What Is An 
Emotional Support Animal?

An emotional support animal (ESA) helps individuals who are suffering from mental and/or emotional disabilities by providing support. While ESAs are not the same as service animals because they are not trained to perform a specific task, an ESA can be just as important to a person’s well-being and play a critical role in coping with several mental and emotional disorders. ESAs are responsible for providing their owners with a comforting presence to allow for easier facilitation and performance of daily life tasks. Like service animals, ESAs have rights under state and federal laws.

Who Qualifies For An Emotional Support Animal?

Anyone with a mental or emotional disability may qualify for an emotional support animal. Disability, in this instance, refers to anything that makes your life harder on average. This could include:

– Anxiety
– Depression
– PTSD
– Stress
– Personality Disorders
– Schizophrenia
– Phobias

And a host of other mental or emotional challenges you might encounter on a day to day basis. Pets have an incredible impact on mental health and well-being. As a result, there are a host of mental or emotional issues that can benefit from having a support animal.

What Is An ESA Letter?

An ESA letter is a document that serves as proof of one’s need for an emotional support animal as a form of treatment for a qualifying mental health condition. ESA letters are written and assigned on an individual basis and allow the right to keep an emotional support animal in a residence under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) – regardless of landlord rules/housing policies. 

A legitimate ESA letter also serves as a legal exemption from pet rent or pet deposits. An ESA letter must be provided by a licensed mental health practitioner to be considered legitimate, and must include the patient’s name, date of birth, and confirmation of the patient’s qualifying mental health disorder. Don’t worry, your actual diagnoses won’t be shared!

An ESA letter does not provide protections for traveling with a pet or assistance animal. To travel with your animal worry-free, they must be a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD).