Updated August 31, 2026
Comparing ESA letter services
Pettable is one of the larger and better-known providers in this space. If you are shopping around, here are the questions worth asking any service — including this one.
Reviewed for clinical accuracy by Andrew Patel, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Last reviewed August 31, 2026.
We are not going to make claims about a competitor's internal practices that we cannot verify. What we can do is give you the checklist we would use ourselves, and answer it for our own service in public.
The six questions to ask any ESA letter service
1. Is the clinician licensed in my state?
This is the one that decides whether your letter survives contact with a property manager. Ask for the license number and issuing state before you pay. Us: always in-state, license number printed on the letter.
2. Is there a real evaluation with a live person?
A form submission is not an evaluation, and a licensed professional signing a letter without one is taking a risk with their license. Us: phone or video appointment with a licensed clinician, typically 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Can I be denied?
If the answer is no, the letters are not worth much. Us: yes, and you are not charged for a letter that is not issued.
4. What does the site say about the five waiting-period states?
Arkansas, California, Iowa, Louisiana and Montana require a 30-day client-provider relationship. Any site advertising a same-day letter to residents of those states either has not read the statutes or is hoping you have not. Us: we say so up front, on every state page, and schedule both appointments.
5. Does it sell registrations, certificates or ID cards?
There is no registry. Certificates and vests carry no legal weight and can actively undermine a letter when a leasing office sees them attached. Us: we do not sell them at any price.
6. Are the claims about what a letter does accurate?
Two red flags: claiming an ESA letter gets you on a plane (it has not since January 2021), and claiming a psychiatric service dog letter grants ADA public access (no document does — access comes from training, and businesses cannot require paperwork). Us: we say both of these plainly, including on our pricing page, where it would be easier not to.
The 2026 question nobody was asking last year
Ask whether the service has updated its content since May 22, 2026. On that date HUD rescinded its 2020 assistance animal guidance and adopted a training-based enforcement standard. A site still telling you that HUD requires landlords to waive pet fees for emotional support animals is describing a world that ended this spring. What actually changed →
When you should not use any service, including ours
If you already have a therapist or psychiatrist, ask them first. A letter from a clinician who has treated you for a year beats anything an evaluation service can produce, and it is free. We are the right choice when you do not have that relationship, when your provider declines, or when you need someone licensed in a state you recently moved to.
Pricing
ESA Letter Cost: One Price, Paid Once
No subscription, no renewal auto-charge, no registry fee. You pay for a clinical evaluation and, if the clinician approves you, a signed letter.
ESA Letter
- Signed by a clinician licensed in your state
- Covers up to 2 emotional support animals
- Formatted for landlords, property managers and HOAs
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
ESA Letter · 3+ Animals
- Every animal named on one letter
- Signed by a clinician licensed in your state
- Useful when a building caps the number of pets
- Free rewrite if your landlord asks for a different format
PSD Letter
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Useful for housing, employers and school disability offices
- Covers up to 2 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
PSD Letter · Up to 3 Dogs
- Every dog named on one letter
- Confirms a disability and a need for task-trained work
- Covers up to 3 dogs
- Not an ADA certificate — see the note below
About the PSD letter: it is documentation from a licensed clinician, not a certificate or an ID. Under the ADA, public access comes from your dog being individually trained to do work or tasks for your disability. Businesses are allowed to ask only two questions and are not allowed to require paperwork. Nobody can sell you access rights — anyone who says otherwise is selling a novelty.
You are charged only after a clinician approves you. We may place a temporary authorization hold on your card beforehand to confirm it is valid; a hold is not a charge and is released if you are not approved.
100% refund if your landlord denies your ESA. If your housing provider refuses the accommodation after you submit a letter we issued, we refund what you paid in full. Full terms, including what a claim needs, on our refund policy page.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is one service’s letter more "official" than another’s?
No. There is no accreditation body for ESA letters. What varies is the quality of the underlying evaluation and whether the clinician is licensed where you live.
Will a landlord recognize the company name?
They should not need to. Landlords verify the clinician’s license, not the website. A letter that leans on brand recognition instead of a verifiable license is the wrong way round.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission — consumer protection and advertising rules Federal Trade Commission
- Report a scam or a deceptive business practice Federal Trade Commission
- State consumer protection offices USA.gov
- Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity — the office that enforces the Fair Housing Act U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA U.S. Department of Justice
- Service animals on aircraft, and the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form U.S. Department of Transportation
Find Out Where You Stand in About Ten Minutes
Answer a short screening questionnaire, talk to a clinician licensed in your state, and get a real answer either way.