ByGet Your Therapy Dog Certification Online With the Help of DoNotPay
The stress of work and life can cause major depression and anxiety for people living with mental health illnesses. Sometimes, medication or counseling may not be enough to get you through the day. Fortunately, most states recognize emotional support animals as a complementary form of therapy and laws exist to protect them in rental properties and workplaces.
Emotional support animals and therapy dogs have been proven to help curb anxiety and depression. Pets do not need to be registered in any database in order to be recognized as emotional support animals. Legally, almost any pet can be considered an emotional support animal as long as you can produce a document from your mental health practitioner, called an ESA letter, stating your pet is therapeutic. This DoNotPay guide will walk you through the process of getting your , as well as offer you an alternative to trying to get an ESA letter on your own.
What Is an Emotional Support Animal?
An emotional support animal is any pet that your medical or mental health practitioner has deemed therapeutic for your treating any mental health-related illnesses. An emotional support animal is most often a dog, but any pet that offers you therapeutic companionship is eligible to be an emotional support animal.
There are a number of mental health disorders and illnesses that make you a great candidate for a therapy dog or other emotional support animal. They include:
- Mild to severe depression
- PTSD
- Anxiety disorders
- Panic attacks
- Phobia disorders
There are countless reasons to want to own an emotional support animal and here are a few:
| Reduced anxiety | Spending time with ESA pets can lighten your mood and reduce your anxiety. |
| Companionship | ESA support dogs can be a companion to people who experience loneliness. |
| Better physical health | ESA pets can help to reduce pain, lower blood pressure, and stabilize breathing rates. |
| Trauma support | If you're facing severe challenges like trauma, pets can provide comfort. |
| Reasons to live | Caring for an animal can enhance your self-worth, giving you a sense of purpose. Besides, you create an emotional bond as you care for the animal while receiving love in return. |
If you have a pet that you would like to certify as an emotional support animal, you can do so without having to get them any special training. You do, however, need to be in contact with a mental health practitioner that can write you an ESA letter, certifying your pet as therapeutic. This process can be completed at a regular therapy appointment or online, depending on whether you already have a therapist you see regularly or not.
What Is an ESA Letter?
An ESA letter is an official document written by your mental health practitioner that verifies your pet is a therapy dog or other emotional support animal. This letter must be written on your mental health practitioner's official letterhead and may contain:
- Details about your condition and why you need an ESA
- Your doctor's license number and expiration date
- Information about your emotional support animal
- Your doctor's signature
Because emotional support animals are protected under certain laws, you may house them in rental properties that are otherwise pet-free, and sometimes even bring them to workplaces that do not allow pets, depending on which state you're in. However, you must be able to provide evidence that your pet is an emotional support animal and your ESA letter serves as that proof, so be sure to keep a copy for your landlord or employer.
How Do I Get an ESA Letter for My Dog Online?
If you have a pet that you would like to certify as a therapy dog or other emotional support animal, you must start a conversation with your mental health practitioner. If your practitioner believes that your pet will make a good emotional support animal, they will provide you with an ESA letter, which you must then share with any party who has requested proof that your pet is an emotional support animal. If you wish to certify your pet online, you are able to do so. The cost of completing this process varies, though it may cost more than requesting an ESA letter from your own mental health practitioner if your therapy is covered by an insurance plan.
To check out a verified online certification website:
- Go to the ESA Certificate website
- Complete the pre-screening application
- Select the type of ESA letter you need
- Get contacted by a mental health practitioner
- Receive your letter
The steps necessary to get your pet certified as an emotional support animal can be tedious or frustrating, especially if you are already suffering from depression or anxiety. Fortunately, this is not a task you need to do alone. DoNotPay has a product that can help request an ESA letter from your mental health practitioner, as well as forward the finished ESA letter to anyone who needs it, such as your landlord or employer. By following these few easy steps, you can be well on your way to successfully certifying your pet as an emotional support animal.
DoNotPay Can Help
If you're interested in getting your and don't know where to start, look no further! Just follow the steps below to get started:
- 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 all there is to it! DoNotPay can reach out to therapy dog certification online services as well as your landlord or workplace to ensure that your ESA rarely has to leave your side. Even when traveling, DoNotPay can help you get your ESA on board with you. For more information about emotional support animals and airline policies, please see the following:
- United Airlines ESA policy
- Southwest Airlines ESA policy
- American Airlines ESA policy
- General airline ESA policies
What Else Can DoNotPay Do?
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