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7 Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services in 2025 – Reviews & Top Picks

labradoodle dog and woman owner at the park

Pets are fantastic to have in your life, no matter the circumstances. Having an animal around can be life-saving if you’re dealing with mental health or emotional issues. That’s why emotional support animals (ESAs) exist; they can assist with easing mental health issues such as phobias, anxiety, and depression.1 However, to have an ESA recognized under federal law, you must get an emotional animal support letter.

Getting one can seem like quite the task, but it’s easier than you think, especially since online services can help you out. The trick is making sure these services are legitimate and not scams.

Since there are several emotional animal support letter services, we’re here to give you the basics on the seven best this year. We’ll tell you the pros and cons of each, plus what to look for when looking for an emotional animal support letter service!

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A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites of 2025

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
CertaPet CertaPet
  • Quick turnaround on getting your letter if approved
  • Simple process
  • Free screening
  • Most Comprehensive Service
    Second place
    Pettable Pettable
  • 100% refund if not approved
  • Legal team to handle challenges to ESA letter
  • Quick turnaround
  • Quickest Option
    Third place
    US Service Animals US Service Animals
  • Fast turnaround
  • 100% or 110% refund depending on situation
  • Legal team for challenges to ESA letter
  • ESA Doctors ESA Doctors
  • More affordable than some other services
  • Money-back guarantee
  • ESA Pet ESA Pet
  • Receive letter within 24 hours of approval
  • Easy process
  • The 7 Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services:

    1. CertaPet – Best Overall

    Certapet-Logo

    Refund policy: Yes
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50, plus Puerto Rico and Canada
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    If you’re looking for the best overall emotional support animal letter service, we recommend giving CertaPet a shot. For one, they offer free pre-screening to see if you’re a candidate for an ESA since not everyone will be. If you are, you can pick the type of letter you’re looking for—travel, housing, or both. Then, you’ll purchase a session with a licensed therapist in your state (they say there’s typically a 2-day wait to get a phone consultation with said therapist).

    If you’re approved for an ESA letter, you can download a digital copy of the letter immediately from their website. The process is relatively simple and only includes three steps. CertaPet’s letters comply with state and federal regulations, and there’s a money-back guarantee. If the therapist you speak with does not approve you for an ESA, you’ll get your consult fee returned (minus $35).

    While most people had a good experience with CertaPet, there were a few complaints about the therapists used by the companies; occasionally, some therapists were unprofessional. There were also a handful of complaints that getting a consult with a therapist took up to a week rather than the 2 days that were promised.

    Pros
    • Quick turnaround on getting your letter if approved
    • Simple process
    • Free screening
    • Money-back guarantee
    Cons
    • Some therapists were deemed unprofessional
    • Handful of complaints about waits of up to a week for consults

    2. Pettable – Most Comprehensive Service

    Pettable

    Refund policy: Yes
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    If you want an emotional support animal letter service with the most comprehensive services, Pettable is the service for you. The company promises that you’ll receive your ESA letter within 24 hours of being approved. However, residents in California are now required to have two consultations with a licensed healthcare provider before an ESA letter can be approved. The method to get your ESA letter is simple. There’s a 3-minute free screening that will allow you to be matched up with a licensed professional in your state, and then you’ll have your telehealth consultation.

    You might have to wait a couple of days to schedule it, but the therapist you speak with should let you know whether you’ve been approved at the end of your session. What makes Pettable so comprehensive is that they’ll help you with any extra forms your landlord might require and will talk with them if needed. Plus, the company has a legal team that will help handle any challenges to their ESA letters that might arise. The 100% refund if your ESA letter isn’t approved is pretty nice too!

    The downside is that Pettable is a bit pricier than other services. There were also a couple of complaints about people having issues scheduling their consults.

    Pros
    • 100% refund if not approved
    • Legal team to handle challenges to ESA letter
    • Quick turnaround
    Cons
    • Pricier than other services
    • Have been issues with getting consults scheduled

    3. US Service Animals– Quickest Option

    US Service Animal & Support Animal (ESA)

    Refund policy: Yes
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    Need your ESA letter sooner rather than later? Then check out US Service Animals! Though they send over your letter via mail, they also provide a digital copy within minutes of your telehealth consultation if you’re approved. Plus, you don’t pay anything until you get approved, so the process is risk-free. You’ll need to submit your contact information to get matched up with a licensed healthcare provider in your state. Once that’s done, you’ll have your telehealth consultation to see if you qualify for an ESA.

    The US Service Animals refund policy is excellent as well. You have 45 days to ask for a 100% refund if you’re not satisfied. If your letter isn’t accepted by any government housing authority, they will provide you with a 110% refund—although there are some hoops to go through with this one. US Service Animals also has a legal team on hand to help with any challenges that may arise.

    However, some customers mentioned that US Service Animals was trying to sell them extra services they didn’t need. Some people also said the therapists they matched with were rude, though others had great experiences, making that seem very hit or miss.

    Pros
    • Fast turnaround
    • 100% or 110% refund, depending on the situation
    • Legal team for challenges to ESA letter
    Cons
    • Service may try to talk you into extra things you don’t need
    • Quality of therapists seems hit or miss

    4. ESA Doctors

    esa doctors

    Refund policy: Yes, but limited
    Free screening: No
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    ESA Doctors looks as easy to use as the other services on this list but is also a bit more affordable. They offer flat fee pricing for a housing ESA letter and an ESA Plus letter (the Plus adds on priority support and a discounted yearly renewal rate). Most likely, you’ll only require the basic housing letter.

    Going through ESA Doctors is a similar three-step process. First, you fill out a questionnaire, then get matched up with a licensed healthcare provider to assess whether you qualify for an ESA. If approved, you’ll receive your letter digitally within 1–3 business days, which is slower than many other services.

    While ESA Doctors has a refund policy, it’s a bit confusing. If you request a cancellation and refund within 24 hours of completing the questionnaire, you should get one, but there’s a $39 cancellation fee. However, if you’ve already signed a consent form to work with a therapist, you won’t receive a refund, even if you’re in the 24-hour window. Some pages of their website say you can receive a refund if a landlord rejects your ESA letter, but their refund policy says the opposite. ESA Doctors claims it will work with you if your letter is rejected, but they won’t provide a refund.

    On the plus side, there is a money-back guarantee if you aren’t approved for an ESA letter.

    Pros
    • More affordable than some other services
    • Money-back guarantee
    Cons
    • Refund policy is limited and a bit complicated
    • No refunds are given if ESA letter is rejected

    5. ESA Pet

    ESA Pet

    Refund policy: Yes, but limited
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    ESA Pet follows the same processing format as the other companies on this list. There’s a 2-minute qualification screening; if you qualify, you’ll be matched up with a licensed healthcare professional in your area. Then, if approved, you’ll receive your letter digitally within 24 hours. There’s no mention of cost on the home page or under FAQs, so it’s hard to tell how the company stacks up to others.

    The refund policy is a bit limited as well. It states that all ESA letter sales are final without mentioning what happens if your letter is challenged. Other than that, you’re only allowed to request a refund if you aren’t approved for a letter, weren’t contacted by the company or a therapist within 2 days of your assessment, no longer need an ESA letter for some reason, or if you think you’ve been billed more than once. So, we’re not big fans of that.

    We’re also a little wary that the company has a few customer reviews listed on its website, but a search of the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot brings up nothing on them at all. They also have no reviews on their Facebook page, so it’s difficult to tell how honest the reviews are.

    Pros
    • Receive letter within 24 hours of approval
    • Easy process
    Cons
    • Refund policy isn’t great
    • Reviews other than on their site can’t be found

    6. ESA Doggy

    ESADoggy

    Refund policy: Yes, but very limited
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: Yes

    Despite the name of the company, ESA Doggy doesn’t just provide emotional support animal letters for dogs but cats as well. Those seem to be the only animals allowed, however. You go through the same process as the rest of the companies on this list with a free pre-screening before being set up with a licensed healthcare professional in your state. The website states that the process should take around 5 days from beginning to end.

    However, the ESA Doggy refund policy is quite limited. For example, even if you are not approved for a letter, there are no refunds. The only refund you can get (aside from your letter being challenged) is if you change your mind before confirming an initial appointment with a therapist, and even then, there’s a $49 cancellation fee. Even getting a refund if your letter is rejected seems to be a process, according to this fine print.

    There are also few reviews for this company; the only ones seem to be on the Better Business Bureau (though those are all excellent).

    Pros
    • Simple process
    • Good reviews on BBB.org
    Cons
    • Refund policy isn’t great and is confusing
    • Only for cats and dogs

    7. Valid ESA Letters

    Valid ESA Letters

    Refund policy: Case-by-case basis
    Free screening: Yes
    States covered: All 50
    BBB Accredited: No

    Valid ESA Letters follows the process of going through a telehealth consult with someone licensed in your state to be approved for an ESA letter and, if approved, you should receive your letter the same day. So, the turnaround seems to be pretty quick.

    The refund policy is the most stringent of all the companies since it’s only on a case-by-case basis. And that’s only after you’ve contacted the service’s legal team for help in challenging any rejections of your letter and filed complaints with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and your state’s local housing authorities. The lengthy refund process if your letter is rejected could be enough to make you warier of this service than others.

    The company does have good reviews on TrustPilot, stating the service was fast and efficient.

    Pros
    • Fast and efficient
    • Easy process to get through
    Cons
    • Refund policy requires a lot of work on your part

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    Buyer’s Guide: Finding the Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Service

    If you aren’t careful, it can be easy to get scammed by an online emotional support animal letter service. That means you should watch out for the following.

    YouTube video

    No Live Consultation

    If you come across an emotional support animal letter service that says you can be approved by simply answering a few questions that a healthcare professional will check—but there is no actual one-on-one with you—go somewhere else. ESA letters require a live consultation to be valid. Some states, such as California, require you to have seen your healthcare professional in the last 30 days.

    Extremely Cheap

    An ESA letter is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. ESA services must provide an extensive network of licensed healthcare professionals in all the states the company covers, which isn’t cheap. So, if the cost seems too good to be true, it likely is. That isn’t to say prices should be exorbitant either, but you shouldn’t need to pay for anything other than the consultation (i.e., filing fees, etc.).

    Claims of Multi-Year ESA Letters

    ESA letters should be renewed once a year, so avoid companies that claim their letters are good for multiple years.

    Registration

    If a company claims you need to register your ESA, there’s a good chance you’ve run into a scam, as there’s no such thing as ESA registration. Companies may also refer to this as “certifying” your animal, which is misleading since no certification exists.

    Customer Service

    With ESA letters, good customer service is a must, particularly if you feel you were unfairly not approved or if your letter is rejected by your landlord. Check a company’s website to ensure you can get in touch with customer service easily (having both email and phone support is a plus). Then, reviews should be checked to see how well others felt customer service handled their issues.

    pet owner with her chihuahua at home
    Image Credit: zEdward_Indy, Shutterstock

    Better Business Bureau

    While an emotional support animal letter service doesn’t need to be accredited by the Better Business Bureau, it’s a definite bonus. Accreditation means that the service passed several tests and reviews. Even if a company isn’t accredited, it’s a good idea to check its Better Business Bureau rating and reviews.

    Refund Policy

    Reputable companies offer money-back guarantees if you aren’t approved for an ESA letter in the first place and will refund your money if your landlord or others reject your letter. Some companies on this list require hoops to be jumped through to get a refund for a rejected letter, which isn’t the best policy, but there should always be a refund policy.

    License of Your Healthcare Professional

    Since ESA letters must come from someone licensed in your state, always check a therapist’s license when going through an ESA service. Chances are everything is fine with their license to practice, but there’s also a chance it’s expired or worse. It isn’t difficult to check these, so it should only take a matter of minutes.

    Reviews

    Reviews from others who have already used an emotional support animal letter service are vital. Never trust all the claims made on a company’s website!

    How We Determined This List of Best Emotional Support Animal Letter Services

    All the best emotional support animal letter services reviewed in this article were chosen by our writers, editors, and team of experienced veterinary professionals to ensure that they are safe and meet the care needs of your pet. When choosing which best emotional support animal letter services to feature, we took into account brand reputation, personal and hands-on experience, reviews from other customers, and of course, feedback from our beloved pets, to make sure to bring you only the best of the best. We at PangoVet want to give you only the best products to choose from in our reviews, to ensure that they meet your pets’ needs for optimal health and well-being.

    Why Trust PangoVet?

    We are a team of experienced veterinarians, writers, and editors who are pet owners ourselves, so we understand how important your pets and the products they use and consume are to you. Whether you are caring for a furry, scaly, or feathered friend, we make sure that you have honest and unbiased reviews of the top emotional support animal letter services on the market, so you can make an informed decision.

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    Conclusion

    CertaPet is our recommendation for the best emotional support animal letter service. Its ESA process is simple, and it provides service to the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada. For the most comprehensive service, our pick is Pettable since they not only provide the ESA letter but will also help you with other forms your landlord requires. Pettable also has a legal team to help you handle any challenges to your letter. Finally, if it’s a quicker turnaround time you’re seeking, US Service Animals should do the trick, as you’ll receive a digital copy of your ESA letter within minutes of your telehealth session (if approved).


    Featured Image Credit: Lopolo, Shutterstock

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    2 Responses

    1. Misty;

      Chaz Stevens, CEO of ESADoggy here. Thanks for the kind words, allow me to sharpen them up a bit.

      Doggy fully complies with HUD’s guidance, requiring our therapists to have personal knowledge and an ongoing-treating relationship. That cannot be done with a $150 10-min call with a provider. Many states are passing stricter laws to combat bogus documents.

      We’re also of the opinion that writing letters for a fee is a transactional activity. HUD sternly frowns upon this, as discussed in their FHEO-2020 guidance. One cannot possibly get quality mental health care in less time than ordering a pizza.

      We have amazing reviews, a premier product, and a guarantee. If the letter doesn’t work, and none have failed in the last 6 years, I’ll personally write the refund check and throw in $100.

      Thanks again

      PS If you’d like to learn the proper way to do this stuff, drop me a line.

      1. Hello Chaz, thank you very much for reaching out and providing us and our readers with very helpful info! All the best to you.

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