Do you trust your Emotional Support Animal (ESA) to help alleviate the symptoms of a mental health problem? If so, you know how important it is to make sure you can carry your ESA with you as much as possible. The first step is to obtain a legitimate emotional support animal letter that meets federal and state requirements. The Fair Housing Act protects your right to keep your ESA in your home, even if your housing provider has restrictions on pets. Some airlines and travel providers also accept ESA. A genuine ESA letter signed by a licensed therapist or mental health professional provides proof that your cat or dog is an official service animal. The easiest way to obtain an official ESA letter is with an online service. Several companies provide ESA documents to people who meet the qualification requirements. Pettable and US Service Animals are two ESA online providers. In this review, we’ll cover the costs, pros, and cons of each service so you can choose the best one.
What is Pet table?
Image Credit: Pettable
Pettable is an online ESA company that helps clients connect with mental health professionals for consultations with emotional support animals. By using the service, it’s easy to schedule an evaluation with a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) or therapist. If you meet the eligibility requirements for an Emotional Support Animal, the LMHP can write a legitimate ESA Letter that complies with federal regulations, including HIPAA, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Airline Access Act (ACAA) .
How does Pet Table work?
Image Credit: Pettable
Pettable offers a simple process for obtaining an ESA Charter, making it easy for customers to connect with authorized healthcare providers. There are three main steps to obtaining an Emotional Support Animal document through Pettable:
Start by answering a pre-screening questionnaire. This questionnaire takes about three minutes to complete and asks simple questions related to mental health. If the questionnaire indicates that you may be eligible for an Emotional Support Animal, please go to the payment page to choose your card package. After making the payment, you will receive an email from Pettable with some forms to sign. Once you have signed all the necessary documents, you can make an appointment with your designated medical professional. You will be evaluated to determine if an emotional support dog or cat would be helpful as part of your mental illness treatment plan. In this case, your therapist or licensed mental health professional will write a valid ESA letter with all the necessary information and signatures.
Pettable provides ESA documentation in a timely manner.
How much does Pettable cost?
Pettable offers three options for an ESA charter: a home charter, an air travel charter, or a package that includes both charters. The cost for an individual letter is $149. If you choose to obtain both types of documentation, the accommodation package and travel letter are available at a discount of $199.
Is Pettable legit?
Yes. Pettable is a legitimate ESA online charter service. It has all the hallmarks of a reliable company, including a money-back guarantee and ongoing customer service. The company ensures that your ESA documents comply with all state and federal requirements, as well as those related to HIPAA, FHA and ACAA legislation.
Our thoughts on Pettable
Pettable offers a quick and easy way to obtain an official Emotional Support Animal document (provided you qualify for one). The site is easy to use and includes many helpful answers about emotional support animals, relevant laws, and mental health. There are no red flags that indicate a fraudulent ESA letter service, such as the option to obtain an unqualified letter from an LMHP. Pettable doesn’t say that other tasks, like registering or certifying your ESA, are necessary (they aren’t), and it’s not trying to sell you unnecessary extras.
Advantages of pets
Here are some of the best things about Pettable:
Fast response time Expert customer service team familiar with ESA Charter rules Prequalification tests that do not require sensitive personal information Total satisfaction guarantee for both the inquiry and the Charter itself
Pettable has clearly worked hard to create a user-friendly website that guides customers through every step of the process of obtaining an ESA Charter.
cons of pets
Pettable also has some disadvantages:
You must provide an email address and phone number during the pre-screening test. Pricing information is not available in advance; you have to go through the initial test. Full payment is required prior to scheduling an appointment. You will most likely receive various marketing emails.
Despite these annoyances, Pettable remains a legitimate and useful business.
What are US service animals?
Image Credit: US Service Animals
US Service Animals is also a provider of ESA letters online. However, the website offers other services in addition to documentation of emotional support animals. It claims to be the “Official Registry of Service Animals and Support Animals (ESA) of the USA.” and offers customers the option to “register” an emotional support animal or service dog. In different sections of the website, US Service Animals states that you can place animals in the “U.S. Service and Support Animal Registry Database.” or the “U.S. National Service Animal Registry Database.” Unfortunately, these claims are nonsense; There is no officially recognized database of service animals or ESAs. Paying to register your dog with US Service Animals does not provide legal protection. The only document that can guarantee that assistance animals get legal coverage is a genuine letter from the ESA signed by a licensed doctor, therapist or mental health provider. To be fair, if you scroll down far enough on the US Service Animals website, there is a section stating that their registry service does not provide legal protection. But most of the site goes to great lengths to indicate otherwise, implying that registration is a useful and necessary step for ESA owners to take.
How do US service animals work?
Image Credit: US Service Animals
The US service animal site is divided into three sections: ESA registration, service dog registration, and ESA documentation (in the form of a doctor’s letter). Since registration services are unnecessary, we will focus on the process of obtaining a letter from the ESA. Unlike Pettable, US Service Animals does not offer a step-by-step process. To get started, fill out a simple contact form with your name, email, phone number, and state of residence. The website says that a licensed doctor will contact you for a free consultation. If the provider determines that you are eligible for an ESA, they will send you a printable letter via email. There is no information on whether the Letter is written on official letterhead or signed by an LMHP licensed to practice in your state.
How much do US service animals cost?
You can see how much US service animals charge for their various products right away in the Shop section of the website. You don’t have to go through a questionnaire or provide any information to see how much things cost. The price for an emotional support animal letter for travel and lodging is $179.99, but the site says you don’t have to pay if you don’t get approved during your consultation. It’s worth noting that US Service Animals charges quite a bit for their “registration” option: $79.98. You get a registration certificate and a card, but it’s important to note that neither of these documents offer real legal protection.
Are US Service Animals Legitimate?
A little. US Service Animals offers a combination of legitimate services and fraudulent options that benefit consumers. That said, the company’s process for screening individuals and providing ESAs to qualified customers appears to be legitimate. However, the fact that US Service Animals advertises expensive transactions that have no real value casts the company in a questionable light.
Our thoughts on America’s service animals
As you can see from our US service animal review, the company provides genuine ESA letters to qualified individuals, and the price of these documents is competitive. However, much of the website is dedicated to advertising a useless (and expensive) way to register your ESA or service dog. Confusingly, there is a part of the website that looks at ESA scam websites. It even includes a link to report these scams to US service animal attorneys. This seems bogus from a company that makes money selling pointless registration certificates.
US Service Animal Professionals
There are some positive aspects of US service animals:
They help eligible clients obtain an ESA Letter from a doctor. They offer customer service in English and Spanish. Their prices are clearly displayed on the website. They offer Charters for both ESA and psychiatric service dogs.
In general, the ESA Charter and Service Dog portions of the US Service Animals website appear legitimate.
Cons of US Service Animals
As stated above, US service animals have some serious drawbacks.
Charge money for pointless registration services. The website confuses customers with a mix of legitimate and unnecessary services. The company does not offer separate ESA Letters for accommodation and travel.
You can get a legitimate ESA Letter from US Service Animals, but you may not want to support a company that appears to be taking advantage of people in other ways.
petable vs. US service animals
Although both help qualified individuals obtain official ESA letters, Pettable and US Service Animals are quite different. Pettable only offers ESA Letters and requires customers to complete an initial questionnaire before viewing prices. US Service Animals shows the cost of all your options, even the least legitimate ones. Both services require that a patient be evaluated by a medical professional to determine if she qualifies for an Emotional Support Animal.
Bottom line
Pettable is a legitimate and trusted source for genuine ESA letters. The information provided is clear and accurate and the company offers a full money-back guarantee.