Decatur ESA Letters and Psychiatric Service Dog Letters
Decatur, the Morgan County seat on Wheeler Lake along the Tennessee River, had 57,938 residents in 2020. Whether your animal helps you through the week or is trained for tasks, start the free screening, and an Alabama-licensed clinician determines whether an ESA letter or a psychiatric service dog letter fits.
Decatur Animal Services Reclaim Fees
Decatur Shelter Reclaim Estimator
If your dog or cat is at Decatur Animal Services, add up the fees the city publishes before you go to pick it up.
- Enter the details, then select Estimate My Fees.
From Rhodes Ferry Landing to the River City
The town began as Rhodes Ferry Landing, named for Dr. Henry W. Rhodes, whose ferry crossed the Tennessee River in the 1810s where Rhodes Ferry Park is today. It was incorporated as Decatur in 1821 and named for Stephen Decatur. In the early 1830s it was the eastern end of the Tuscumbia, Courtland and Decatur Railroad, the first railway built west of the Appalachians. When Union troops occupied the town in the Civil War, all but four buildings were ordered destroyed; three of the survivors, the Old State Bank, the Dancy-Polk House and the Burleson-Hinds-McEntire House, still stand.
Decatur ESA and Psychiatric Service Dog Letter Pricing
Clear pricing for emotional support animal and psychiatric service dog letters written by a licensed mental health professional. Your screening is free, and you pay only if a clinician supports a letter and you decide to continue.
ESA Housing Letter For One Pet
Best option for most renters with one emotional support animal
- Free online screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation when clinically indicated
- Letter written for ESA housing requests
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Follow up clarification for landlords included
ESA Housing Letter For Multiple Pets
For people who have more than one emotional support animal in the home
- Free clinical screening that covers up to three ESA dogs or cats
- All approved animals listed together on a single ESA housing letter
- Letter tailored for apartments and rental homes
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Support for landlord questions about pet deposits and rent
Psychiatric Service Dog Evaluation
For people who may qualify for a task-trained psychiatric service dog
- Free initial screening with a licensed psychotherapist
- Telehealth evaluation focused on symptoms and the tasks the dog is trained to do
- Letter describing the disability-related need and task support
- Clinically grounded documentation, not a generic certificate
- Follow up clarification for housing providers included
Bundle Packages
Save more with combined document bundles
ESA Letter + Certificate Bundle
ESA letter and certificate in one package
- ESA letter from a licensed professional
- ESA certificate with QR code verification
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
- Valid for 1 year with renewal reminders
PSD Letter + Certificate + ID Card
Complete PSD documentation: letter, certificate and ID card
- PSD letter from a licensed professional
- PSD certificate with QR code verification
- PSD ID card with photo and barcode
- Digital delivery within 24-48 hours after payment
How Decatur Residents Get a Letter
Free screening
Answer questions on your health, your animal and the Decatur home you rent or want.
Telehealth review
An Alabama-licensed clinician reviews the screening and meets you by video when appropriate.
Letter by email
Once you qualify and pick a plan, the letter is emailed; no qualifying, no charge.
Letters Decatur Clients Order
ESA housing letter
For a request to a Decatur landlord or association.
Two or more animals
Covers each animal your clinician supports, by name.
Psychiatric service dog letter
For a task-trained dog, the kind the ADA admits into Decatur shops and offices.
Card and certificate
Included with some bundles.
Point Mallard, the Old State Bank and the Riverfront
Point Mallard
Home of the first wave pool built in the United States, still operating.
Old State Bank
The oldest bank building in Alabama, one of the buildings that survived the war.
Victorian district
The largest Victorian-era home district in the state.
Steamboat Bill Bridge
Leaves the riverside hill at grade without blocking Decatur's heavy barge traffic.
City and State Rules for Decatur Pet Owners
Code of Decatur 4-40
Pets adopted from the city must be spayed or neutered; the city also enforces a leash law.
Alabama Code 3-7A-2
Dogs, cats and ferrets need rabies shots from 12 weeks of age.
Alabama Code 21-7-9
A service animal may live in rental housing without an added fee, and the code keeps other assistance animal rights intact.
Decatur Questions on the River Buoys
What does it cost to reclaim a pet from Decatur Animal Services?
The city lists $35 if the animal has been in shelter custody before, plus $10 for each day after the day of intake. Other charges can apply, such as $40 for an after-hours pickup.
Why is there a $25 charge if my pet is not spayed or neutered?
It is a spay/neuter incentive fee. If you show proof within 45 days that the animal was spayed or neutered, the $25 goes to the veterinarian who did the surgery.
What if I cannot prove my pet has had a rabies shot?
The city charges $9 and gives you a voucher for the vaccination at an area veterinary clinic. Alabama requires rabies shots for dogs, cats and ferrets from 12 weeks of age.
How long will Decatur hold my lost pet?
Seven days. An animal its owner has not claimed by then may be placed for adoption or rescue, or possibly euthanized.
Do pets adopted in Decatur have to be spayed or neutered?
Yes. Section 4-40 of the Code of Decatur requires sterilization of all adopted pets.
Can a Decatur landlord refuse my emotional support animal?
A landlord may not refuse a trained service animal under Alabama Code 21-7-9. For an ESA, send a written accommodation request with your clinician's letter; since May 2026 HUD no longer presumes such requests reasonable, so the facts matter.
Up and Down the Tennessee Valley
General information for Decatur residents, current as of October 2026, and not legal advice. Decatur Animal Services fees and rules come from the city and can change, so call the shelter for current amounts. Screening does not guarantee a letter. In a crisis, call or text 988.
Your Decatur Screening, From Home
From the riverfront to the Victorian streets, a clinician licensed in Alabama can go over how your animal helps you.
