Service Animals + Emotional Support Animals
Students are required to abide by the Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy.
Service Animals
Students with disabilities who require the use of service animals are permitted to bring such animals on campus. Students should notify Student Accessibility Support and Community Living in order to ease the animals’ transition onto campus and into the residence halls.
While service animals do not need to be substantiated through the accommodations request process, a Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Housing Agreement should be completed before the animal joins the student in the residence hall. Please email HousingAccommodation@brandeis.edu to notify our offices that you will be bringing a Service Animal.
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
Students who wish to bring an emotional support animal to campus must complete the housing accommodation request process. The animal must not be in residence before receiving notice from the Housing Accommodations Committee and the submission and completion of the SA/ESA Housing Agreement.
The substantiation of a request is animal-specific, is not transferable to another animal and must be renewed every year. Approval to have an ESA in campus housing does not extend to having the animal elsewhere on campus; if the animal needs to be with you outside of the residence halls you must be substantiated for that additionally through SAS.
Process and Deadlines
The process and deadlines for requesting an ESA is the same as requests for other housing accommodations. Please review the steps on the Disability Housing Accommodations webpage.
Documentation
Due to the proliferation of websites and individuals selling ESA support letters without establishing therapeutic relationships with their clients, documentation for an ESA must be from a provider who has an established relationship with the student beyond one or two sessions. The Brandeis Counseling Center and Brandeis Health Center cannot provide documentation for ESAs.
Documentation must come from a provider who can confirm the presence of a diagnosis and symptoms necessitating ESA support. Documentation must describe the disability-related symptoms the animal helps mitigate and the length/extent of the provider's established therapeutic relationship with the student. The provider's license or NPI number is required. Providers can either fill out the Medical Provider Verification Form or submit a separate letter by emailing HousingAccommodation@brandeis.edu to receive a secure upload folder link. Please do not email any pieces of documentation as attachments.
Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Housing Agreement
If substantiated, the student will work with members of Student Accessibility Support and Community Living to complete the Service Animal/Emotional Support Animal Housing Agreement. Once the request is substantiated and the agreement is submitted, only then may the animal move into the residence hall.