No. Service Animals are trained to assist their owners with a specific task(s) and can travel ANYWHERE their owners can. Emotional Support Animals are not trained and are still pets (thus a uniform is not required) and enjoy their special status at airports and in long term rental housing ONLY - as provided or by the ACAA (Air Carriers Access Act) and the FHA (Fair Housing Act).
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
ESA Letter Cost
The total cost of our complete service which includes online Psychological Evaluation, e-mail counseling, and Emotional Support Animal prescription letter is $99.95 and includes everything you will need to fly with your pet! (Please scroll down to the bottom of
this page for link to exam or click here Psychological Assessment.
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is any house hold Pet (dog or cat) that is able to fly CAGE FREE for no additional charge while providing emotional support to his or her owner who has been diagnosed with an identifiable emotional disability that limits one or more daily life activities.
No special training is required because ESA's are pets.
Emotional Disabilities include:
● Anxiety (Specific or Generalized)
● Personality Disorders
● Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
● Mood Disorders
● Depressive Disorder
● Panic disorder(s)
● Depression
● Sleep Disorders
● Eating Disorders
● Social Phobia(s) (including fear of flying)
● And any other psychological disorder recognized by the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Emotional Support Animals are also permitted in non-pet rental housing. Please see our "Rental Housing" section for more information or continue to our Psychological Assessmentto begin the process.
Emotional Support Animals are required to sit on the floor if they cannot be safely held in the passenger's lap. There are no size restrictions and pets as large as German Shepherds regularly fly with their owners.
Most airlines will try to leave the seat open next to a passenger flying with an Emotional Support Animal if they can (if the flight is not full) and passengers with ESA's get priority boarding and bulk-head seating preference (the seating near the front of the plane which has more leg room) at no additional cost.
This is done because airlines know passengers
with Emotional Support Animals need the extra
room and time to board
Also, it is even more important to arrive at the airport early so the airline can accommodate you and your pet (if necessary) by keeping the seat next to you open and provide you with a pre-boarding pass (allowing you to board first).
Please note airlines are not obligated by law to give emotional support animals priority boarding or bulk-head seating but rather offer such conveniences as a courtesy. If your pet is large they HAVE TO make a reasonable effort to accommodate you or reschedule your flight.
EmotionalSupportPet.com has partnered with Keystone Psychological Services in Denver, Colorado to provide Psychological Evaluations and online counseling to our clients.
Keystone's team of Licensed Mental Health Professionals will evaluate you online through an extensive battery of tests. The exam will take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete
and is issued online (Step #1 at the end of page).
A licensed therapist will review your evaluation and have your results within 2-3 business days. If a diagnosis can be made a prescription letter will be emailed to you with your results (as a PDF file to print from home).
If a diagnosis cannot be made and it is determined you do not qualify for an emotional support animal letter a full refund will be issued.
After you receive your prescription letter your assigned therapist will contact you via e-mail to begin online therapy sessions.
Please continue your online treatment as instructed by your therapist. These sessions may last a few days or a few weeks. There are no additional costs for the online therapy sessions as these are already included in the cost of the letter.
Once you have an emotional support animal letter
all you need to do is present this document at the ticketing counter during check-in that's it! THE AIRLINE CANNOT CHARGE ANY ADDITIONAL FEES.
The airline may ask to make a copy of your prescription letter which must be no older than one year old and then verify that your pet will not be a nuisance or danger to other passengers.
Basically this is done by visual observation, if your pet appears vicious, excessively noisy, or presents any other indication of being a threat or nuisance to others, the airline has the right to deny you service.
Psychiatric Service Animals
Step 1. Complete our Psychological Assessment and select desired prescription (Airline/Housing or both on the exam) Payment is made via Paypal after submitting evaluation.
Step 2. To comply with state treatment laws our therapist will email you to schedule a telephone interview. before issuing your prescription.
Step 3. If a diagnosis can be made you will receive a letter for an emotional support pet within 3-4 days from the time you submit your online evaluation (a pdf copy will be sent to your email).
If we are unable to write you an ESA Letter we will provide a Full Refund. Please review our Refund Policy.
Per Federal Law all Emotional Support Pet Letters expire one year from the date issued. To renew please submit your updated health information via our online exam above and select the renewal option for the lower price.
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Do Emotional Support Animals Need a Vest?
No. ESA's are Pets and are not required to wear uniforms or have any other kind of identification or picture ID Card of any kind. All that's required is the pet owner obtain a valid emotional support animal letter
Emotional Support Pets At the Airport
Emotional Support Pet
Recommended Airlines
If you suffer from any of the previously described emotional disabilities it is possible to train your dog to assist you as a Psychiatric Service Animal.
Psychiatric Service Animals can be trained to help their handlers by providing "tactile stimulation" by making contact with their owners during a panic attack, detect and prevent future panic attacks, awaken their handler from nightmares, search dark rooms/new environments for possible threats and remind their handler when to take needed medications.
For more information about Psychiatric Service Animals please visit our partner website UCServiceAnimalInstitute.org
Are Emotional Support Pets Service Animals?
Registering or Certifying Emotional Support Pets
Please note that "registering" or "certifying" your pet through various online registration services does not give you or your pet any additional rights - only a prescription from a licensed mental health professional can.
EmotionalSupportPet.comEmotional Support Animal Letter Service
ESA Support Pet Letter Instructions
Emotional Support Animal Letter
Flying with your Emotional Support Pet
****The Air Carrier's Access Act has changed and beginning March 1st 2021 airlines will no longer accept emotional support animals on new flights.
Some foreign airlines still accept Emotional Support Pet Prescriptions at their discretion.
*For each flight please clearly write your flight number, pet breed/weight on the top of your Letter and then fax/email to your airline.
**Please always have a copy of your pet's proof of vaccinations with you at all times