Emotional Support Animals
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and its Fair Housing Act (FHA), an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional support, comfort, and companionship to alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
Interested in having your ESA reside with you on campus?
You have come to the right place!
All animals must be approved through UDS before they are welcome on campus. The following are the documents and items that must be collected and available to UDS before a meeting date can be set:
- Signed Acknowledgement of University Disability Services – Campus Animal Procedure
- ESA Veterinary Verification
- Vaccination List from Veterinary Office
- Spayed/Neutered Certificate (or note from Veterinarian)
- A Photo of Your ESA
It's important to be prepared in order for the process to go smoothly, easily, and quickly as possible. In most cases, the approval process looks like the following steps:
- Complete the Initial Accommodation Request Form through Accommodate, including documentation.
- Meet with the AD to complete the interactive process, review approved documentation, discuss appropriate, fair, and reasonable accommodations.
- Review the guidelines, requirements, and expectations of having an ESA.
- If approved, the student must complete and sign the ESA Rules and Expectations Agreement.
- UDS will send approval notice and required documentation to Housing and Residence Life for housing assignments.
