Psychiatric Service Dogs

The difference

A Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) is individually trained to perform specific tasks that help mitigate the effects of a psychiatric disability. These tasks may include interrupting panic attacks, providing deep pressure therapy, reminding you to take medication, guiding you during dissociation, or creating space in crowded environments. Because a psychiatric service dog performs trained disability-related tasks, it is recognized as a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and may accompany its handler in most public places.

A PSD letter is issued by a licensed mental health professional after a legitimate clinical evaluation. The letter documents your disability-related need for a task-trained service dog and may support housing accommodation requests, workplace accommodations, and other situations where professional documentation is requested. While airlines primarily rely on the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form, a psychiatric service dog letter remains valuable supporting documentation.

Side by side

What a PSD letter is not

A PSD letter is not a certification, registration, ID card, or training certificate. No document alone makes a dog a psychiatric service dog. Your dog becomes a service animal through individual task training, while the letter documents your disability-related need. We never sell registrations or guarantee approval—our clinicians make independent clinical decisions based on your evaluation.

Training paths

The ADA allows you to owner-train a psychiatric service dog or work with a professional trainer. During your evaluation, your clinician can discuss whether a PSD letter is appropriate for your situation, but training remains the handler's responsibility.

Quick answers

People whose psychiatric condition rises to the level of a disability and who benefit from a task-trained psychiatric service dog. Eligibility is determined by a licensed mental health professional during a clinical evaluation.

Our PSD letter evaluation costs $109 Standard or $149 Priority, with no subscriptions or hidden fees. If your clinician determines you don't qualify, you receive a 100% refund.

Airlines primarily require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form. A PSD letter provides valuable supporting documentation for housing and workplace accommodations, but the DOT form is what airlines use for cabin travel.

Take the free assessment and speak with a licensed mental health professional to determine whether a psychiatric service dog is the right fit for your needs.

Know the distinction

Learn how psychiatric service dogs, emotional support animals, public access rights, housing protections, and task training requirements differ before deciding which option best fits your situation.