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Emotional Support Animal Letter Template
An Emotional Support Animal Letter is a legal document that individuals can use when they are required to confirm that the animal that accompanies them is an emotional support animal. The purpose of the document is to show that the individual has a legal right to keep their animal with them because it helps them to reduce symptoms of their health condition.
Alternate Names:
- ESA Letter;
- Therapist Letter for Emotional Support Animal;
- Companion Animal Letter.
Generally, this type of letter is supposed to provide legal evidence that an individual has a health condition (disorder, illness), and the animal that goes together with them is a part of their treatment. An Emotional Support Animal Letter template can be downloaded below.
Not all individuals with health conditions can qualify for this kind of letter. If you do not know whether you meet the criteria and can apply for the letter, you can contact your primary healthcare provider or schedule an appointment with a licensed physician in your state and ask them for details.
How to Write an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
Unfortunately, not any letter can be considered an ESA Letter. Since this letter is a legal document that gives you special rights, it should follow particular requirements developed for this type of letter.
Your letter should follow an Emotional Support Animal Letter template and include the following types of information:
- Information About the Practitioner . This type of letter should include the name of the therapist who prepared the letter, the type of medical license they have, the date when their license was issued, the state of their jurisdiction, and other details.
- Emotional Support Animal Description . These kinds of letters must provide a thorough description of the animal that goes together with the individual which includes the type of the animal, its breed, its weight, and so on.
- Health Condition Details . The letter should also contain a part where the therapist states that the individual is under their treatment, and that the animal indicated in the letter is part of this treatment. It can also state the name of the individual's health condition and that the animal helps the individual to mitigate the symptoms of their health condition.
- Other Statements . The therapist should also designate that the individual under treatment requires the animal designated in the letter to travel with them, to live with them, etc.
Additionally, your Companion Animal Letter must be printed on the official stationery of the practice where your therapist is registered. Commonly, the official stationery includes a letterhead with the practice's logo, name, contact information, and other details.
Make certain your letter has a date on it. Your letter should be updated annually so that your therapist will confirm that you still qualify for an emotional support animal. If you try to use a letter that is old, it might not be accepted.
Who Can Write an Emotional Support Animal Letter?
Not any therapist can prepare a legit ESA letter. This legal document must be prepared by a licensed mental health professional (in your state) or by your primary healthcare provider. They will determine whether your (and your health condition) can benefit from having your animal around and if it is so, they will compile a letter for you.
If your letter is written by a specialist who has no authority to prepare ESA letters, or if it lacks any of the important information (such as medical license details, therapist information, etc.), then it might be rejected.
How to Get a Letter for an Emotional Support Animal?
Individuals can require such kinds of letters for different purposes, which is why it is an important question on how you can get one. The situations when you must provide this type of letter can include:
- An Emotional Support Animal Letter for Flying can allow you to take your animal on your flight. However, even if you obtained the letter, check out the airline's regulations as some of them do not allow animals on board even if you have a health condition;
- An Emotional Support Animal Housing Letter can be requested by your landlord in situations when you want to live in a place where pets are not allowed, or where tenants have to pay a fee for pets. In both situations, you need your ESA due to your health condition, therefore, it is not a pet.
So if you need this kind of letter to secure your right to keep your ESA aside you in various situations, you should contact your primary healthcare provider (or licensed therapist) and ask them to prepare one.
Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates and samples below:
