Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letters for Arkansas Residents
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To get an ESA letter in Arkansas, you will need to schedule a consultation with a licensed mental health practitioner (LMHP) in the state. This could be a doctor, a psychiatric nurse, a counselor, or a psychologist who is licensed in Arkansas. Once you meet with them and share details about your mental health condition and the therapeutic benefits your ESA provides, they can write an official letter stating the validity of your need for an ESA.
When you work with Pettable, we will connect you with an LMHP in Arkansas and arrange an online or tele-meeting where you can chat with them about your ESA needs.
Due to the recently passed Arkansas HB-1420 law on emotional support animals, a minimum 30-day client-provider relationship must be established before the clinician may write a valid ESA letter. To keep our process legally compliant, we have adopted a 30-day process for Arkansas residents seeking an ESA letter.
Answer a few questions about your ESA needs
We'll match you to a professional in your state
Receive it within 24 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.
In February 2023, the Arkansas House of Representatives passed HB1420, which affects both sellers of emotional support animals as well as ESA owners. The main impact for those getting an ESA letter in Arkansas is that you are now required to have a minimum 30-day relationship with your LMHP before they can write you an ESA letter. This intends to ensure the LMHP has a full understanding of your mental health before issuing you a letter.
The law requires any business that sells or provides a dog as an ESA must inform the buyer that the animal is not trained in the skills that would make it a service animal. While ESAs don't require training, service dogs do, so the law is meant to prevent these providers from trying to pass off an untrained emotional service dog as a service animal. HB1420 also requires sellers of ID tags, vests, certificates, harnesses, or other ESA-related items to inform their customers that these products are not required to have an emotional support dog or other domesticated animal. If they break this law, companies or individuals may be subject to civil penalties in the Natural State.
In Arkansas, emotional support animals and their owners are primarily protected by two federal laws: the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). The FHA prohibits discrimination against disabled persons in housing, which includes anyone with a legitimate ESA and accompanying ESA letter. It guarantees that your support animal can live with you in most rental housing situations.
When you travel from Arkansas via airplane, your ESA letter doesn’t guarantee you can bring your assistance animal in the cabin, but some domestic airlines will do their best to accommodate you, for a fee. However, this typically only works if your emotional support dog is small enough to fit under the seat ahead of yours.
To get your own ESA letter in the Natural State, you’ll need to start by meeting with a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) or other equivalent health provider, such as your family doctor). Like some other states, Arkansas requires you to have an established relationship with your LMHP for at least 30 days before they can write your ESA letter. This includes telehealth appointments, so you can go through the whole process from the comfort of your home. However, your LMHP must be currently licensed here in Arkansas.
First, your LMHP will evaluate you and diagnose your mental health disability; after the 30-day waiting period, they will issue an ESA letter on their official letterhead. The letter will include your official diagnosis and need for an emotional support animal, as well as their signature. This letter will protect you in your search for rental housing.
Some companies promote products and services such as ID cards and registration for emotional support animals; however, these are unnecessary for living with an ESA. There is no such thing as a state or federal ESA registry, so inclusion in any such database is not required, nor do any such products carry any legal weight. All you need to bring an emotional assistance dog or other animal into your life is an official ESA letter signed by your LMHP — which you can acquire easily with Pettable.
If you think you might need an ESA in your daily life, you may be living with a mental or emotional health disorder that qualifies you. Whether you’ve already been diagnosed or have been reticent to get your mental health checked up, an ESA might make a serious difference. Qualifying conditions include:
There are many reasons why people living with mental health conditions choose to live with emotional support animals. They bring comfort and companionship to the lives of their owners and this can positively address many symptoms caused by mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress.
ESAs provide comfort with their presence. They offer their humans physical touch and affection and this promotes feelings of safety and wellbeing. Many people feel more secure when their ESA is close by as it offers owners a greater sense of security and protection.
Legally, landlords cannot charge any additional pet fees for those who have an emotional support animal. This is because under federal law ESA's are technically not pets, but assistance animals that are essential in the owner's life. Obtain a legitimate ESA letter to ensure these rights are protected.
Animals and their humans share incredible social bonds. ESAs significantly reduce feelings of loneliness and add huge value and connection to the lives of their owners.
Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD) - much like service animals - are recognized and protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under this act, PSDs must be individually trained to perform a disability-related function that supports the handler. For example, reminding a handler with depression to take their medication.
Any dog can be a PSD and owners can train them themselves or through Pettable's online training program which equips handlers with the knowledge and skills to train their PSD effectively.
Pettable has a network of experienced mental health specialists that can aid you in every state. They can provide an ESA letter that is recognized both in-state and out-of-state. Whether it be by answering questions from a landlord that may require additional documentation, your Pettable mental health specialist will be on your side.
1. We Guarantee Our Letters Will Work For You
We believe you should not have to worry about your letter working or not. That's why at Pettable we offer a satisfaction guarantee - meaning your letter works or you get your money back.
2. World-Class Mental Health Professionals
We have built a team of world-class mental health professionals who can write you a PSD Letter prescription guaranteed to work anywhere you go.
3. Unparalleled Customer Support
We know getting your animal approved to live with you can be stressful, which is why we invest so much in our team of dedicated support specialists to make sure you are always taken care of and have the support you need!
4. Licensed in all 50 states
Our network of mental health professionals is deep and spans across the entire country. Additionally, we have a deep team of mental health professionals to make sure we can meet any timeline.
5. Human Connection & Legitimate Evaluations
For your letter to work, you need to have a live consultation with a mental health professional. At Pettable we make sure our clinicians adhere to HUD standards and conduct consultations over the phone to get to know you and your mental health situation well.
6. Risk-Free Process
If you are still unsure whether you qualify for an ESA but want to attend a consultation, we have you covered. If you attend your consultation but don't qualify, we'll refund everything but the $30 consultation fee.
1. We Guarantee Our Letters Will Work For You
We believe you should not have to worry about your letter working or not. That's why at Pettable we offer a satisfaction guarantee - meaning your letter works or you get your money back.
2. World Class Mental Health Professionals
We have built a team of world class mental health professionals who can write you a PSD Letter prescription guaranteed to work anywhere you go.
3. Unparalleled Customer Support
We know getting your animal approved to travel or live with you can be stressful, which is why we invest so much in our team of dedicated support specialists to make sure you are always taken care of and have the support you need!
4. Licensed in all 50 states
Our network of mental health professionals is deep and spans across the entire country. Additionally, we have a deep team of mental health professionals to make sure we can meet any timeline.
5. Best In Class Legal Support
We are here to make sure your housing and travel needs are taken care of so you don't worry. Our legal team is dedicated to having your back should you need it!
6. Human Connection & Legitimate Evaluations
In order for your letter to work you need to have a live consultation with a mental health professional. At Pettable we make sure our clinicians adhered to HUD standards and conduct consultations over the phone to get to know you and your mental health situation well.
Pettable is well versed in all things related to ESAs and we have a brilliant network of like-minded mental health experts on our side. We will connect you with practitioners who understand and value the important role that ESAs play. Here's how we stack up against other online ESA certification providers:
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.
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.
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.
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