If you are thinking about getting your furry friend officially registered as an emotional support animal, you may be wondering how it works. What qualifications must you meet, what documentation do you need to fill out, and who can authorize this for you? Here are the answers to these questions and more.

What Certification Do You Need?

In order to have an emotional support animal, you must have a diagnosed mental illness which would be improved by having a support animal. A mental health professional such as a therapist or physician can help diagnose you and discuss with you whether a support animal would be beneficial. You will then need a letter of certification written.

Who Can Write an Emotional Support Animal Certification Letter?

In order to make your emotional support animal official and gain the benefits of living with your pet regardless of pet policy and pet fees, which is protected under the Fair Housing Act, you must get an emotional support animal letter of certification. Any licensed mental health professional can write this letter of certification for you. This includes therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc. To write a letter for you, they must meet you, inspect your condition, and discuss your situation and mental health struggles. They will need to meet with you either in person, via Zoom, or by telephone call to diagnose your condition and confirm that an emotional support animal is a good choice for your situation.

Do Emotional Support Animal Letters of Certification Need to be Renewed?

Your letter of certification will need to be renewed at least once a year. You will have to go through the same process of meeting with a licensed mental health professional, who will review your condition and approve you for another year.

Having an emotional support animal can bring so much joy and comfort into the life of an individual struggling with mental health issues. Getting your animal certified is fairly simple, as you simply need to meet with a mental health professional and have them write you a letter of certification. Here at United Support Animal, we have mental health professionals on hand who can help you through this process and get you a certification letter in no time. Contact us today!