BySample Letter For Flying With Your Emotional Support Animal
Mental health professionals often advise aerophobic to take their support animals whenever they travel by air. The animals offer therapeutic comfort to owners, providing a boost to mental health and alleviating psychiatric disorders. But to do it, you'll need an .
Emotional support animals can be cats, dogs, birds, or reptiles. We remember one instance where a passenger needed to bring her emotionally supportive peacock on a flight.
Patients bring their emotional support animals pretty much everywhere they go. Often, this means taking them where animals typically don't belong, like an airplane.
Airlines will be resistant. Generally, they often do not have the accommodations for these creatures in cabins. The staff and passengers may not appreciate having a pet around.
So, the airline may deny your request to take a support animal with you. And the law will be on the airline's side as airlines aren't obligated to take the animals.
You may have to produce a letter showing you need that animal to relieve stress and anxiety over flying. The letter needs careful wording and adherence to medical community standards. It's called an Emotional Support Animal letter, or ESA.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is a prescription by a licensed mental health professional. They assign the animal to a patient with a mental illness that's better managed with the animal.
How Emotional Support Animals Help People:
| Improves Your Schedule | Schedules and routines may be very important, yet, schedules may seem tedious. A pet requires care and a certain routine. You must feed them; you have to walk them, bathe them, play with them, etc. Setting your schedule to be based on their needs can also impact your other day-to-day tasks. |
| Improve Memory and Focus | Pets are very good at keeping person-centered. If you forget to feed them, they will remind you. If you feel lost in thought, they can give you a nudge to remind you that they are there. |
| Improve Sleep | If you are someone who suffers from hyperactivity, you may feel unable to rest well at night. After running, walking, playing, and focusing on your pet throughout the day, you may be able to rest more at night. |
| Relieves Stress | Pets provide unconditional love to their owners. They are unable to yell or do things that may stress you. This can give you a sense of confidence and reduce your risk of depression or anxiety. |
Service Animals vs. Emotional Support Animals
The Americans With Disabilities Act distinguishes the service animal as "trained to do work or perform tasks" that the patient would not otherwise be able to do. Ergo, the service animal can go anywhere their owners do.
Emotional support animals may have no responsibility outside of a presence in a patient's life. Emotional support animals instead only serve patients dealing with anxiety, depression, and phobias. They are not entitled to the same privileges as service animals.
To circumvent the obstacles that prevent taking your .
DoNotPay can help you get that document.
What Is an ESA Letter?
The only way to evidence your pet's emotional support animal status is with an . Signed by a medical professional, you present the letter to airlines. It explains why you need the animal when you fly.
An ESA has to contain:
- Letter issue date
- Medical professional's contact information
- Medical professional's license number
- License expiration date
Many airlines are ready to accept emotional support animals if you produce a letter.
Take note no airline is obligated to accept emotional support animals, whether you present an ESA or official certificate. But you have a greater chance of traveling with your animal if you do.
Who Can Write an Emotional Support Animal Letter for Flying?
With a few bits of information, DoNotPay will send out a demand letter to the right resource for getting an ESA.
The list of clinicians we can reach out to includes:
- Psychologists
- Social workers
- Psychiatrists
- Registered nurses
- Counselors
- Mental health counselors
- Marriage and family therapists
- Physician's assistants'
Professionals create ESAs depending on a variety of factors, including local guidelines and psychiatric history.
Example ESA Letter for Flying
The letter can be simple or extremely detailed. The writer/professional will determine the exact content.
At its simplest, needs the following.
Good day.
My client, [your name], is being treated for fear of flying and other life-limiting disabilities. I believe it is in their best interest to use an emotional support animal when they travel by plane.
Sincerely,
[Medical health professional's signature]
The letter needs printing on the licensed professional's letterhead.
How to Get an ESA on Your Own
Here are situations that can get you an ESA.
- If they believe it will help, your licensed mental health professional may suggest an emotional support animal.
- You can request the option if you believe it's right for you.
- It's important to present your argument so that you're not rejected.
- Some clinicians may not know enough about support animals to make educated decisions. You may need a referral to another professional.
- You can also go online to consult with a clinician who specializes in these letters.
This will, of course, be a tedious process. With DoNotPay, let us write demand letters to find the right clinician.
Next Steps for Getting an ESA if You Can’t Do It Yourself
Through our new Service and Emotional Support Animals product, DoNotPay can help you with all of your ESA-related concerns, including contacting an airline, counselor, or other entity about an ESA, asking airlines about their accommodation options, and finding the most affordable online ESA-letter service.
- Search "service animal" on DoNotPay.
- Select the type of issue you need help with, including contacting your landlord about your ESA/service animal, asking your airline about ESA options, or requesting ESA/service accommodations at other venues.
- Answer a series of questions about your current situation and the details of your ESA/service animal, so we can generate the best results for you.
And that's it. Depending on your issue, DoNotPay will generate a letter and mail it on your behalf, contacting the airline agency, getting back to you with an answer, or sending a letter to your mental health professional requesting an ESA letter.
Why Use DoNotPay to Get Your ESA to Fly With an Emotional Support Animal
You can spend time writing letters, making phone calls, and waiting. Or you can reach out to DoNotPay and utilize the fastest and easiest avenues for finding a medical health clinician and getting your letter.
More DoNotPay Products for Your Pets
DoNotPay is your resource for
- Finding lost pets
- Generating pet custody agreements
- Filing animal abuse reports
- Getting pet licenses
DoNotPay Is for Everyone
DoNotPay doesn't just help get ESAs in general. We get them specifically for United Airlines or Southwest. DoNotPay finds clinicians in Kentucky, California, or Maryland. We work everywhere for everyone.
What Else Does DoNotPay Do?
- To contact animal control
- Cancel a membership, or subscription
- Get a hotel upgrade
- Go to small claims court
- Help with an airline dispute
DoNotPay is ready to support your fight!