Brevard College does not allow "pets" in campus housing, but permits qualified students to request the presence of an assistance animal with a verified disability-related purpose as defined by the Fair Housing Act.  Note that it is a conduct violation to bring an animal into housing without prior approval through Accessibility Services and the Housing Accommodation Committee. 

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA), defined by The Fair Housing Act, provides therapeutic emotional support as part of a treatment plan for individuals with a documented history of disability. Students who request ESAs must provide reliable documentation of their disability from a licensed healthcare provider.  Documentation must verify a history of a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity and that the presence of the ESA helps alleviate symptoms related to the disability. 

An Emotional Support Animal can be one that is commonly kept in households (typically a dog or cat) and does not need to be trained for a disability-related task. The type of animal will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  Generally, reptiles are not appropriate for the shared community environment due to safety and space reasons. 

Please note that certificates and letters purchased from websites following brief questionnaires or limited interactions intended solely for creating such letters are not considered sufficient or reliable documentation of a disability.

A Service Animal defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act is a dog that has been trained to perform a specific disability-related task or job for a person with a disability.  If the disability is not apparent, the ADA allows for two questions that may be asked to determine whether an animal qualifies as a Service Dog:

1. Is this a service animal (dog) required for you because of a disability?
2. What disability-related work or task has the animal (dog) been trained to perform?

Non-Residential Students. Non-residential students with a trained service dog do not need to register their service animal on campus.  Though registration is not required, the College requests that an individual voluntarily self-identify as a person with a disability to the Office of Student Accessibility & Disability Services as soon as possible after deciding to enroll at the College to ease the transition and to assist with knowing and resolving issues when certain settings or experiences are not safe for a dog to be present.

Service Dog in Campus Housing:

If a student wishes to have their previously trained Service Dog in College housing, the student must:

1. Contact the Office of Student Accessibility and Disability Services to schedule an intake meeting to determine whether the dog meets the definition and purpose of a service dog under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Additional discussion will be needed to determine feasibility and safety in settings such as labs and experiential or off-campus settings.

2. If a person’s disability is not obvious, the student will need to provide proof of the disability via a verification letter from the student’s treating healthcare professional with expertise in the condition.  The student will need to explain what disability-related task the dog is trained to perform.

3. Following approval from the Office of Student Accessibility & Disability Services and the Housing Accommodation Committee, the student must complete a Service Dog Registration & Housing Contract and provide the requested veterinarian records before bringing the service dog into college housing.

Please refer to General Policy for Service Dogs and Other Animals on Campus for additional guidelines regarding having a Service Dog on campus and in campus housing. For specific information related to Emotional Support Animals, refer to BC Policy for Emotional Support Animals.

Students who wish to request an ESA should review BC Policy for Emotional Support Animals to fully understand the purpose and eligibility requirements. The next steps are to complete the Request for Emotional Support Animal in College Housing form and submit supporting documentation of eligibility according to these guidelines:   

Documentation Guidelines: The college requires current documentation from a licensed provider in the State of NC (or the student’s home state) who has an established treatment history with the student and is qualified to verify the presence of a condition that qualifies as a disability based on treatment consistent with their scope of practice. Reliable documentation for an ESA accommodation is from a provider who is licensed to treat mental health conditions and who does not have a dual relationship (relative, family friend) with the student. Documentation must speak to: 

• • Treatment history with an ongoing and continuing diagnostic and therapeutic relationship; 
  • The functional limitation of the condition, specifically how the condition rises to the level of being a disability.
  • Evidence of a relationship or connection (nexus) between the disability and the need for the Emotional Support Animal, including how the animal will mitigate functional limitations and specific ways the animal helps to alleviate symptoms associated with this student's condition. 

Providers should be asked to complete the Professional Documentation Form: Emotional Support Animal Request.  A letter containing the same information as the form may also be accepted. Letters from health care professionals who review online emotional profiles and create template ESA letters for public housing and air carriers, or who have had limited encounters with the student for the primary intent to produce an ESA letter rather than provide treatment, are not considered reliable verification of disability.  

Target Deadlines:  The Housing Office requires sufficient time, up to 60 days following notice of a student’s eligibility for an ESA, to assign an appropriate housing placement and to resolve potential competing disability-related issues within the housing community. If the accommodation request is made fewer than 60 days before the start of the semester, BC cannot guarantee a housing assignment that will meet an approved individual’s accommodation needs during the first semester of occupancy.   

Incoming students should complete the request process by May 15 for the start of the Fall Semester or by October 1 for the start of the Spring Semester. Returning students should submit their request to continue a previously approved ESA accommodation or initiate a new housing accommodation request during the Housing Selection Process that takes place mid-spring semester for the Fall Semester. Although students may present a request and supporting documentation for an ESA for consideration at any time, be aware that new requests for an ESA cannot be processed between July 1-September 15 nor during Fall, Spring, or Winter Breaks.

Per FERPA guidelines, the Housing Accommodation Review Committee will review the documentation and request forms.  Once the Committee determines that a student is eligible for an ESA, the student will receive instructions to complete the registration process for their intended ESA.  Registration and requested health records must be submitted before a student is permitted to bring the animal on campus. The Housing Office will review the registration and communicate housing placement decisions.