Can I get an ESA letter before adopting a dog?

Emotional Support Animals are pets that have the ability to alleviate the symptoms of mental or emotional illness. Where medications deliver no benefit, these animals can cure so many severe mental disorders with just their affection and companionship.

With so much hype on mental disorders these days, that’s the reason why the Emotional Support Animals are so recognized and appreciated as a blessing that humans have received. Out of all the animals, dogs are the ones that are mostly preferred as ESAs.

If anyone is suffering from any psychiatric disabilities, ESA dog’s assistance is the most suitable way to get over these. With no pain and just love, one can overcome any mental struggles through the support of Emotional Support Dogs.

However, whenever opting for ESA dog assistance, many people face this predicament. What should they get first? Emotional Support Dog or Emotional Support Animal Prescription letter! The dilemma becomes more solemn when you live in a rental property. What to bring home into the apartment first, without facing any complications with housing authorities?

If you have the same questions, go through this article till the end to know the answers.

What Will an ESA Letter Contain?

Most people question if their ESA Letter won’t contain the Pet Information, would it be considered Legitimate?

Well, yes, even if the initial letter doesn’t contain the Pet details, housing authorities will still consider it an authentic document and accept it.

That said, the ESA Letter cannot miss other necessary details, and it must be signed by a licensed mental health professional. Only a Licensed mental health professional can attest that the person has a serious mental illness and requires an ESA’s assistance.

Coherently putting, the following should be on point to consider an ESA Letter genuine:

• ESA Letter should be written on the licensed mental health professional’s (LHMP’s) authorized letterhead
• It must contain LMHP’s details like the name and contact details of the professional, as well as the license number, license type, and active period of the license.
• It should have the patient’s name and LMHP’s approval note that the patient has a serious mental illness and requires ESA assistance.
• The mention of the laws protects the patient who owns the ESA Letter.
• It is an obligation to have the LMHP’s signature at the end of the document.

If you have already chosen the type of animal you will own, like a dog, the LHMP will just mention the dog in place of pet details. If you have decided on more information like breed or anything else about the ESA, these can be included in the letter even before adopting it.

However, pet details are not as essential details as the ones we mentioned to you before. The above-described information will proclaim that your mental illness genuinely requires the assistance of an Emotional Support Animal.

A Mental health professional prescribes an animal’s assistance to heal the mental illness. That’s why it is also called an Emotional Support Animal Prescription Letter. The primary purpose of an ESA Letter is to highlight the need for your disability to have an ESA.

You can also ask the health professional to add the pet’s details, even adopting an emotional support dog.

How to get an ESA Letter?

Getting an ESA letter even before or after adopting an emotional support dog is easy. You can trust My ESA Therapist if you are looking for a trustable platform to get ESA Letter signed by licensed mental health professionals. Follow the below-mentioned process to get an ESA Letter in less than a day:

Fill up the form:
You can visit the website and fill up a simple form by mentioning your necessary medical details. Once done, you can submit your form.

Evaluation by a licensed mental health professional:
After the health professional receives your ESA Letter, they will evaluate whether your mental illness requires ESA assistance or not.

Download your ESA Letter:
If the health professional approves, you will receive your ESA letter and show it to the housing authorities whenever you want.

When To Submit an ESA Letter?

You can receive your ESA Letter within 24 hours of applying for My ESA Therapist. Therefore, as soon as you get your ESA Letter, please submit it to your landlord.

Landlords can take up to 10 days to respond to the ESA Letter application, and it is legal( not more than 10 days). Therefore, the earlier you submit your ESA Letter, the earlier you can adopt an emotional support dog.

You should also know that, as per the Fair Housing Act, it is unlawful for housing authorities to “unreasonably delay” the reasonable accommodation request of a tenant.

Whether or not the building follows a no-pet policy doesn’t matter at all. The landlord has to accept the ESA request without asking for extra charges.

What if the Landlord Doesn’t Accept the ESA Letter?

The landlord can deny the ESA Letter, but they have to explain why. Although, your landlord is obliged by the Fair Housing Act to accept your Emotional Support Animal request. However, the landlord can deny the ESA if it is a direct threat to other tenants or if it adds extra financial pressure on the housing authorities.

Another reason could be the ESA Letter is bogus, or you have signed up for ESA registrations instead of a legitimate ESA Letter. ESA registrations are fake and not covered by federal or state Emotional Support Animal laws.

If any of the above scenarios are false and your landlord is questioning your mental illness. Then, let us tell you, it is completely illegal, and the government authorities can punish the landlord for this.

Whether the landlord is asking about mental illness or giving invalid reasons for denying an Emotional Support Animals request, it is unacceptable. You can pick any of the following scenarios:

Talk with the landlord and inform them it is entirely illegal. If this won’t work, you can skip to the subsequent two suggestions.
File a complaint with HUD.
Hire an ESA lawyer.

No matter the breed, size, weight, and type of animal, as per the Fair Housing Act, the landlord has to accept an Emotional Support Animal request without demanding extra charges.