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How to Qualify for An Emotional Support Animal

Updates to Emotional Support Animal Laws
Emotional Support Animals recently lost the right to fly with their handlers though they have maintained the right to live with their handlers in apartments, condos, co-ops, and communities that don’t allow regular pets. As a result of this change, more and more Emotional Support Animal owners are looking to train their ESA’s to be Psychiatric Service Animals. If you are interested in learning more about Psychiatric Service Animals, you may find this page helpful.
How to Qualify for An Emotional Support Animal
If you have an emotional disability, you can legally qualify for an ESA, short for emotional support animal. You must be certified as emotionally disabled by a psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist or other duly-licensed and/or certified mental health professional. This certification should be a formal and appropriately formatted letter, known as an ESA Letter.
Any other kind of doctor – a cardiologist, for instance – does not quality as a mental health professional because unlike a psychiatrist, other medical doctors are not specialists in mental health. Some property managers of apartments and airlines, however, accept verification forms filled out by a family physician if they are treating you for a mental illness. Ensure that you have the correct authority write the letter for you.
To qualify for an Emotional Support Animal, your ESA letter must be written on the mental health professional’s letterhead, include his or her license type, date of license, license number, and the state which issued the license. Moreover, it should have the date when it was written. A sample of the request letter can be viewed at the official website of Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, but there are other websites that have the same kind of samples which you may prefer.
What the Letter Must Contain
Your ESA letter must contain some details which will inform the airline or your landlord that you are:
- A current patient of the signing mental health professional.
- Under this mental health professional’s care for your disability which is described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders Version V.
- Substantially limited in performing or participating in at least one of life’s major activities because of your disability.
- Having an Emotional Support Animal is an integral part for the treatment of your current condition.
- The ESA letter must be dated no later than a year from the date of your departure if it is for air travel
What Disorders Qualify You as An Emotional Support Animal Owner
To help you further on qualifying for an ESA, you may want to read through the list of some of the disorders stipulated in the previously mentioned DSM-V:
- Learning disorders.
- Attention Deficit Disorder also known as ADD.
- Sexual disorder.
- Mental retardation.
- Tic disorders.
- Motor skills disorders.
- Bipolar disorder.
- Gender identity.
- Substance-related disorder (alcohol and/or drugs, among others).
- Cognitive disorders.
Emotional Support Animal Training
Unlike service animals, ESA’s are not required to be trained to perform a service for their handlers. An ESA provides emotional support for their handlers and can qualify as long as the animal does not cause a disturbance or undue hardship for an apartment manager/owner. For more information on ESA’s and service animals, please contact Service Dog Certifications.
See if you qualify for an Emotional Support Animal letter from ESA Doctors by clicking the link below.
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I have been told that I have anxiety, although I struggle more with social anxiety, and often get anxiety attacks. Do I qualify to get an esa?
You may talk to your doctor or therapist if the severity of your disorders qualifies for an ESA. If they agree, they may issue an ESA letter. You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter interesting – https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/
Can my cockatiel be an esa? Also would an eating disorder and severe depression qualify me for and esa
You may qualify for an ESA. Talk to a licensed medical health professional who is licensed in your state of residence. They will assess if you benefit from your cockatiel to be your ESA. If agreed, they will issue an ESA letter. You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter interesting: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/
can you get an esa lizard?
Yes, a lizard can indeed be an ESA. Any animal can become their handler’s ESA if it provided the owner with comfort and support in times of need. If you’re wondering how to qualify for an ESA you may find this article helpful https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-qualify-for-an-emotional-support-animal/
No the ada says only dogs cats and small horses
Vi,
You are correct about dogs and mini horses, but that is for “service animals.” “Emotional support animals” (ESA) are under a different category that includes a wider range of animals allowed.
Would I qualify for an esa
I have severe anxiety and depression . Also always had a learning disability all my life hard for me.to concentrate also I have health problems chronic pain. Serve migraines. I’m borderline almost diabetic . With some sugar issues sometimes . Have emotional problems due to being in abusive relationships .
Anxiety is a disability that qualifies you for an Emotional Support Animal. You will need to work with a licensed mental health professional directly to know for sure. For more information, you may find this article helpful – https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/emotional-support-dog-certification-registration/
I have a letter from my therapist noting that my dog has benefited me as a support animal for my PTSD. Is that the only thing I would need to show to a landlord to have my dog move with me or do I also need an identification card for her or registration?
Yes, an ESA Letter from a licensed medical health practitioner is your legal documentation that your dog is your ESA. By law, you do not need to register your dog any further. However, some ESA owners purchase a registration, ID, and vest to make it more apparent to the public that their animal is an emotional support animal. You may find this article on the requirements of emotional support animals interesting – https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/emotional-support-dog-requirements/
Hi so i have an eating disorder. Could i qualify for an ESA?
Talk to your therapist to see if an ESA could be beneficial to the treatment of your disorder. Just make sure your therapist is licensed in the state of your residence so they can issue a valid ESA letter. If you currently are not seeing a therapist in your state, ESA letters can also be issued online thru telemedicine. You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/ .
If I am chronically depressed can I register for a ESA?
Talk to a licensed medical health professional who is licensed in your state of residence. They will assess if you can benefit from an ESA and will issue an ESA letter for you. If you can’t visit an lmhp in person, there are services that can connect you with one online. You may find this article on how to get an emotional support animal letter interesting: https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/
I have suffered long-term from depression/ocd/anxiety and have a diagnosis from a medical doctor. In the past 5 years I have had 2 major car accidents not caused by me but because of them I suffer now from PTSD. I have severe anxiety while driving, especially when it rains. Do I still need a certification from a psychiatrist to have my dog certified? And would I qualify?
I have separation anxiety do I qualify for a ESA dog?
Anxiety is a disability that qualifies you for an Emotional Support Animal. You will need to work with a licensed mental health professional directly to know for sure. For more information, you may find this article helpful – https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/emotional-support-dog-certification-registration/
my primary doctor wrote me a letter saying my dog would benefit me as an emotional support animal as i have mental health issues or something like that. his title is do and something else. he prescribes my mental health meds, so will his letter be official?
If your doctor is a licensed medical health professional with a valid license in your state of residence, then the letter would indeed be valid. You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/
I am clinically pronounced with Major Depression Disorder and have some cases of random panic attack and social anxiety attacks. Do I qualify?
Hello, my 11 year old brother has been diagnosed with ADHD. Can he qualify for a emotional support dog? The list only mentions ADD, but can he qualify also? Thank you!
I haven’t been professionally diagnosed but would like to get my dog certified as an esa. How should I go about getting him registered?
In order to make your dog an ESA you need to connect with a licensed healthcare professional who is licensed in your state of residence. They will evaluate your mental health and agree that an ESA could be beneficial to the treatment of your condition. They will then issue an ESA letter which allows you to call your dog an emotional support dog.
You may find this article on how to get an ESA letter interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-get-an-emotional-support-dog-letter/
They can read the list PEOPLE