An emotional support animal program is one of the most important programs in the mental health care industry. Numerous studies show that there is a large number of people who are suffering from some type of mental illness like depression, anxiety, PTSD, or panic attacks. It is also well supported that having an animal by your side can be really helpful for people with mental illness.
Dogs and other animals provide support and comfort during times of anxiety and sadness and other types of emotional stress. In the United States, the number of people suffering from mental health disorders continues to climb, and resultantly under federal law, individuals who have emotional support animals with them can get an ESA letter which allows them to travel along with their pets. It is very helpful as many flights carry on a “no pets” policy.
How to get an ESA letter?
The first thing you will need is legitimate proof that you are suffering from some kind of mental illness to do so you can go to your therapist or doctor which provides you the required prescription. You can also go to various websites that provide you the required documentation. After you have achieved the documentation from a therapist you will be able to carry your pet along with yourself.
How to avoid scams?
As miserable as it may sound, there are people that try to scam the public welcoming to provide an emotional support animal. Resultantly, those are the letters that are not legally binding and are actually a scam.
- If a website claims to provide an ESA letter instantly and without any clear verification, it is highly possible that the letter is not legit. The letter will be “signed” by a therapist but the reality is the therapist may have ever never even see your data and all it is a scam.
- Some of these ESA letters are too good to be true. For example, some of these letters are provided at a very low cost and these are most likely fake because in order to get your prescription from a therapist they will charge a fee.
- If the website claims to provide certification for the animal then it is most probably fake because animals that are emotional support animals do not require any kind of registration by law.
Features of a legitimate ESA letter
ESA letters provided by different sources are usually different but regardless of the source the letter must be on the mental health professionals letterhead along with their direct contact information and licensing. You can verify the license in order to see and verify the credibility of the professional.
Most of these letters will only be issued once you have been contacted by the professional regarding your personal information and details before actually providing it.
To conclude we would like to say that it is 100% recommended to get your emotional support animal letter as it is completely legal and accepted by airlines and landlords. You do not have to suffer additional consequences due to illness.
