11 Things To Look Out for In a Fake Emotional Support Animal Letter

11 Things To Look Out for In a Fake Emotional Support Animal Letter Let people know that how to identify the fake ESA letter

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INTRODUCTION Mental illness or disabilities are at their peak in the current scenario. Millions of people are suffering from mental disorders — sometimes it is mild, and sometimes it is severe. One of the best ways to deal with mental issues is to have an emotional support animal. People who are having mental disabilities or they’re suffering from chronic mental disorders are allowed or permitted to have emotional support for animals along with them throughout the day. These people are allowed to take their emotional support animal on flights and have the right to accommodate them in residential property without any denial from the landlords.

Emotional support animals are not counted as normal pets. They are required by individuals suffering from mental illness to cope with their mood swings, aggression, depression, stress, anxiety attacks, and loneliness. But how do you prove that the pet you are carrying is an emotional support animal and not a normal pet?

Well, this can be done with the help of an ESA letter.

WHAT EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL LETTER? An ESA letter is an official or legal document that is provided by an authorized mental health care professional and is duly signed by the legal practitioner. The ESA letter states that the person is suffering from a specific mental disability or illness and they are under medical treatment. The letter also states that the emotional support animal is not a normal pet but a companion that will help in supporting the ongoing treatment and coping with mental disabilities. With the help of this letter, the individual who is experiencing mental illness will be able to get the right to take their ESA along with them everywhere and also cannot be denied safe accommodation (even in places that do not allow pets).

As the ESA letter can get sanctioned and is available through online portals, there are many fraudsters who are designing fake ESA letters and providing them to various people. Due to this, the misuse of the ESA letter has increased. If you want to avoid being part of such a scam and check the authenticity of the ESA letter, you must focus on these 11 points. These points will help you in distinguishing between fake and authentic ESA letters.

THESE POINTS WILL HELP YOU TO IDENTIFY THE FAKE ESA LETTERS. #1 The ESA letter must have all the essential details such as the name, designation, and contact information of the licensed mental healthcare professional, the certification ID of the patient, information about the emotional support animal (breed, age, what animal it is). Along with this, there should be mention of the mental illness the person is suffering from. If these details are not available, it is a fake ESA letter. #2 There should be no irregularities in the ESA letter. It should be provided only by licensed professionals and not by random people. #3 If the ESA letter is available to you at free-ofcost or at a cheap rate, then it is a fake letter.

Getting an ESA letter is expensive because healthcare institutes and licensed practitioners are involved, so it won’t be cheap.

CONTINUE... #4 If there is no provision of customer support mentioned in the letter, it is a fake ESA letter. #5 If an individual or online portal is claiming to register your pet as an emotional support animal, then it is completely fake. You do not need to register the animal as ESA, but get it certified, which can only be done by licensed authorities. #6 Absence of the complete evaluation process for the ESA letter. If you are getting an ESA letter without any proper medical evaluation, then understand it is a fake letter. #7 The ESA letter should be drafted on the official letterhead of the medical institution or the clinic of the licensed healthcare professional.

The letterhead should contain the name of the institute, registration number, date of issuance, and validity of the letter. If these details are not mentioned, then it is a red flag.

CONTINUE... #8 If it has been claimed that you can travel free of cost through an ESA letter, then it is not true. ESA letter gives you the right to carry your ESA along with you on the flight with prior permission, but the charges have to be borne by you. #9 The validity of the ESA letter is only for a year.

You need to get it renewed every year. If you are getting an ESA letter of lifetime validity, then it is fake. #10 You should get a proper receipt of the payment you have done for getting the ESA letter.

Without receipt, you cannot get an authentic ESA letter. #11 Instant ESA letter! Well, there is no such thing as an instant ESA letter. You will have to get a lot of approvals before you finally get an ESA letter in your hand. So if someone claims that you are getting an ESA letter in a hassle-free manner, then it is fake.

SUMMARY Having an ESA letter is quite essential to ensure that you can take your emotional support animal everywhere and get good, safe accommodation.

But be aware of fake ESA letters to save yourself from public embarrassment. The above mentioned are the signs that you must look into while getting an ESA letter to check for its authenticity.