ESA Letters – Quick & Simple
3-minute assessment
Answer a few questions about your ESA needs
3-minute assessment
Answer a few questions about your ESA needs
Consult with a therapist
We'll match you to a professional in your state
Get your ESA letter
Receive it within 24-48 hours of getting approved*
We'll help with any extra forms you need signed and our therapists are available to talk to your landlord anytime, for an additional fee.
* For Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana and Montana residents, new laws requires those seeking an ESA letter to establish a client-provider relationship with the individual for at least 30 days prior to providing documentation, which will result in having two consultations before qualifying.
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).
Do I Also Need an ESA Certification?
No! Your ESA letter serves as an ESA certification or as proof of your need for an emotional support animal whenever necessary. Additionally, no official, legal or governmental emotional support animal registration method exists.
Beware of any organization providing false registration information or options.
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 our pet parents are saying
Meet Our Top Licensed Clinicians
Jennifer Bronsnick
MSW, LCSW
Jennifer Bronsnick is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Anxiety Treatment Specialist, & Heartmath Certified Trainer. She provides customized workshops and trainings to working professionals and teams to help build resilience and reduce stress with practical strategies.
Emilie Kay
MSW, LCSW
I graduated with a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee before obtaining my Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in 2021. I have eight years of experience in the mental health field working in and with various populations, including case management, intake coordination, and residential, inpatient, and outpatient programs. I am certified in Brainspotting to help individuals deeply process negative emotions and trauma/significant life events. Additionally, I utilize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and safety planning in sessions/groups.
Marvy Beckman
LCSW
As a clinical social worker, I have been able to work within multiple types of settings, such as hospitals, community centers, and family welfare. I enjoy having the clinical and administrative experience to holistically serve those I work with.
Emotional Support Animal Registration Myths
Contrary to popular belief, there is NO OFFICIAL, U.S., F.H.A. OR GOVERNMENTAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL REGISTRY.
Any company purporting to offer “official” ESA registration is operating in bad faith or may be attempting to scam users. Emotional support animals do not need to be registered. One must only be issued an ESA letter to have their pet become an official emotional support animal.
Some companies may choose to host a proprietary ESA registry but these should not be confused as to having any officiality or legal standing.
With Pettable, your ESA letter and emotional support animal information can always be privately accessed from within our app for use when providing documentation to landlords and other parties.
Emotional Support Animal vs. Psychiatric Service Animal?
An emotional support animal is very similar to a psychiatric service animal in that they both help relieve symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. The process for qualifying for an ESA or PSA is exactly the same.
Where they differ is in the standard of training. A Psychiatric Service Animal has training standards that they are required to meet (no formal evaluation is necessary, but the ADA puts out general guidelines) whereas an emotional support animal does not need to meet any behavioral or training standards. A PSA needs to meet the following criteria:
1. Well Mannered In Public
This means they generally need to not bark, chase other dogs, jump on other people, and basically need to behave well when outside of your home.
2. Trained To Perform A Task That Alleviates A Symptom of Your Mental Health Disability
This can be any task as long as it helps impact your mental or emotional disability in some way.
For more information on Psychiatric Service Animals please read our blog article on how to get a psychiatric service dog.
Why Pettable?
1. We guarantee our letters will work for you
We offer a money-back guarantee because we believe keeping your pet should be stress-free. On rare occasions, an ESA letter may not be accepted or will be illegally denied – in which case we will refund your money 100%. If your landlord illegally denies your legitimate ESA letter for whatever reason, we will refund 100% of your purchase price.
2. We're compliant with federal and state laws
At Pettable, we've taken every step to ensure our ESA & PSD operations are legally compliant for housing, travel and HIPAA.
3. World Class Mental Health Professionals
Our deep network of experienced, licensed mental health professionals ensures you will receive your legitimate ESA letter on a timeline that matches your needs.
4. We work in your state
Pettable works with licensed mental health professionals in every state to ensure your ESA letter will be valid regardless of where you live or are planning to move.
5. Best-In-Class Support
Our services are fully compliant with emotional support animal laws in all 50 states. If you are provided with an ESA Letter from your licensed mental health professional, it is illegal for your landlord to deny your accommodation, outside of extenuating circumstances.
However, some landlords will choose to illegally deny your legitimate ESA letter. In these situations, your mental health professional can provide additional support and verification to your landlord.
If you are faced with questions or concerns from a landlord or travel organization that may require additional documentation, we have you covered. Our customer service team is available to speak with you 7 days a week 9 AM-5 PM ET. Call us: 855-920-0323.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Pettable Is The Best Online ESA Provider
Pettable is focused on bringing legitimacy, transparency and world-class service to the ESA letter process. By partnering with top-tier mental health professionals who have significant experience in approving emotional support animals as treatment, you can feel assured that your ESA letter will protect you and your pet's right to live together – something we guarantee.
If your ESA letter is not accepted for any reason, we offer a 100% refund. In addition, our best-in-class customer support team is here to make sure you have an incredible experience.
We broke down the different services offered by every ESA service.
And we looked for unbiased reviews from 3rd party sites.
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How To Get Your Legitimate ESA Letter With Online Therapists at Pettable
We’ve designed a simple, smooth process for you to obtain a valid ESA letter for your emotional support animal and housing needs
Complete Our Assessment
First, you’ll complete our short assessment to help us determine your emotional support animal needs.
Consult With a Therapist
Upon completing our assessment, you will choose the best time for your 15-minute consultation and be matched with a licensed mental health professional once you reserve your slot. At the time of your consultation, your tele-therapist will perform a mental health evaluation to determine if you qualify for an ESA.
Get an ESA Letter
Once our licensed mental health professional determines that an emotional support animal is essential to your care and well-being, they will provide you with a legally recognized emotional support animal letter, which will be provided within 24-48 hours. You’ll even have the option to expedite your ESA letter to be received within 24 hours from the time of your consultation!
(For Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana & Montana residents, a 30-day minimum relationship between a patient and mental health practitioner is required to provide an ESA letter. Two consultation sessions are required for residents in these states.)
Your satisfaction is important to us. In the unlikely event that your ESA letter does not work for you, we will provide a 100% refund.
Schedule your ESA Letter consultation today.
Get peace of mind with a service you can trust.
ESA Resources
Study: Data Reveals True Cost of Pet Inclusive Housing And How ESAs Can Help
5 of the best dog breeds for people with allergies and anxiety
5 unexpected ways service and emotional support dogs improve and save human lives
ESA Certification Guide: What You Need to Know
Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Registration: How to Qualify
How to Get an ESA Letter for Housing in 2024
Emotional Support Animal Laws: A Complete Guide
How To Get An Emotional Support Animal
Mental Health Importance Scholarship
The Mental Health Importance Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship open to any student who believes mental health is important. The deadline to apply is November 1, 2024, and winners will be announced on December 1, 2024.
About
Mental health dictates every aspect of our lives, and everyone needs support from time to time. College is an exciting and challenging time for new students; many feel overwhelmed, confused, or anxious while away from home. To raise awareness for the mental health of college students, we're awarding the Pettable Mental Health Importance Scholarship. Before students can do well in school, they must take care of their mental well-being. The new surroundings and challenges can affect some college students, and getting the needed support may not be easy. We encourage those who recognize the importance of mental health to apply.