ByCan I Travel With an ESA on Greyhound Lines?
Traveling with an ESA on public transportation can be tricky. Unfortunately, emotional support animals are not legally allowed on public transportation because they are not considered service animals under the ADA. You will need to determine whether your preferred shuttle accommodates emotional support animals or bus accommodation requests.
At DoNotPay, we strive to provide you with all the information you need for your
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
Emotional support animals are pets prescribed by a mental health professional as a medical treatment plan. ESAs provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias. They are not service animals, as they do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.
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. |
What Is an ESA Letter?
An ESA letter is an official letter, signed and issued only by a certified mental health professional, proving a person's need for an emotional support animal to improve their physical, social, emotional, or cognitive functioning.
An ESA letter should contain the following details:
- An official letterhead
- Mental health professional's name and contact information
- The date the letter was issued
- Why you need an ESA
ESA Letter Example
Below is an ESA letter example
[Date]
Name of Professional (therapist, physician, psychiatrist, rehabilitation counselor)
XXX Road
City, State Zip
Dear [Travel Entity]:
[Full Name of Tenant] is my patient and has been under my care since [Date]. I am completely familiar with their history and the functional limitations imposed by their disability. They meet the definition of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Due to mental illness, [first name] has certain limitations regarding [social interaction/coping with stress/anxiety, etc.]. To help alleviate these difficulties and enhance their ability to live independently and fully use and enjoy traveling with your airline/shuttle, I am prescribing an emotional support animal to assist [first name] in coping with their disability.
Upon request, I would be happy to answer other questions you may have concerning my recommendation that [Full Name of Patient] have an emotional support animal.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Name of Professional]
Greyhound Emotional Support Animals
Unfortunately, emotional support animals are not legally required to be allowed on public transportation. Greyhound has very strict criteria that your pet needs to meet to travel on the bus. Except for certified service dogs, — including ESA dogs.
However, DoNotPay can help you by sending a request letter.
How to Request Greyhound Emotional Support Animal Accommodation by Yourself
To travel with an ESA, you'll need to provide an official ESA letter signed by a licensed mental health professional.
If you don't have an ESA letter, you can request one by
- Requesting an appointment with your mental health care provider.
- Booking an online appointment with a certified mental health professional.
You will then have to to request accommodation for your ESA.
We understand how lengthy and frustrating these processes can be. That is why we at DoNotPay do the heavy lifting, and you can get to planning the actual trip with your ESA.
How to Request Greyhound Emotional Support Animal Accommodation With the Help of DoNotPay
Through our new Service and Emotional Support Animals product, DoNotPay can help you send a accommodation within minutes. DoNotPay can also help you with related concerns like contacting your landlord about your ESA, asking airlines about their accommodation options and finding the most affordable online ESA-letter service.
DoNotPay has you covered in 3 easy steps:
- 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 to Greyhound Lines and get back to you with an answer, or send a letter to your mental health professional requesting an ESA letter.
More DoNotPay Products for Your Pets
We also have many more pet-related products for you.
- Lost and Found Pets
- Pet Custody Agreement
- Pet Licenses
- Report Animal Abuse
DoNotPay Works Across Companies
DoNotPay can help you solve all of your ESA-related problems across different shuttle companies, airlines, and states.
- DoNotPay can help you find United Airlines ESA accommodation the same way it can with American Airlines.
- DoNotPay can help you find Greyhound ESA accommodation the same way it can with Amtrak.
- DoNotPay can help request ESAs to Delta the same way it can with Southwest.
What Else Can DoNotPay Do?
Outside of ESA-related problems, DoNotPay can help you solve problems in other areas:
- Animal control
- Airline flight compensation
- Small claims court
- Hotel upgrades
- Sending any document via online fax
Learn more about our services by signing up today.