There are over 80 different websites that advertise letters, certificates, or ID cards for sale to anyone who completes a questionnaire and has a brief call with a health professional after paying a fee.
These websites gained popularity around 2012 for those seeking accommodations on flights and in rental units. By 2020, there was such an increase in the number of animals on flights that the airline industry eliminated this privilege altogether for Emotional Support Animals, impacting even those with legitimate needs.
Recognizing this trend, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued guidelines to establish what kind of documentation should be considered reliable for individuals seeking housing accommodations for assistance animals.
HUD states, "In HUD's experience, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal."
This means that documentation purchased online, without a thorough and legitimate assessment by a licensed health professional who has personal knowledge of the individual’s condition, is generally not considered adequate proof of a disability-related need for an assistance animal.
To ensure your documentation is valid and complies with HUD guidelines, it is essential to obtain it from a licensed health professional who has a professional relationship with you and can attest to your disability-related need for the assistance animal.
For further guidance on HUD requirements please check out the HUD criteria for assistance animals or contact our support team at support@ourpetpolicy.com.