Emotional Support Animal Letters Within the State of Pennsylvania

What is an ESA Letter?

• "An ESA letter is a document that proves your need for an emotional support animal as part of treatment for a mental health condition. Issued individually, ESA letters allow you to keep an emotional support animal in your residence under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), regardless of landlord policies" (cited from Pettable.com).

• ESA's do not require any special training.

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• What are the legal protections for ESA's in Pennsylvania?

  • ​Housing:

    • ​Fair Housing Act (FHA): Landlords must provide reasonable accommodations for persons with ESA's, even if the property has a no-pet policy. They can require a letter from a licensed mental health professional in order to have said ESA. They cannot charge any pet fees for ESA's but may charge for damages caused by the animal.

    • ​If your landlord refuses to accommodate your ESA, you can file a complaint with the U.S.Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or seek legal assistance to enforce your rights under the FHA.

  • Air Travel:

    • ​Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA): As of 2021, airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESA's as service animals. They may treat ESA's as pets, which may involve additional fees and restrictions.

  • Public Places:

    • ​ESA's do not have the same access rights as service animals. Businesses and public places are not required to allow ESA's.

• Can any animal be an ESA?

  • ​While dogs and cats are the most common ESA's, other animals can also be ESA's. The choice of animal should be reasonable for the living situation and should not pose a threat to the health or safety of others.

• Can an ESA be removed for bad behavior?

  • ​Yes, if an ESA is not under control or causes damage or disturbances, the landlord can request its removal.​

• How old do you need to be to have an ESA?

  • Children 14 y/o and younger would require a legal guardian or parent to be involved in the ESA process. It is highly requested that a parent be involved for a child 18 y/o and younger. An ESA is verifying that a child has mental health diagnosis and history or mental health that would meet criteria for an ESA.

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ESA Letter Requirements:

• Initial paperwork signed for Bluebird Counseling of Western Pennsylvania. 

• Initial assessment  with a diagnosis will be required. This reviewed/completed once a year.

  • 60 minute session + approximately 30 minutes for paperwork /documentation completion outside of intake which can be done at anytime (reasonably) by the therapist.

    • first 60 minutes can be billed under insurance or is $100 out of pocket and entails ​the overall assessment and intake which is required to obtain an ESA letter.

    • Approximately an additional 30 minutes is utilized to complete necessary paperwork/documentation if deemed appropriate for ESA accommodations (I.e ESA letter or any additional forms requested) and is a $50 paperwork/documentation fee.

  • Year 2+ rates may be reduced if there are no changes to your situation, mental health or the animal and a new letter can be written if you go to the same provider.

• GAD 7, PHQ 9, PCL-5 data assessments if therapist feels necessary can be added to the letter. 

• Letter

  • Please provide anything additional that an institution may require at the session to be completed (i.e. many colleges have their own forms).

  • Information on the pet itself

    • Vet records not 100% needed but very helpful in the letter

    • How long have they owned the pet and their history?

    • What symptoms are supported by their animal?

    • Demographics about the animal to put in the letter

    • Any updates on the animal would need to alerted to us

    • If there is not a pet yet, letter will be completed once the client has the animal and the above it noted.​

  • Diagnosis 

  • Justification

  • Therapists signature 

• letter is given directly back to the client once payment has been recieved for the letter and session. This may take a few weeks if using insurance.  You are then able to review the letter, discuss if anything needs changed and review contact information if anything additional is needed.

• We try and place as little information about you and your diagnosis. If the recipient of the letter calls Bluebird Counseling of Western Pennsylvania  we are able to replay and discuss information known about the animal but nothing further about your mental health will be answered or addressed. The ESA is to protect the individual and the recipent of the letter cannot use the information within the letter against them. 

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Training and information on ESA Letters were obtained from Anna Schubbe, LPC, LMFT and permission was provided to utilize information on this website.​​​​​​​​​​​​​