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An emotional support animal (ESA) letter template can make recommending an emotional support animal for clients a quick and simple process. Here, therapists and mental health clinicians can download an ESA letter template to save to their electronic health record (EHR) for easy access when recommending an emotional support animal for a client.
What is an emotional support animal?
An emotional support animal (ESA) provides a therapeutic benefit to individuals with a mental health condition that may be classified as a disability.
An ESA provides emotional support to alleviate one or more symptoms of stress, anxiety, and other symptoms of a mental health condition/disability. ESAs are different from service animals—who are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities.
While service animals are strictly defined and protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), ESAs are not covered or recognized by the ADA. Instead, federal guidelines for emotional support animals fall under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), overseen by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Therapists and mental health practitioners can provide documentation in the form of an ESA letter template to help clients who may need an emotional support animal.
An ESA may be a cat, dog, or other animal. However, an ESA’s legal status as distinct from a pet now depends largely on state and local law. Documentation requirements vary by state, but a letter from a licensed therapist or mental health practitioner is the most common form, and you can easily download the ESA letter template for therapists to get the process started.
Are there protections for emotional support animals?
Unlike service animals, emotional support animals are not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
However, ESAs may be protected under state and local laws and, through private lawsuits, the Fair Housing Act. Note: The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) no longer provides protections for ESAs on airlines—they are now treated as regular pets.
There are a few differences between emotional support animals and service animals. Dogs trained to perform a specific task necessary for a person with a disability would be classified as service animals. Under the ADA, service dogs generally must be allowed in areas where members of the public may go, subject to limited exceptions, while ESAs may face restrictions, such as not being allowed to enter food establishments.
When it comes to a person’s home, however, there are certain legal protections for people with a qualifying mental health condition (subject to certain criteria).
Before May 2026, HUD guidance stated that individuals with a disability could request to keep an assistance animal (which includes service animals and ESAs) as a reasonable accommodation to housing providers’ pet policies.
These accommodations may include:
A request to live with an ESA at a property with a no pet policy
A request to waive the pet deposit, fee, or other rule related to an assistance animal
Under applicable fair housing requirements, housing providers may need to grant a reasonable accommodation for an assistance animal when the request meets the relevant legal criteria. This may include an exception to a no-pets policy or a waiver of pet-related fees. Whether a particular request qualifies depends on the circumstances and applicable law.
Under HUD’s prior guidance, requests (written using the emotional support animal letter template, for example) for an ESA were evaluated against the criteria below, which courts and state agencies may still apply:
The request is made to the housing provider by or for the person with a disability
The request is supported by reliable disability-related information
The housing provider has not demonstrated that:
An assistance animal would cause undue financial and administrative hardship
The request would alter the essential nature of the provider’s operations
The animal would pose a direct health and safety threat to others despite efforts to mitigate such risk(s)
The request would cause significant property damage despite efforts to mitigate risk of damage
Local and state laws vary, so it’s best to do your research and familiarize yourself with the laws in your area. If you’re unsure, reach out to an attorney for more information.
For instance, in California, the client must have been receiving services from the therapist for at least 30 days before the therapist can submit a recommendation with an ESA letter template.
On May 22, 2026, HUD issued an internal enforcement memo narrowing its handling of federal Fair Housing Act complaints involving assistance animals to cases involving animals trained to provide disability-related assistance. The memo also rescinded HUD’s 2020 assistance-animal notice. It does not affect state and local laws, private lawsuits, or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and HUD has said it intends to pursue formal rulemaking. This policy change does not itself amend the Fair Housing Act, and the legal protections available for an assistance-animal request may depend on applicable federal, state, and local law. Clinicians should verify current requirements in their jurisdiction before providing documentation.
Note: This article and the ESA letter template is not intended to be legal advice. You should consult an attorney with any questions, as local and state laws vary.
Who qualifies for an ESA?
To qualify for an ESA, an individual must have a mental health condition or psychiatric disability as indicated by a licensed mental health professional, such as a therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist.
This diagnosis, which must be documented in a prescription or official recommendation letter (by using the ESA letter template, for example), must specify that the individual has a qualifying mental health condition or disability whose symptoms would be alleviated with an emotional support animal and that you, as the therapist, prescribe/recommend an ESA for their therapeutic benefits.
Download the ESA letter template available in this article, which includes sections to edit with specific information relevant to your client.
Conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or major depressive disorder may be relevant when assessing a client's need for an emotional support animal letter. However, a diagnosis alone does not establish eligibility. The clinician should assess whether the client has a qualifying disability and whether the animal may provide disability-related emotional support under the applicable law.
What information should be in an ESA letter template for therapists?
When preparing documentation to support a client's request for an assistance animal with an ESA letter template, clinicians should consider including the following, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law and professional requirements:
The client's name and the clinician's professional credentials and contact information
Confirmation of a qualifying disability or disability-related need, using appropriate language that protects the client's privacy
A clinical assessment explaining how the animal may provide emotional support related to the client's disability
A recommendation supporting the requested housing accommodation, when clinically appropriate
State laws may impose additional requirements, such as specific license information, a minimum client-provider relationship, or a clinical evaluation.
To use the sample ESA letter from therapists, you can download the free emotional support animal letter template from the link at the top of this article. Save this template to your EHR and tailor it for each ESA letter request that you receive.
Sources
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Resource document on emotional support animals.
American Psychological Association. (2026). Using animals in therapy.
California Board of Psychology. (n.d.) Law change regarding emotional support animals: What board licensees need to know.
U.S. Department of Transportation. (n.d.) About the Air Carrier Access Act.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2026). AS Trainor enforcement guidance assessing requests for the use of an animal as a reasonable accommodation under the Fair Housing Act.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2026). Notification of withdrawal of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Guidance documents. Justia Regulations.
U.S. Department of Justice. (n.d.) Service animals.
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