Brevard College does not allow "pets" in campus housing but permits assistance animals defined by the Fair Housing Act and ADA with a verified disability-related purpose. This information aims to provide the College community with an understanding of the sanctioned use of Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals for persons with disabilities.
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA), defined by The Fair Housing Act, provides therapeutic emotional support 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 ESA is part of a treatment plan designed to alleviate symptoms related to the disability.
An (ESA) can be an animal commonly kept in households and is not required to be trained for a disability-related task.
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:
- Is this a service animal (dog) required for you because of a disability?
- What disability-related work or task has the animal (dog) been trained to perform?
Service Dog in Campus Housing: If a student wishes to have their previously trained Service Dog in College housing, they should contact the Director of Student Accessibility and Disability Services at least 60 days in advance of the semester. The student will need to meet with the director to establish that the dog meets the intent of the provisions established under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Housing Office requires sufficient notice to make appropriate arrangements regarding placement, roommates, etc., and to ensure the dog complies with local and state health regulations.
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.
ESA REQUEST PROCEDURES & DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINES:
Read and review these guidelines before completing the Request for Emotional Support Animal in College Housing form
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:
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- 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, is 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.
The Housing Accommodation Committee will review the documentation and request forms. Once it is determined that a student is eligible for an ESA, they will receive instructions to complete the registration process for their intended ESA before bringing the animal on campus. The Housing Office will review the registration and communicate final approval and placement decisions.
Please refer to BC Policy for Emotional Support Animals for additional information.