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The Federal Fair Housing Act (FHA) assures that people with disabilities be allowed to have an assistance animal in residence with them if the animal is necessary for the individual to have full benefit, enjoyment, and use of a residential facility. The term “assistance animal” encompasses both service animals and emotional support animals (ESA). The following information is specific to ESAs in Residence Halls, and do not pertain to Service Animals (as defined by the ADA). An ESA provides comfort to a person with a psychiatric/psychological disability. They are distinguishable from service animals in that they are not trained to perform specific tasks that assist an individual with a disability.
While we understand how beneficial pets can be to one's well being, emotional support animals are not considered pets. Additionally, a mental health diagnosis may not rise to the level of a disability. ESAs are only an accommodation for students with disabilities. In general, our residence halls are not an animal-friendly environment. Communal living requires Arcadia to consider the concerns and comfort for all residential students. Therefore, Arcadia offers some important guidance for students considering ESA requests.
NOTE: ESAs are not permitted on campus until the accommodation request has been made and acted upon; students found with unauthorized animals in the residence hall will be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct and will be fined for having a pet on campus.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been asked by HUD to investigate websites that purport to provide documentation from a health care provider in support of requests for an ESA after indivuduals complete a short questionair or brief interview. The websites in question offer for sale documentation that is not reliable for purposes of determining whether an individual has a disability or disability-related need for an ESA because the website operators and health care professionals who consult with them lack the personal knowledge that is necessary to make such determinations.
If you would like to request an accommodation for an ESA, please see below checklist for requesting an ESA in residential housing.