable in public and does not create a nuisance in or around the home setting.

For a person to legally qualify for an emotional support animal (ESA), he/she must be considered emotionally disabled by a licensed mental health professional (therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc.), as evidenced by a properly formatted prescription letter. Some airlines and property managers will accept a verification form completed by a family doctor, however.

The letter should state that:

1. You are currently his/her patient
2. Are under his/her care for the treatment of mental disability found in the DSM IV or V (the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, version 4 or 5).
3. Your disability substantially limits at least one major life activity
4. He/she prescribes for you an emotional support animal as a necessary treatment for your mental health.

In addition, the letter must be dated, written on his/her letterhead, include his/her license type, number, date of license, and state in which the license was issued. View a Sample ESA letter. Remember that we at Emotional Pet Support can help prescribe such a letter and you can begin by taking our 10-minute exam.

The Air Carrier Access Act 49 U.S.C. 41705, Dept. of Transportation 14 C.F.R. Part 382, Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 are the laws that protect an emotionally disabled person and his/her ESA.

The legal protections an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) has are to:

1. Fly with its emotionally or psychologically disabled handler in the cabin of an aircraft without being charged a pet fee.
2. Qualify for no-pet housing (that also includes limited size, breed, or species housing) without being charged a pet fee.

No other public or private entity (motels, restaurants, stores, trains, taxis, buses, theaters, parks, beaches, libraries, zoos, etc.) is required to allow your ESA to accompany you and in all other instances, your ESA has no more rights than a pet. That means they aren’t protected by law to accompany you into any public place that does not allow pets. That doesn’t mean these places won’t let you, it just means that they are not required to, by law.

Your landlord or property manager can verify your letter by calling the verification number that is included on the prescribing physician’s letterhead. This is the verification phone number of the doctor that issues your prescription, not Emotional Pet Support’s number. Your landlord will simply leave a message with the first and last name of the member he is trying to verify and someone will contact them to verify your letter.

Unfortunately due to the difficult nature of being reimbursed by insurance companies for emotional support animal exams, we regret that we are not able to accept medical insurance at this time. In light of this, we have tried our best to make the approval process as easy and as affordable as possible.

We accept the following payment types: Discover, Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

Believe it or not, Emotional Support Animals have been legally recognized by the US government since the late 1980′s. Up until recently, ESA’s have been flying under the radar due to a lack of knowledge of the Fair Housing Amendment Act. Over the last four years, the media has really put ESA’s in the National spotlight with many articles educating people on the merits of ESA’s. emotionalpetsupport.com is the first mainstream service in the history of the United States to provide Emotional Support evaluation to the general public. With a countless number of satisfied ESA owners, Emotional Pet Support is now growing to be a nationally recognized brand.

We contract with a team of mental health professionals who are licensed in multiple states. All of our consultants are active clinicians with established practices conducting mental health assessment, treatment, and disability determination.

Your dog may not be familiar with the airport environment, the confines of sitting at your feet on an airplane, or facing the scrutiny of airline personnel and other passengers. Please be aware that airline staff (including gate agents, TSA, and flight attendants) can deny passage for your emotional support animal (and you) if the animal is deemed to be a health threat, bother, or nuisance to other paying passengers, even if you have had your ESA pre-approved to accompany you on the plane. We suggest that you follow the American Kennel Club (AKC) Good Citizen program and ensure that your dog is trained to do the following so that your travel is smooth:

• Accept a friendly stranger
• Sit politely for petting
• Walk on a lead
• Walk calmly through a crowd
• Sit, get down, and stay in place on command
• Come when called
• Behave politely around other dogs or cats
• React appropriately to distractions

Before the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) was implemented, the protections offered for individuals utilizing animals for medical and emotional support were limited. Under Title II of the ADA, individuals with ESAs must have a reasonable accommodation for their animal as an assistive aid.

Since that time, the provisions have been modified, providing a greater scope of protection for service animals (SAs) and emotional support animals (ESAs), as well as the individuals who own them or utilize their services. However, it is very important to understand that ESAs are not permitted to be in as many places as service animals.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development passed the Fair Housing Amendment Act of 1988. This law protects your rights to living in a “No Pet” policy dwelling unit with your Emotional Support Animal.

Wondering how you’re protected for traveling with your Emotional Support Animal? Well, here’s where you can learn about the Air Carrier Access Act of 1986.