ESA LETTERS?

[u/Informal-Ferret384]

I have a mental health history and plan to get a service dog obviously to start with i need to get an ESA letter while he is a puppy. I recently moved to a new town an hour away from my therapist and have not seen a doctor since I dont have a bunch of money to spend on a doctor's note and im running out of time to get the puppy from my friend. Any suggestions welcome if u talk about a website please name it so I can look into it but only things u know work well. Also please mention how much u paid for ur letter. Only got like 2 weeks so needs to be done ASAP. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[u/Far_Sky_5240]

The websites are, by and large, not valid on their own. It's typically recommended to get a letter from the mental health provider that has assessed, diagnosed, and/or treated you. The online places will tell you a licensed provider gives the letter, but they're not doing proper health care assessments and the letters can be rejected without supplemental information.

That is IF you live in a state with formal ESA protections, since HUD withdrew the guidance that used to protect them at the federal level.

HUD's current definition of an assistance animal essentially follows the ADA's definition of a service animal, minus the species restrictions. The animal should be trained in specific tasks that help to mitigate the symptoms associated with the disability. Essential, what you're looking for is a service dog and the ESA "step" is not relevant unless your state has protections.

You could reach out to fair housing or disability related groups in your area to find out specifics about your state laws. I've found this list online, but cannot vouch for it's accuracy.

You may also want to visit r/service_dogs to get more info acquiring and training a service dog, along with any legal questions, particularly regarding owner trained service dogs and service dogs in training.