Do you need a Service Animal Travel Letter Or an ESA Letter? Know it here!

Dogs are one of the preferred animals as an emotional support animal. Their loyalty, unconditional love and willingness to support their master have made them the best pet and supporting animal in the life of humans. The services provided by an emotional support dog also include assisting people with physical, emotional and mental problems.

Basically, there are two types of dog assistance. ESA and the services dogs both help their owners, but they are not used for the same purpose in both cases, and to obtain them you have to go through different steps.

Knowing what a services dog is will help you understand the difference

A service dog is well trained to serve or assist the owner with various types of tasks needed to combat with their disability. As per ADA, dogs and small horses can only become service animals. Service dogs are taught to behave properly with the person suffering an emotional or physical disability.

Following are some of the types of service dogs:

Hearing dogs – they serve the people suffering from hearing disability and alerts the person to various sounds and alarms, etc.

Guiding dogs - they are specially trained to support the persons who are visually impaired. A service dog helps them to navigate carefully around the obstacles and crowded areas.

Mobility dogs – they assist and do various tasks for their owner who suffer from limited mobility problems or balance issues.

Psychiatric service providing dogs - they provide help for patients with mental disabilities. These dogs make their owner feel secure and calm.

When a person with a mental or physical disability goes anywhere or travels, he or she always need their emotional support animal with them. The service animal owner has legal rights to travel with it but you need to carry a service animal travel letter.

These trained dogs are permitted into different public areas and transportation modes, such as airplanes, trains and on ships. Service dogs are also permitted under the Fair Housing Act to be allowed to “no pets” policy housing. However, a service dog is not permitted into the kitchen of a restaurant.

What makes you eligible to travel with your service animal?

• You will need a letter from your doctor or physician stating that you need the help of an ESA
• Your service animal travel letter must be on your doctor’s letterhead.
• The letter must contain your physician’s license number and the date and place where it was issued
• It must be an updated one

However, you don’t need to register a service animal travel letter but have the proper documents when you are on a flight or searching for a house.