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Before you get in touch with your therapist to get an emotional pet support letter, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. These things will help you understand the benefits of an emotional pet support letter. Given the fact that there are several emotional pet support letter services out there. For someone trying to get a letter for the first time, things can get quite challenging. In fact, it could be quite hard to connect with a service that actually helps provide legitimate ESA letters. So, here’s a rundown of the most vital things you should know before getting an Emotional support animal letter.
Legal Protection Under the Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act states that landlords and property holders must provide decent accommodation to emotional support animal owners.
Discrimination on the grounds of physical or mental disability is punishable by the offense.
So, landlords, under this law, are obliged to provide decent accommodation, upon request of the ESA owner.
Even those with no pet housing policies have to provide a decent apartment.
The only exception, in this case, is house owners who reside within four units along with their family and animals that threaten the safety of neighbors while also causing damage to the property.
Ensuring proper behavior, hygiene, and safety is the ESA owner’s first duty.
Even if you have an ESA letter, no harm must come to those residing in the same area as you.
Rest assured, upon accommodation denial, you can take legal action against the landlord.
Only Licensed Mental Health Professionals Can Write an ESA Letter
Often people confuse an ESA letter with terms such as registration and certification.
While there’s no such thing as ESA registration, the term certification is interchangeably used with an emotional pet support letter.
More vitally, an ESA letter is nothing but an official document signed by a licensed mental health professional.
In other words, only a qualified and licensed doctor can write an ESA letter for you.
Do not get confused when things like ESA registration appear on Google search.
These services will most likely get you in trouble.
Also, ensure that you either visit your therapist to get an emotional pet support letter or get it from a licensed mental health professional only.
ESA and Service Animals Are Two Different Things
It’s okay to get confused between service, emotional support, and therapy animals.
However, you need to make sure that you understand that none of the terms mentioned above share the same characteristics or features.
The only similarity between them is that they all are animals.
Some are trained to meet the requirements of disabled individuals, while others act as companion animals.
So, if you have a mental health condition that qualifies for an ESA letter.
As an emotional support owner, you must remember that unlike service animals the discretion of pet training rests upon the owner of the pet.
Plus, emotional support animals range from a dog, cat, rabbit to hamsters and other kinds of domesticated animals.
On the other hand, only dogs are allowed to be trained as service animals.
You Can Get an Emotional Pet Support Letter Online
Getting an emotional support animal letter online is quite simple and easy, provided, of course, you end up on a legit platform.
And by a legit platform, I mean services that have a HIPAA-compliant telemedicine platform along with state-licensed mental health professionals who charge you after your consultation is over.
If you land up on a platform like this, you can go ahead and get an emotional support letter online.
All you have to do is fill a form online and provide some basic details.
Soon after form submission, you will meet a licensed mental health physician online.
The doctor will ask you a few questions and analyze your mental health condition.
Eventually, if the doctor deems it fit to include an ESA in the treatment plan, the physician will send a typed letter via email.
You can download the letter from the comfort of your home and use it as per convenience.
In addition to this, some red flags account for a fake ESA letter.
So, watch out for letters that do not have a doctor’s license no., sign, or stamp.
Also, ensure that you do not accept letters from services that do not provide online consultations.
Online consultations are a must to determine whether your mental health condition qualifies for an emotional support animal or not.
An ESA Is Exempt From Breed Restrictions
Under the Fair Housing Act and the American With Disabilities Act, there are no mentions of breed restrictions.
It’s up to the patient to decide which type of breed provides them ample comfort and peace.
If you already have a dog or cat that helps you provide emotional and mental support, you can get an ESA letter from your therapist without having to worry about the breed type, size, and weight.
Also, as long as you have an ESA letter, no one can legally question or ask you to show the letter as proof of emotional disability.
ESA owners are obliged to show the emotional support pet letter only upon the request of a landlord.
Overall, you don’t need anything, no vest or belt to showcase that you have an ESA.
All you need is an emotional support pet letter, and you will be good to go.
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