How to Fill Out a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form if Traveling with an Emotional Support Animal

Everything You Need to Know About Service Animal Relief Attestation Forms

If you require a service animal to assist you with a disability, public access is an important right. However, businesses and landlords may ask you to provide documentation proving your animal is a true service animal and not a pet. This is where a service animal relief attestation form comes in.

What is a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form?

A service animal relief attestation form, sometimes called a emotional support animal documentation letter, is a document signed by a medical or mental health professional that certifies your need for a service animal to accompany you in public. The form should state you have a disability as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and your animal is individually trained to perform tasks to help mitigate your disability.

1. The form must be on official letterhead from a licensed medical provider such as a physician, psychologist, social worker, or rehabilitation counselor.
2. It should include your name, your provider’s professional credentials, the date, and your provider’s signature.
3. The form confirms your need for your animal as an accommodation for your disability and specifies your animal is a dog or miniature horse that has been trained to perform useful tasks.

Businesses and landlords are allowed to request this documentation before allowing your animal access, but cannot require renewed documentation frequently or charge a fee. The document proves your animal’s right to accompany you in public spaces.

How Do I Get a Relief Attestation Form?

To obtain a service animal relief attestation form, make an appointment with your treating medical or mental health provider to discuss your need for your service animal. Bring any relevant medical records.

From my experience as a clinical social worker, I have faced situations where patients needed extra support to show the severity of their disability to employers or landlords. Here is a sample process:

First, describe how your disability limits one or more major life activities and how your service animal has been trained to perform tasks to help mitigate the effects of your disability. Second, request a letter documenting this need for your animal as a reasonable accommodation. Most reputable providers are willing to provide this documentation at no charge for a legitimate service animal team.

Be prepared to discuss what specific tasks your animal has been trained to do. For example, a psychiatric service dog may be trained to interrupt self-harming behavior, get help during a panic attack, or reduce anxiety in crowded public situations through deep pressure therapy. Its tasks should directly relate to your disability.

If approved, your provider will draft the letter following the ADA guidelines. Request to review it before signing to ensure it addresses all necessary components clearly. Then present this form respectfully when accompaniment by your service animal is questioned.

Common Scenarios Where Relief Forms Are Requested

From my experience working with service animal handlers, here are some common scenarios that may require presenting a relief attestation form:

Rental Housing: Landlords are required to provide a reasonable accommodation to those with a documented need for a service animal, such as waiving a “no pets” policy. However, they are allowed to request this form to verify your animal’s trained tasks directly mitigate the effects of your disability.

Airline Travel: Airlines may ask to see a relief attestation form to verify your animal is a legitimate psychiatric service dog trained to behave appropriately and do its job on command before allowing it to accompany you in the aircraft cabin at your feet.

Places of Business: Any private business open to the public, like a restaurant or hotel, may request a relief form before granting access for your service animal if its presence or tasks are not readily apparent as helping you with a disability.

Government Buildings:Places like courthouses or post offices that receive federal funding are covered entities under the ADA. They may ask for proof your service animal provides necessary assistance before being granted access with you.

So in summary, a properly drafted relief attestation form acts as documentation of your need to be accompanied in public by your trained service animal as a reasonable accommodation under the ADA. It helps avoid access denials from entities allowed to request verification.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Unfortunately, some individuals attempt to pass off untrained pets as service animals using fraudulent “registration” or “certification” paperwork online. Here are some red flags to avoid:

– Any site claiming to “register” or provide “certificates” or “IDs” for pets. Under the ADA, no official national registry or credentials exist.

– Forms that do not come directly from a licensed medical provider on official letterhead.

– Documents that fail to name your disability or describe your animal’s specific trained tasks assisting you.

– Attestations for untrained animals or exotic pets like snakes, spiders or potbellied pigs which cannot qualify as service animals under the ADA.

– Forms requesting a fee which are not allowed under disability rights laws. Reputable medical professionals do not charge for accommodation verification letters.

Stick with official documentation from your treating provider to prove your service animal’s legitimate access rights if questioned. Fraudulent forms may lead to denial of public access or legal penalties in some areas.

Dealing with Access Denials Respectfully

Despite providing proper documentation, there is still potential for access denial from businesses misinformed about service animal laws. Here are tips for handling it respectfully:

– Remain polite yet firm about your rights under the ADA as someone requiring a service animal. Do not argue, but state you have a right to access with your animal.

– Offer to show your provider-issued relief attestation form as proof. Educate the person denying access on what differentiates legitimate service animals from pets.

– As a last resort, inform them you believe their denial constitutes illegal disability discrimination per federal law before moving the discussion along. Do not make threats, just state the law.

– Consider later filing an informal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice or a local disability advocacy organization to address ongoing issues at that business.

– Above all, choose your battles – some situations simply are not worth escalating if you can calmly access at a different time or location instead. Your goal is inclusion, not confrontation.

With the proper use of a service animal relief attestation form verifying your need, you can feel assured of accessing public places while handling potential issues respectfully. Your rights are protected under the law.

Important Information to Include in a Service Animal Relief Attestation Form

Category	Details
Handler’s Contact Information	Name, address, phone number, email
Service Animal Information	Name, breed, age, vaccination records
Public Access Training	Commands the animal has been trained to perform
Licensing & Health Records	Licensing information and certificate of health from veterinarian
Etiquette and Responsibilities	Rules for caring for the animal, cleaning up after it, not disturbing others

FAQ

1. What is a service animal relief attestation form?

   Basically, a service animal relief attestation form is a document used by businesses and landlords to verify that an assistance animal is truly needed for a disability like a mental health condition or physical limitation. The form allows the person with the service animal to prove they require the animal to have access to public places and housing.

2. Who needs to fill out a service animal relief attestation form?

   Anyone who has a service animal like a guide dog or emotional support animal would need to complete this form if requested. The individual with a disability utilizes the service animal and can have their medical provider sign off on the document to confirm the animal provides a needed service.

3. What information does the form include?

   Typically, a service animal relief attestation form requests details about the person with the disability, the tasks the animal is trained to perform, and a certification from a medical or mental health professional stating the need for the assistance animal. Things like the person’s name, address, diagnosis, and the type of assistance the animal offers are common fields to complete.

4. Can a landlord or business deny the form?

   In most cases, landlords and businesses are not allowed to deny a reasonable service animal accommodation request if the person with a disability has a valid need documented on the attestation form. However, if the request seems fake or the animal appears undisciplined, further verification may needed to prove the service animal claim is legitimate.

   

At the same time, not every animal qualifies as a service animal. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, only dogs and miniature horses can perform tasks or do work for a person with a disability. Creatures like snakes, monkeys and other exotic pets are really not covered unless they have been specifically trained to assist someone. So proper documentation using an attestation form helps avoid false claims and allows true service animal handlers their rights.

Do you need to present a service animal relief attestation form even if the animal has a vest identifying it as a service dog? Maybe the ADA laws don’t necessarily require displaying ID, but the vest plus completed form basically provides solid proof to any doubters. On the other hand, having the proper paperwork shows Good faith and prevents disputes down the road if an unruly pet without training causes disturbances. Overall, obtaining a signed attestation form just makes sense as a standard practice to simplify matters for all parties involved.

So in summary – a service animal relief attestation form provides a simple way for persons with disabilities relying on qualified service animals to prove their need for public access and housing rights granted by the ADA. The documentation protects legitimate teams from discrimination while discouraging bogus claims by untrained pets. What are your other thoughts on use of the attestation system? I’m curious to hear other views on properly serving all communities.