1. What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?

Emotional support animal is a pet that brings its owner a desirable mental and psychological support. However, unlike a common pet, ESAs have legal protections under the Fair Housing Act for housing, but do not have general public access rights.
Quick pace of life, daily stress, intensive work schedule lead to the situation when people feel lonely, unhappy and unable to find the inner balance. In this case, an ESA might become the part of the assigned treatment. The loving pet can provide its owner with comfort and friendship he or she needs so much.

2. Does my pet qualify as an emotional support animal?

Yes, it does! ESAs are typically common household animals like dogs or cats; housing providers may deny requests for unusual or exotic animals. Though, definitely, the most common choices are dogs, cats and rabbits.

However, you need to keep in mind that not all ESA animals can use their rights to the fullest. For example, if you have a snail, you can hardly take it to the plane`s board because airlines are not required to accept ESAs; most treat them under regular pet policies.

3. What if I don’t qualify for an ESA?

You may qualify for an ESA letter if a licensed mental health professional determines you have a disability under the FHA and an ESA helps alleviate symptoms.

4. What is the difference between an ESA and a service dog?

Service animals have ADA public-access rights. ESAs do not, and their protections apply only in housing.

5. How to register your dog as an emotional support animal?

To obtain an ESA letter, consult with a licensed mental health professional in your state who can determine eligibility.

The simplest way to get an ESA letter is to use an online telemedicine service. In this case, you manage to save much more time and efforts than with the real-life visit.

6. Can I take my service dog or emotional support animal on an airplane?

Airlines are not required to accept ESAs. Service dogs are protected under the ADA; ESAs are generally treated under airline pet policies.

However, there is one thing to note: make sure to inform the airline that you are going to travel with an ESA in advance. Airlines require different documents for your ESA pet and have different policy towards various animal types. Check it long before the flight to avoid unexpected surprises.

7. Is my ESA allowed to be taken in the cabin of airplane when traveling?

If you provide the airline with the necessary documentation, you must check your airline’s pet travel policy. Airlines are not required to allow ESAs in the cabin. However, as mentioned before, some animals are never allowed in the cabin: reptiles, snakes, alligators, etc. To get the full list, contact the airline you are going to use.

8. Can I bring my emotional support animal to hotels?

Under the FHA, most landlords must accommodate ESAs without fees or deposits, unless exemptions or exceptions apply (e.g., owner-occupied small buildings, direct threat). The only demand is that your ESA is well-behaved enough not to distract the other tenants and not to damage the private property. If anything of the kind happens, ESA owner is to take financial responsibility.

9. What if my emotional support animal creates a disturbance or destroys property?

Having obtained an ESA letter, you certainly get plenty of benefits. Though, you need to remember that there are duties, too. You are responsible for the behavior of your pet, so you need to train it not to disturb other people or to destroy the public or private property. If the inappropriate behavior of your pet has resulted in damage, you might be faced with the necessity to pay compensation or even to be refused in accommodation.

10. Are stores required to allow service animals to be placed in a shopping cart?

If you have a service animal, you can take it to the store with you since this pet is vitally important for your physical well-being. However, most stores prohibit placing service dogs in a shopping cart because of food safety reasons.

11. I have damaged/lost my original letter. How can I get a new one?

That is hardly a problem. Get in touch with our medical specialists (if you used our online service to get the ESA letter) and contact the licensed mental health professional who issued your ESA letter to request a replacement copy immediately after application.

12. What is the refund policy?

We make sure that our clients are absolutely satisfied with the service, so we have the refund policy. If you do not get the ESA letter or face any trouble with its use, we will either fix your problems or get the whole amount refunded. Please keep in mind that refund policy does not relate to cases when the customer has changed his mind about getting an ESA letter, so make a decision beforehand.

13. Can I upgrade my plan?

When making an order, you are asked to choose between ESA letters apply to housing accommodations under the FHA. Airlines are not required to accept ESA letters that gives the maximal benefit. Please consider the plan choice carefully because you will not be able to change it in most cases. However, you can upgrade your Travel or Housing plan to the Combo one paying the difference only if that happens within the 60 day period after the approval.

14. When will payment be processed?

As soon as your application is approved, you can pay for the order. Note that you do not have to pay anything if your request is denied. After you send the payment, it gets processed immediately.

15. How long is my ESA letter valid?

Many landlords request recent ESA documentation, often within the last year. Renewal may be required by your LMHP in this case.