Emotional Support Animal Form FAQs
1) What is the purpose of an emotional support animal (ESA) form?
An ESA form is used to indicate that a mental health provider or licensed professional recommends an emotional support animal as part of the treatment plan for a patient with a diagnosed mental or emotional condition. The document is then provided to landlords, employers, or other entities who need to be made aware of the emotional support animal entering their space.
2) What information is typically required on an emotional support animal form?
An emotional support animal form requires identifying information about the ESA owner, including name, address, phone number, email, and date of birth. It also requires information about the animal itself, such as the type of animal, breed, age, vaccination status, and more. Photos of the animal may also need to be included.
An ESA form needs to include information about the mental health provider who is signing off on it, along with their verification of the patient’s condition and ESA necessity. Last, the provider should sign the document as required by the entity.
3) How do I obtain an emotional support animal form?
You can obtain an emotional support animal form by first consulting with a doctor or mental health professional. Using details about your condition, they will determine whether an emotional support animal would be beneficial for you. If so, they will provide you with an ESA recommendation or letter that you can use to request an ESA form or to send to your landlord, employer, or other entity. Make sure to check the requirements of the entity you’ll be sending the recommendation to, as they will vary.
4) Are emotional support animal forms recognized and accepted by landlords and airlines?
Yes and no.
Landlords must recognize emotional support animals. Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), ESA owners have the right to keep their animal on the premises, regardless of lease restrictions.
Airlines, on the other hand, are not subject to such laws. Recently, airlines stopped considering emotional support animals to be service animals, so whether or not they allow ESAs on board depends on the airline.
5) What is the difference between an emotional support animal form and a service animal certification?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are defined as animals that are individually trained to work with people with disabilities to perform specific tasks for them. As such, service dogs maintain full public access rights. They are allowed in all housing, airplanes, public transport, etc. A service animal certification will guarantee the owner these rights and more.
Emotional support animals, however, are not classified under the service animal umbrella according to the ADA. They are not trained for specific tasks to aid their owners unless the owner decides they should be, which is what sets them apart from service animals.
They do still provide support and are recommended by doctors and mental health professionals, but they have a more limited set of rights. Emotional support animals don’t have the same access to public spaces, but ESA forms will guarantee them entrance into housing.
