LC
Disappointing consultation call and hastily put-together letter
I have been experiencing an uptick in a number of mental health symptoms over the past 2 years, with heightened anxiety at the forefront. After speaking to two close friends with ESAs and interacting with their dogs, I decided to contact a breeder and will be adopting a golden retriever puppy in 3 months. I sought an ESA letter from Pettable not because my apartment does not allow dogs, but simply because I wanted to cover my bases and have legitimate validation of the incoming dog as it's connected to mental health treatment. I explained the above at the beginning of my phone consultation, and the doctor I was assigned immediately became noticeably rude and short with me. She did not like the fact that I do not currently own a dog. Within the first few minute of our conversation, she heavily doubted the symptoms I described and told me I should have been seeing therapists before coming to Pettable. I explained that I had sought mental health counseling during my studies around a decade ago, but I currently work in the service industry and do not have great healthcare that covers mental health/counseling. I also told her that Pettable's website and sign-up process did not mention any barrier to entry before they gladly accepted my payment upfront. I realize that there is a legal, necessary need to verify a person's mental health history and symptoms before considering if they should be awarded an ESA letter, but a good health care provider should be able to do this in a kind, caring manner, not a rude one that attacks the person seeking care. The doctor spent the next ten minutes essentially telling me all of the reasons that I don't deserve to receive a letter from her. When I explained that my apartment does not forbid dogs and I'm just looking to get the letter to be a responsible pet owner before getting a puppy in a few months, she relented and began to describe how an ESA could help alleviate my anxiety and other related symptoms. In the end, I received a letter, but it looked extremely rushed and I imagine that, if needed, landlords would question its authenticity. There are at least two sections where it is clear the doctor simply copied and pasted a 'standardized' sentence - the font is a different color and size than the rest of the document. In the final paragraph, the doctor stopped writing complete sentences and just started the listing effects of having an ESA. For instance, "Helps increase sleep at night for extra comfort." Other sentences are missing words, like "His dog provides support, coping, and reduces isolation when support is not available and alone." (a proper sentence would read "...and he is alone.") Ultimately, I would expect a letter written with legal medical intent to look polished and have perfect grammar and sentence structure. If I needed this document because I was in a housing dispute, which thankfully I am not, I would have rated the experience one star, but I'm giving it two stars because I was at least provided with a letter in the end. I don't often write reviews, and maybe the person who conducted my consultation was having a rough day, but the entire experience just left me with a bad impression.
Response from Pettable ESAMar 29, 2023
Hi LC, I'm very sorry to hear about your experience with one of our therapists. This is not the kind of experience that we wanted you to have. Please feel free to reach out at [email protected] to guide you on the next steps on how we can resolve this. We're here to help out.



