An emotional support animal is a type of assistance animal that is recognized as a “reasonable accommodation” for a person with a disability under the federal Fair Housing Act.
Getting qualified for an assistance animal is as simple as 1-2-3.
1: Place an Order.
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2. Complete an Assessment.
After you place an order, you'll complete our proprietary HIPAA-compliant comprehensive online assessment.
3: Engage With an Expert.
Finally, you'll engage in therapeutic care with a local, licensed health care provider via secured video technology
Being Approved.
An emotional support animal is a type of assistance animal that is recognized as a “reasonable accommodation” for a person with a disability under the federal Fair Housing Act. An emotional support animal is not a pet. An emotional support animal is a companion animal that provides therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or psychiatric disability.
New HUD Guidelines.
HUD's new rules are an update to the Fair Housing Act (FHA) that sought to equalize the ability of people with disabilities to enjoy housing. Under the law, housing providers had to exempt those with disabilities from “no pet” rules and pet fees. But some of the gaps in the rules have been abused by those simply trying to bypass pet rules and fees. Others who are providing the letters have exploited uneducated consumers To comply, Housing Pro 2020 provides multiple clinical sessions between client and an in-state licensed provider.
Therapeutic Relationship Required.
Documentation submitted in support of an assistance animal request must come from a person who has a “therapeutic relationship” with the resident seeking the accommodation. A therapeutic relationship is “the provision of medical care, program care, or personal care services, in good faith, for and with actual knowledge of, an individual’s disability and that individual's disability-related need for an assistance animal by:
- a physician or other medical professional;
- a mental health service provider; or
- a non-medical service agency or reliable third party who is in a position to know about the individual's disability.”
Because a therapeutic relationship requires that care services be provided, in good faith, for an individual’s disability, documentation submitted on the basis of a single visit to a health care provider solely to obtain a “doctor’s note” will generally not be legally sufficient.
Emotional support animal letter for travel.
An emotional support animal provides comfort to support a customer’s diagnosed mental or emotional disorder. Emotional support animals need not have specific training for that function. All must be trained to behave appropriately in a public setting. Acceptable ESAD Int'l emotional support animals are limited to dogs and cats. Your animal must behave appropriately in a public environment. If your 10-pound Chihuahua acts like Cujo, running around the airport on attack mode, the "best ESA letter in the world" won't matter. To qualify, an individual must have a health professional verify:
- A mental health-related disability recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM IV).
- A need for the emotional support or psychiatric service animal to remedy the disability’s effects during air travel and activity at your destination
The passenger/client must be currently under the care and treatment of a licensed professional. To comply, Travel Pro 2020 provides a clinical session between client and an in-state licensed provider. Read: ESAD Int'l's service dog fraud policy.
Learn more about qualifying for an assistance animal.
Cases (orders) are usually assigned to a provider within one to two business days. Though rare, due to scheduling and holiday, there are times when a case is not accepted by a local provider. In these circumstances:
- The client is kept closely informed of the scheduling delay.
- If we cannot connect a client with a provider, the consumer is offered the option of a full refund.
- We will contact other networks, looking for a qualified available provider.
- If we cannot locate a provider within four business days, the order is cancelled and fees refunded.
That said, nearly all orders are fulfilled within five to eight business days.
Expedited Appointments.
For clients needing faster processing, we offer expedited appointments. Letters are typically issued within one to two business days. If you need same day delivery of your documents, additional fees will apply and service not available in all locations.
- Same-day assessment orders and intake exams must be received by 10am EST.
- Next-day assessment orders and intake exams must be received by 2pm EST.
- Orders are delivered by close of business, therapist’s local time.
- Orders/exams received after close of business (M-F, 7pm EST) are included with the next business day’s work.
- Saturday orders must be placed by 5pm EST prior business day.
- Subject to therapist availability.
- Excluding Sundays and holidays.
We cannot be held liable for any problems arising with missed delivery and/or deadlines. Client assumes all responsibility.
We’re so much more than our letters.
If you’ve been shopping around for emotional support animal documentation, you might be wondering about our higher prices.
So, why don’t we sell a $79 letter?
Because they’re bogus. Just absolutely worthless garbage.
A legitimate ESA letter isn't something you get off the shelves of your local Petco. This isn't a certificate, a leash, a harness, none of that.
Sure, you can save a few bucks and take a chance on bogus products that are likely to raise red flags along with your blood pressure. But keep in mind, HUD is cracking down, the airlines are cracking down, landlords also (see the picture to the right) -- and all with good reason. So, don’t take a chance with subpar products because they cost less. We’re earned our reviews with hard work, compassionate care, and doing everything by the book. Whatever decision you make, we wish you all the best and good health.
We’re So Much More Than Our Letters.
Our clients aren’t just “buying a letter from us,” they’re buying all that goes into the best emotional support animal products on the market. Our letters just flat out work.
A letter from us is more than a PDF document with a signature.
It’s the product of a team of 800 clinicians, dozens of PhDs and psychologists, one former NASA engineer, a handful of content writers (including a Pulitzer winner), and a bunch of highly talented technologists, engineers, and lawyers. It’s the culmination of tens and tens of thousands of hours of hard work, two years of 16-hour workdays. It’s review after review after review, with improvements made after each study. It's guarding your personal health and credit card information with the best technology available on the market. It’s several trademarks.
It’s a product of sweat, tears, and pure innovation.
It Is Our Pride and Joy.
Our Extended Edition products come with nearly three hours of assessment and therapeutic counseling with a highly trained licensed professional (now required by HUD).
You cannot buy that for $79.
No way.
We want you to know:
Yes, We’re Legitimate.
Are you legitimate is one of the more common questions we answer, often asked by frustrated visitors who muddled thru the online riff-raff. We want everyone to know how we do business – the why we do what we do.
HOA Said No to Your Emotional Support Animal?
The ESAD Int'l housing assessment contains carefully selected Fair Housing language that meets the disability verification standards defined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Learn about the additional steps you can take.
The Laws Are Getting Stricter.
New Federal and state rules designed to combat online fraud now require a much higher burden of proof for those claiming a disability-related need for an Emotional Support Animal Letter.
Patches, ID cards, certificates, or similar registration will no longer suffice. Clinicians are prohibited from providing written documentation by merely assessing a client's need for an assistance animal. Landlords are reporting emotional support animal fraud to the US Department of Justice.
Watch Out For Counterfeits.
The dangers of buying counterfeit emotional support animal letters aren’t always obvious. There are economic impacts, legal implications, and other risks that are important for you to know before making a purchase. Counterfeiters don’t care about your well-being. They just want to make a profit.
Many states provide criminal penalties for any person who falsifies documentation, knowingly provides fraudulent information or documentation, or willfully misrepresents having a disability or disability-related need for an ESA.
Welcome to the era of fake ESA letters.
Don't Leave Anything to Chance.
Housing Pro 2020 fully complies with the recently updated guidance requiring providers to have “personal client knowledge" and an "ongoing treating relationship."
All of our products include therapeutic care with a licensed clinician in your area.
