Ranking The Top 10 Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services of 2022

Emotional support animals (ESA's) are assistance animals that are extremely important for people's mental health and emotional well-being. But to be able to have an emotional support animal and be protected by and under federal law, you must get an ESA letter.

So to help all that are in need of an emotional support animal right away, I ranked the top 10 best ESA letter services to have in 2022.

Just to give you a heads-up, though, I'm gonna be telling you the #1 position so you can get a feel for what this article will be helping you for.

The best emotional support animal letter service provider in 2022 for all categories is American Service Pets, as it offers the most benefits across the board. 

Now, let's get into the article!

The Top 10 Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services, Ranked

So, now that you know everything there is to know about emotional support animals and the services to get an ESA letter, here's the top 10 best ESA letter registration services out there!

1. Certapet - Best Overall

Pros

• Over 7,500 5-star reviews online
• Telehealth appointment setup is easy
• Free five-minute screening test
• Fast turnaround 
• Compliant with both federal and state laws

Cons:

• Money-back guarantee excludes consultation fees

Runner-up CertaPet, which is also BBB accredited and has an A rating, provides the best ESA letters. The company holds a 5-star rating on almost every platform available, with more than 7,500 5-star reviews.

However, I do wanna say that while you do get a free screening, the cost for an ESA letter that covers both housing and airline ESA coverage is $200, which sounds expensive, but in American Service Pets, you get one housing letter for $99.99, and here you get a combined letter for $200, so they're both technically the same price.

And the letter does last a full year (the legal maximum) and you get both housing and travel benefits. Also, CertaPet has licensed mental health professionals who are qualified in animal-assisted therapy.  So say no more, CertaPet is the winner!

2. American Service Pets - Runners up

Pros:

• Stays current on ESA regulations
• Top-notch customer support
• Quick turnaround time
• Compliant with both federal and state laws
• No hidden fees

Cons:

• There is a $39 fee if you cancel your order
• No refunds after 24 hours or after signing the consent form

American Service Pets is a BBB accredited business with nationwide acceptance! But while this is all true, I do have to say that I found their website to be a little sketchy, to be honest, so that's why this is in the second position.

However, they do connect you to a mental health professional on the same website, for which you won't have to go looking for one yourself.

But when it comes to cost-effectiveness, it's pretty good! While CertaPet offers their housing and airline letters individually for $149.99 each, American Service Pets offers their housing letter for only $99.99! However, when I recently entered the website, they were only offering their housing letter, not their airline or dual-function letter, which was a bummer.

And their speed of delivery was an instant download, which was a little sketchy. So, in this way, I don't know if I fully trust their letter legitimacy if not for other reviews. Finally, the qualifications of their ESA doctors were nowhere to be found.

3. PDS Center - Best for Combined Letters

Pros:

• Easy process
• Downloadable copy

Cons:

• Phone consultations only
• No refund guarantee

The PDS Center letter is affordable, at a price of about $200 per combined letter, includes a free pre-screening quiz, and can be delivered in 24 hours for an extra $50. Their quality of service is outstanding, as they contact you immediately following your completion of their 3-minute quiz, and their doctors are highly qualified.

PDS Center has over 10,000 5-star reviews and offers a full refund guarantee if you are not satisfied with their service.

4. Support Pets - Best for Speedy Delivery

Pros:

• Simple and quick process
• Get in touch with a licensed therapist
• Questionnaire takes 15 minutes to complete
• Follows up with clients

Cons:

• No refund if you cancel
• The website is not user-friendly

Now, with Support Pets, they are actually very affordable, since it's normally $194 but now it's at 50% off, with the cost being $97 for a combined letter! Their speed of delivery is very quick, and yet the legitimacy doesn't come into question! However, the customer service is a bit rude, which was really disappointing, and they have no follow-up on legal support and no money-back guarantee or knowledge of ESA's.

5. ESA Doctors - Best for Customer Service

Pros:

• Same day ESA approval
• Great customer service
• There is a 30-day 100% refund policy

Cons:

• Medical insurance isn’t acceptable to cover exam fees
• The website may be a bit clunky

Now comes ESA Doctors. They have good customer service and it's cost-effective. However, their speed of delivery is pretty slow, which kind of does guarantee letter legitimacy, but there's no legal support. Yet, the qualifications of their ESA doctors are great! So, since I feel a bit neutral about ESA Doctors, I'm rating it fifth.

6. Mango Clinic - Best for Easy Appointment Scheduling

Pros:

• customer support 24/7
• Streamlined and detailed websites

Cons:

• It takes longer to approve and send the ESA letter
• No refund guarantee 

Up next is Mango Clinic. This one is also on the bottom of the list, and it's because of the fact that their medical professionals are not ESA experts, which, at the end of the day, really matters when it comes to having an ESA letter written for you.

However, I do have to admit that it was very easy to schedule an appointment with them, which is important to some people

7. Emotional Pet Support- Not recommended

Now, this company, Emotional Pet Support, specializes in ESA letters. Their affordability is great, with $98 for both letters with a full refund guarantee and no expiration date. But, although this sounds good, I was suspicious about this one, since the legal maximum for an ESA letter is one year. So, maybe go with another service.

8. Pettable - Not recommended

Next up is Pettable. Although their quality of service is great, their speed of delivery is so fast that it makes me skeptical, which is why they're at the bottom of the list. And while their website looks reputable, I wouldn't trust the legitimacy of their letters.

So, for this service, I don't recommend that you schedule an appointment, because the cost for it is pretty high. Not just the $150-$200 that you'll pay to get the ESA letter, but then there's also the risk of the fine you could pay if it turns out to be fake. So, this one was a no-go for me.

9. United Service Dog - Not recommended

Next up is United Service Dog, also a registration site! It's a no for me.

10. US Service Animals - Not recommended

At the bottom of the list sits US Service Animals since they're a registration site! And remember you can't trust those, legitimacy-wise.

Before You Choose an ESA Letter Service

Basic requirements of a Great ESA Service

Before you choose an emotional support animal letter service provider, you need to make sure it meets all of the basic requirements of a quality one.

Qualities of a good ESA Service

The basic requirements for a quality ESA service are great customer service, quality mental health experts, cost effectiveness (not cheapness), legal support, and a money back guarantee.

You also need to make sure that it is legitimate, not out to scam you with fake ESA letters. That’s because these are actually very common, especially with today’s online world.

Steps to Obtain a Valid ESA Letter

Just as a fair warning and a way to get you a legitimate ESA letter, here I name the steps you need to take in order to get a valid ESA letter.

First, make sure that they are not extraordinarily (better known as dirt-) cheap. That means, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Just kidding, but another better way to make sure is scaling the prices that'll appear in this article! Although, about more than $100 and less than $300 is ideal for your chosen service.

Next, you have to make sure that the service isn't too fast, which means getting instant approval. I say this because that may mean that the letter is illegitimate since it usually takes about a day or two.

You also need to make sure that you'll be getting legal support as a part of your service.

That's all for now, let's keep going with the article!

Watching Out For Scammers

You must know that there are scammers for emotional support animal services out there. And it's not just about avoiding getting scammed, it's about what could happen to you if you accidentally use a fake emotional support animal letter. That is, you could receive a fine of up to $125,000 or even a jail sentence for doing this, as it is a federal offense.

You also have to keep in mind that you do NOT have to "register" your ESA to be able to neither get a letter nor meet the legal requirements of having one. So, watch out for any "registration" sites, as they may just be trying to scam you and get your money.

That's why you have to remember to go to a well-known and reputable website to get a legitimate emotional support animal letter, which are going to be listed here.

Knowing Your Rights

Another thing you should know before choosing your ESA letter service is your rights when it comes to ESA's and service animals. Knowing your rights and the laws that protect you as a receiver of emotional support animal services is extremely important. This is because people can try to take advantage of their rules to override your rights by federal laws.

For example, if you have your pet or service animal and you're moving into a new rented apartment or house that doesn't, under any circumstances, accept pets, not even service dogs, the Fair Housing Act protects you from having to go without your emotional support pet.

For example, if your landlord is requiring you to pay pet fees when it comes to having a psychiatric service dog just because it is considered a pet in a place where no pets are allowed, then you are protected under the Fair Housing Act.

When it comes to airlines and traveling with your pet, assistance animal, or emotional support animal, airline laws are also in place, for the Air Carrier Access Act will protect you from airlines not allowing your emotional support dog, for example, to travel with you.

But for these laws to protect you completely, you need to have an ESA letter written for you by a licensed mental health professional.

Now that you know all there is to know about having an emotional support animal, let's look at the qualifications you need to get a letter that validates them.

How To Qualify for an ESA Letter

A licensed mental health provider can provide an emotional support letter for individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental condition under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). You simply need your mental health professional to document your diagnosis and write the letter that certifies you have a mental health disability and need an ESA to alleviate it. 

But to get a legitimate ESA letter, you must get it from quality ESA services so that you're on your way to having an emotional support animal to provide emotional support and/or aid you in your anxiety, depression, among other mental illnesses, mental health difficulties, and even mental disabilities.

Requirements for Qualifying for an ESA

The first one is that you must be diagnosed with a mental illness, mental health condition, or mental or emotional disability by a licensed mental health expert, such as generalized anxiety disorders, social anxieties, depression, phobias, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), among other mental health disorders or emotional disabilities.

On top of that, the condition you are diagnosed with must be deemed serious or severe enough to qualify as a disability so that you are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Additionally, you are required to be receiving treatment for this condition, whether it be through therapy, medication or counseling.

The next step is that your medical professional must also certify that your emotional support animal relieves your mental or emotional disability. If you qualify, the licensed mental health professional will give you a custom treatment plan and a letter after verifying that you have an emotional disability that requires an emotional support animal such as an emotional support dog. 

Different Kinds of ESA Letters

However there are different kinds of ESA letters. Their name depends on their function. For example, for the housing ESA qualification, an ESA housing letter is necessary. This'll ensure that you don't have to pay housing-related pet fees and that you can live with your emotional support animal in a place where no pets are allowed!

There are also ESA letters that are needed for airlines. These allow you to travel with service animals such as service dogs and also allow other kinds of emotional support animals.

However, if you need a letter for both airline travel and housing, I highly recommend getting one that explicitly says it covers both grounds. This is because the two letters do not overlap. You won't be able to use an ESA letter for housing for travel exemptions, or vice versa. 

How Can I Apply For An ESA Letter?

The process for going about applying for an ESA letter first starts with booking a session with a licensed medical professional over the phone. You can also be matched with independent mental health professionals based on your needs.

For this, you must make sure that the service does not ask you to pay a fee to fill out a questionnaire. rather, the screening should be freeto determine your ESA needs. Then, you'll have time reserved with a licensed mental health professional for your state that'll determine whether you qualify for an emotional support animal or not, and even offer medical or psychological advice.

So once you and your pet have gone through the screening process and have qualified for your ESA letter, you should be getting it within a few days!

Conclusion - The Best ESA Services for Emotional Support Animals

An emotional support animal is not just a pet. In fact, studies have shown that they regulate your central nervous system and improve your mental health in ways that doctors never thought of before.

So, to be able to showcase your animal as one that provides the service of an emotional support animal (ESA), aiding you in your general mental health or emotional disability, then you need a legitimate ESA letter to be able to do this. And the best service to do that with is Certapet.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I hope that this has helped go well on your way to bettering your mental health issues or aiding your mental or emotional disability.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the best way to get an emotional support animal?

The most trusted way to get an emotional support animal is by getting legitimate ESA letters that comply with federal and state laws. The best way to do this is to follow the process of this article and get an ESA letter for your specific needs.

Which animals qualify as ESA's?

Dogs and cats are the most common emotional support animals, but other domestic animals, such as birds, rabbits, fishes, or any small domesticated animals, can provide comfort and emotional support as long as they help with a person's mental health.

For example, psychiatric service dogs definitely qualify as emotional support animals. Wild or exotic animals that are not legally permitted as service animals.

Which mental disorders qualify for an ESA?

Mental disorders that qualify for an emotional support animal registration can be bipolar disorder, anxiety, ADHD, autism spectrum, and depression. However, this is not an exhaustive list and there may be other mental illness or emotional or mental disability that qualifies for an ESA.

What is the difference between an ESA and a PSD?

The difference between an emotional support animal (ESA) and a psychiatric service dog (PSD) is that a PSD is specially trained to perform tasks for their owner, while an ESA is not required to be trained and tends to offer support to their owner in times of difficulty. 

Are online ESA letters legit?

Yes, they are legitimate. However, you must be wary of scams and watch for any signs previously listed in the article, especially for any registration sites.

Do I need to use a registration site to meet the legal requirements of my ESA?

NO. Using "Registration" sites does NOT meet the legal requirements of an ESA and will. Never use those, as they may be trying to scam you.