Arizona Laws on Emotional Support Animals

There were about 200,000 emotional support animals (ESAs) in the US in 2019. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) only supports service animals, excluding ESAs. Under ADA and Arizona Law, landlords and airlines aren't legally mandated to accommodate an emotional support animal in Arizona.

That becomes a problem if you'd like to take your dog on a flight or live with them in your rental house/apartment. Typically, you have to prove that your animal is an ESA dog by getting a letter from a certified mental health specialist. The only problem is that you have to visit the doctor's practice in person, but you may not have the time or resources.

That's where DoNotPay comes in. We can help you solve any ESA-related concerns, including contacting your landlord about your Southwest emotional support animal, making airline inquiries about their ESA policies, or even retrieving an affordable ESA letter example from online sources.

What Is an Emotional Support Animal?

Also known as therapy dogs, emotional support animals are pets that offer a sense of comfort, companionship, and safety to their masters who have psychiatric or emotional conditions. Their role is to ease stress, anxiety, depression, and various forms of phobia. As mentioned earlier, the owner must obtain a prescription letter from a licensed mental doctor for a dog to be considered a therapy dog.

According to Arizona Law and ADA regulations, public accommodations are not legally allowed to permit an ESA dog within their premises, only service dogs. They (service animals) are animals trained to offer assistance to owners with physical, sensory, intellectual, or mental disabilities.

While the Fair Housing Act (FHA) supports ESAs, a tenant claiming to have an ESA pet must first retrieve an ESA letter from their mental doctor and present it to the landlord. Usually, FHA allows emotional-support-dog owners to live with their pets even if it's a "no pets allowed" property.

Apart from asking for an ESA letter, a landlord isn't legally mandated to request certifications or qualifications to verify the dog's service. However, they can verify whether the owner has a mental issue and how the dog assists them with the impairment. Other questions they might ask include:

What is an ESA Letter?

An emotional support animal (ESA) letter is an official document used to prove a person's need to have an ESA to treat their disability. The letter must be drawn up and signed by a mental health professional in Arizona. An ESA applicant can use it to secure rental housing regardless of the landlord's rules on pets.

There are standard details that each legitimate ESA letter must contain. The details included in the letter protect the individual's privacy under ADA and prove that the holder is entitled to leverage the privileges that come with the letter.

Below is a list of details that an emotional support animal Arizona letter template must include:

• A mental health specialist's official letterhead
• Name of the certified mental health professional
• The type of health license
• Name of the practice
• Contact information of the practice
• Date of medical license issuance
• The therapist's jurisdiction of practice
• The type of support assistance animal
• Details about the individual's ongoing disability therapy
• The date when the therapist issued the letter

If you're traveling with an ESA dog, United Airlines will require additional information on the letter indicating:

1. That you need the animal to travel
2. The breed
3. The animal's weight

How to Obtain an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Letter

If you're already seeing a mental therapist or psychiatrist for your condition, then you have the upper hand in obtaining the healthcare professional's recommendation for an ESA.

The first step is asking your therapist whether having an emotional support dog/cat is the right option for you. The mental health expert is capable of advising you on whether you could benefit from an ESA treatment. If they deem it fit, then they will write the recommendation letter.

Any of the following licensed healthcare specialists can write up an ESA letter:

• Clinical social worker
• Psychologist
• Registered nurse (RN)
• Certified counselor
• Doctor's assistant
• Licensed marriage and family therapist
• Psychiatrist

Some of the common mental conditions that qualify individuals to receive an ESA letter are:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Chronic stress
• Learning disabilities
• Attention deficit disorder

Unfortunately, many healthcare professionals aren't familiar with Arizona laws regulating ESAs. On the other hand, you might be reluctant to bring up the subject to your therapist due to fear of being judged or embarrassed. In that case, there's an alternative: DoNotPay, an online platform that can generate an Arizona ESA letter template and connect with a therapist conversant with ESA laws.

Leverage DoNotPay and Bypass the Stress of Obtaining an ESA Letter

From the above information, it's pretty clear that a lot goes into verifying that you need an ESA for emotional support. Understanding the laws governing ESA and the nitty-gritty of traveling with an emotional support animal requires due diligence.

But you need not undergo that hassle when you can use our online service and get an ESA letter. We'll even advocate for you to secure a rental house, get ESA travel policies from American Airlines (for instance), and even partner with an affordable ESA-letter service. The upside: you can do all that online at the comfort of your couch.

Here's how you can use DoNotPay to get the help you need:

1. Visit DoNotPay online and search the "Service Animal" product
2. Select your objective for requiring an ESA letter. It can be contacting your landlord about an ESA do, queries about an airline's ESA options, or ESA accommodation requests at other properties/establishments.
3. Provide answers to a few questions about your current mental health situation and details about the emotional support animal so we can get the best outcomes.

That's all! You can leave the rest to us. Based on your issue, we'll generate a letter and contact your landlord, contact the airline agent, or send a letter to your therapist requesting a legitimate ESA letter!