An Easy Guide To Getting The ESA Letter
The Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are pet animals designated to support people with mental and emotional difficulties and disabilities. These pets help their pet parents with just their company, showing them support and providing them company at times of need. People suffering from mental illnesses often are unfit to lead a normal life and maybe at a disadvantage than their more abled fellows. The ESAs allow these people to cope with their troubles and be active members of society.
They can have their pet as an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) with an ESA letter for housing and traveling provisions, which they direly require. Under the law, the ESAs are allowed to accompany their pet parents on the flight with them inside the passenger cabin and also, to live with them inside their living space. This allows the affected people to be with their beloved pets that they depend on for their support.
Eligibility to have an ESA
There are no set requirements that can make a person eligible or not eligible to have an ESA. There are no limits to who can have an ESA and who cannot. A person is allowed to have an ESA pet after confirmation that the person is suffering from some mental illness and a pet animal will help the person cope with the difficulties that come with the illness. This confirmation comes in the format of an authorized and signed ESA letter.
Getting the ESA letter
The ESA letter is a prescription letter that is written, signed, and authorized by a licensed mental health specialist. If you are suffering from a mental illness and think that a pet animal designated as your ESA will help you cope with your condition, then you should apply for the ESA letter. You can do this either online or through face to face therapy sessions.
The face to face sessions involves you to go through several sessions with the mental health specialist, where the specialist—a counselor, a psychologist, a psychiatrist, etc.—will assess your condition and determine whether you are suffering from a mental illness or not. If you are the specialist will see if having a pet with you can help you cope with the situation better.
The online application needs you to find a service that is authentic and has onboard several licensed mental health specialists. Once you apply you will be asked to provide your personal information and then you will have to go through either online sessions, or you will be prompted to fill in various questionnaires and/or assessment forms. This assessment will determine your mental condition and allow the specialist to decide upon your ESA letter. The ESA letter will then be sent to you through courier or mail.
The provisions that you get
With the emotional support animal letter, you will be able to travel with your ESA pet beside you in flight, in the passenger compartment. This will allow you to be in the comfort of your support pet which will help you cope with your air travel especially if you are not comfortable with being around people or traveling by air. This is allowed under the Air Carrier Access Act which further gives the ESA owners provision by helping them get their pet onboard free of any pet fees.
The Fair Housing Act allows you to have your pet inside your rental unit, whether a house, an apartment, or any other rental unit. Under this law, the property owner is not allowed to overcharge you due to the pet or bar your entry or evict you. The owners are moreover not allowed to ask for any pet charges.
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