Who Can Provide an Emotional Support Dog Letter?
Emotional support dogs provide love and comfort to help their owners deal with various mental illnesses. Recent studies show that looking into the dog’s eyes increases the levels of certain chemicals associated with positive feelings.
In America, you can live with your support animal without paying extra pet deposits or fees under federal laws. To enjoy ESA benefits, you must have a valid emotional support dog letter.
Who Can Provide an Emotional Support Dog Letter?
Any licensed mental health practitioner can provide an emotional support dog letter. They can be a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, nurse psychiatrist, or licensed clinical social worker. After evaluating your condition, your therapist will provide you with an official letter to help you receive ESA benefits.
Here’s a List of Professionals Who Can Provide an Emotional Support Dog Letter
A primary care physician
A licensed therapist
A licensed general physician
Any licensed mental health professional, such as therapist, psychologist and therapist
What Information an Emotional Support Dog Letter Sample Must Contain
An emotional support dog letter is a kind of official document, which distinguishes a support dog from an ordinary dog. It acts as a proof that you are receiving therapeutic benefits from your assistance animal to deal with your condition, such as anxiety, depression, etc.
Here’s what information an emotional support dog letter sample must contain
It must be on official letterhead
Therapist’s name and signature
Therapist’s license number, name and other details of the practice
Date of the medical license and the state where it was issued
The date the ESA letter was issued
Your name and emotional support dog details
Benefits of Registering an Emotional Support Dog
Science says that dogs provide ultimate emotional support to help their owners ease symptoms of various mental health conditions. By registering your emotional support dog, you can legally live with your animal in a rented apartment without paying any pet deposits—under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). By law, your landlord or manager can ask you to show your ESA letter for verification purposes. But, they can’t deny you housing because of your emotional support animal. However, it’s your responsibility to take care of your support dog and provide it with the required training to behave in the public.
Under the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), passengers with disabilities are allowed to fly with their emotional support animals without paying extra pet travel fees. But, as per the new regulations (effective from January 2021) by the Department of Transportation (DOT), airlines aren’t required to recognize emotional support animals as service animals, and may treat them as pets. However, ESAs can travel in cargo.
To sum it up, dogs provide ultimate therapeutic effects to help their owners deal with anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. To legally live with your emotional support dog, you need to register it. It’s important to note that not any physician can write an ESA letter. You must see a licensed mental health professional, such as licensed therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, etc. to get the letter. And, your ESA letter must be written on an official letterhead, must contain your therapist and his licensing details, date on which it was issued, and your dog and your details.