A lot of people have been contacting me to ask about Support Pets ESA letters and how legitimate they are. The top things I noticed with their product were:

I reviewed 7 ESA letter services and the one I chose to move forward with was Pettable. Pettable stood out as being the most trustworthy because of their 100% money back guarantee. Living in the city as a young professional can be expensive, so having this security made me feel comfortable. I also appreciated their fast customer support, kind therapists, and the fact they didn’t try to upsell me on fake registration and ID cards. I didn’t know this until I started researching ESA laws, but all you need is a letter of recommendation from a mental health professional. Some other ESA sites do offer this legitimate letter, but they also try scamming individuals into purchasing unnecessary add-ons.

There are a lot of options for how to get evaluated for an ESA letter and they are not all equal. Some, I would even consider scammy. To avoid these scams and find the best option for me, I went through the process of evaluating a few companies that provide ESA letter services.

Scams to keep an eye out for:

1. Companies that generate  a letter without having you speak with an actual mental health professional first are scamming you. Landlords are becoming aware of these sites, and they might not accept a letter from them which would be a huge waste of your money.
2. Companies that claim an ESA has travel rights. ESAs are protected by the Fair Housing Act and only have rights in permanent residences. Companies that say you can bring your ESA on planes and into restaurants are scamming you. Only service animals have public access rights.
3. Companies that sell ESA certifications, registration numbers, or ID cards are scamming you. There is no official registration system for support animals or service animals. The only thing you need is an official letter from a licensed mental health professional recommending an ESA.

My goal was to find a service that would connect me with a real mental healthcare professional who could write me a legally sound ESA letter to allow me to live with Milo wherever I go. This guide will walk you through my reviews and what I consider the most important "do's and don'ts" when selecting an ESA service.

* I do my best to review this page monthly and keep the information up to date!

Besides my eligibility for an ESA, the letter is the most important factor for making sure Milo can live with me wherever I move. The US Department of Housing (HUD) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) have laid out some guidelines around emotional support animals and their rights. Not every ESA site I researched follows these regulations which makes their letters illegitimate and unenforceable. According to HUD, here some some key factors that ensure a legitimate experience along with some general ESA rights that I found helpful:

• Evaluation by a  licensed mental health professional — Ensure that you are being connected with a REAL mental health professional who will actually speak with you via a phone call or zoom call. HUD recognizes telehealth as an acceptable means of obtaining an ESA letter, but also warns against scam companies that generate letters after a brief questionnaire and no actual conversation with a real professional.
• Licensed mental health professional in your state — You can not legally be treated and prescribed an ESA letter if the licensed mental health professional is not licensed in your state. They do not have to live there, but they do have to have an active license. That's why it's key to find a company that has invested in a network of professionals all around the country and has one in your state. If you are moving, you can speak with a professional in the state you currently reside. The letter they write you will be valid in any other state you move to.
• Accepted license types — According to HUD, there is a variety of mental health professionals who can legally write ESA letters, not limited to: physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, or clinical social workers.
• Species/Breed Restrictions — HUD states that there are no breed or species restrictions for emotional support animals: as long as your mental health professional finds the animal to be reasonable and justified. This means that your friendly pitbull can not be discriminated against.
• ESA Quantity — HUD also states that there is no set limit to the amount of emotional support animals one person can have: as long as your mental health professional finds all animals to be reasonable and justified.  The more animals you have, the more challenging it can be for your therapist to communicate each of their specific benefits for your mental health. Due to this, many companies charge an additional fee if you have 3 or more animals being evaluated. The approval of multiple ESAs is at the sole discretion of your mental health professional.
• Public Access Rights — Since emotional support animals are only protected by HUD within your permanent residence, they have no public access rights. If the ESA service you are using advertises that you can take your ESA into hotels, restaurants, or airports they are misinforming you.
• PSDs — Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) have public access rights along with the same housing rights as ESAs since they are legally service animals and protected by the ADA. PSDs have to be trained to perform a task directly related to your mental disability which is different from ESAs who do not have to be trained at all.
• Legal and therapist support — I have researched and found tons of nightmarish stories of landlords harassing pet owners even though they have ESA letters. I need a service I could trust to defend me regardless of the situation. As a result, a strong legal team was key.
• Experience with landlord and university forms — It was super important that the service could support me with additional forms. Some landlords will ask you to have your mental health professional fill out specific documentation. According to HUD, specific forms are not legally required. If you choose to accommodate your landlord’s request and have your clinician fill out these forms, most ESA sites will be able to offer this service at an additional fee.

The Wrap Up

You've reached the end, thank you for reading my thoughts and approach to choosing the best ESA provider! As you can see, my biggest priorities were peace of mind, great service, and legitimate products. This process wasn't the most fun, but knowing I don't need to worry about taking Milo with me, is well worth the time spent. Hopefully this saves you time and makes selecting an ESA provider an easy decision!