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An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a family pet recommended an by a licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist (any licensed mental health professional as part of the treatment program designed to bring comfort and minimize the negative symptoms of the person’s emotional disability.

Requiring no special training, Emotional Support Animals (ESA) provide therapeutic benefits to their owner through companionship and affection. Service Dogs are specially trained to perform a task to aid the disabled; seeing eye dogs being one example. Emotional Support Animals are not just limited to dogs, while Service Animals are either dogs or mini horses.

Typically, any well-behaved dog or cat. No special training is required. But proper socialization is expected wherever you go with your ESA. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Air Carrier Access Act, and Fair Housing Act, your emotional support animal (ESA) does NOT need any specific training, but it must be manageable in public and controlled by you, its handler.

 Note: While the law does not exclude any specific species from qualifying as ESAs, in reality, commonsense will prevail. For example, while there may not be any written exclusions, if a travel passenger presents with an ESA letter desiring to be accompanied in an aircraft cabin by a sheep as their ESA, the airlines will in all likelihood require the animal to be crated and travel in “cargo;” and that is if space allows. Usually animals bigger than a mid to (smaller in height) large dog are required to travel on separate cargo planes. Similarly, a landlord would most likely defend themselves successfully in a lawsuit based on their rejection of a tenant with an exotic, dangerous or very large animal as an ESA.

To legally qualify for an emotional support animal (ESA), you must be considered emotionally disabled by a licensed mental health professional. Qualified clients will receive a properly formatted recommendation letter. 

The letter should state that:

• You are currently his/her patient
• 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).
• Your disability substantially limits at least one major life activity
• He/she recommends 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.

Your ESA letter will be written on the letterhead of the office of the prescribing doctor. It is not generated by ESADoggy.com.

ESA letters are valid for one year. Beware of sites that advertise “lifetime” letters! Their claim that they write letters lasting a lifetime is misleading and can set you up for future trouble. No recommendation from any doctor lasts forever. Just as you must renew recommendations for medications, and then only if you still require them to treat a condition, recommendations for ESA letters must also be renewed. When its time to do so, just return to ESA letter Doctor, and select the type of letter you’d like renewed. Renewals automatically receive priority review by the doctor.

Sure they can write you a letter they claim will “last a lifetime,” but many airlines and housing entities will only honor recommendation letters written within the last year. After that, they can, and very often will, require you to provide an updated letter. You don’t want to find that out when you arrive at the airport to catch a flight! At ESAD, we make the protocol as simple and seamless as possible, we can even provide you with a reminder(s) as you get close to your renewal date.

Yes. Having an emotional support animal exempts you from all pet deposits, regardless of whether the facility allow pets or not. You are not required to provide a pet deposit or supplemental fees, these must be waived. An ESA owner CAN be charged for actual damage done by the animal, but they may not require the applicant to pay a fee or a security deposit in order to keep the animal. In addition, an ESA owner who does not properly manage his/her pet, resulting in behavior that is unruly, destructive, aggressive, or a disturbance to others can be evicted.

Emotional Support Animals are allowed to travel in the cabin of an airplane. Make sure to notify the airline in advance that you’re traveling with an ESA; which will require an authentic Emotional Support Animal letter of Recommendation. It’s always important to understand the specific airline’s rules before you travel.

Yes they can. ESAs are expected to remain calm and quiet during travel. If they disrupt security or the safety or well-being of other passengers, they can be refused entry or removed from the aircraft.

Airlines may ONLY ask to see a copy of your recommendation, you are not required to provide any other information. In fact, it is illegal to ask you as this is protected health information. It would be a rare occurrence for this to happen, as airline retainees and TSA are fully aware of the limitations regarding ESAs and the penalties for non-compliance.

If your pet is well behaved and you fly on a domestic flight, this would be VERY unusual. But if this ever did occur the Airline MUST provide you with a written explanation within 10 days of the incident pursuant to CFR 382.117(g).

Airlines often suggest passengers flying with ESAs give advance notice at the time of booking or within 48 hours prior of departure as specified in CFR 382.27(b) BUT they are required to make reasonable accommodation if you are unable to do so. C.F.R. § 382.27(g) states: If a passenger does not meet advance notice or check-in requirements you establish consistent with this section, you must still provide the service or accommodation if you can do so by making reasonable efforts, without delaying the flight.

However, it is HIGHLY recommended you check the ESA policies of each airline you intend to travel on, as they have different requirements as to check-in, carriers, etc., and other useful information. Airlines and other entities will make every effort to work with you; it is your responsibility as an ESA owner to make an effort to work within their parameters if you can as this creates a smoother, better experience for all.

Yes. Having an emotional support animal exempts you from all pet deposits, regardless of whether the facility allow pets or not. You are not required to provide a pet deposit or supplemental fees, these must be waived. An ESA owner CAN be charged for actual damage done by the animal, but they may not require the applicant to pay a fee or a security deposit in order to keep the animal. In addition, an ESA owner who does not properly manage his/her pet, resulting in behavior that is unruly, destructive, aggressive, or a disturbance to others can be evicted.

Landlords are required to waive size and/or breed restrictions as well.

Yes, if you attend a public university. On April 25, 2013, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent notice to its regional offices that public universities are required to comply with the Fair Housing Act, which includes allowing emotional support animals into college dormitories and residence halls. Private universities are not bound by the Fair Housing Act. You may still be able to bring your ESA with you, but they are not required to do so. Check with your Housing or Students with Disabilities department(s).

Hotels and motels are not considered dwellings under the FHA but are considered places of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Avoid. Run away. There is no benefit in using a registry.

Federal Law does not recognize an “official emotional support animal registry.” Additionally, ESAs are not required to be registered anywhere!

Those services offering “ESA registry” are out for your money by selling fake certificates, shiny ID cards, and dog tags.