Service and Emotional Support Animal Policy

Principia College supports students who may require the assistance of a service or emotional support animal. Important distinctions exist between Service Animals (SA), Emotional Support Animals (ESA), and pets.

Principia College supports the value of Service Animals to maintain student safety and well-being, and to facilitate the full-participation and equitable access of students to College programs and activities. Principia further supports the presence of Emotional Support Animals in residential housing to support a student’s documented need if the ESA can be accommodated in a manner consistent with College policies. 

The unique nature and size of Principia’s residential community increases the challenges and complexities of having Service Animals and Support Animals living in Principia student housing. The College encourages students and their treatment providers to explore suitable and reasonable accommodations other than the use of a Service Animal or an Emotional Support Animal.

When a Service Animal is the best choice for student access and well-being, it is the policy of Principia College that Service Animals assisting individuals with disabilities are generally permitted in all central College facilities, programs, and activities except as described below or otherwise controlled by applicable law. All information, notices, and inquiries concerning Service Animals should be coordinated through the Principia Accessibility Facilitator, Elise Crow. 

Legal Advisor/Accessibility Facilitator
Office of the General Counsel
[email protected]

Service Animals are defined as dogs or miniature horses that are individually and specifically trained to do work or perform tasks for people with identifiable disabilities. Service Animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a Service Animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Examples of such tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs for those with limited mobility, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, and supporting people with mental illness related needs.  

A Service Animal may be permitted to reside with their owner in the students’ on-campus residence if the SA is prescribed by a healthcare or mental health professional for a student with a diagnosed disability and is an integral part of the student’s care plan.

To obtain approval for a Service Animal, a student should review this policy in full, complete the designated Service Animal section of the Housing Accommodations Request Form, and agree to abide by the Residential and Community Expectations for Service and Emotional Support Animals as detailed below. Accommodation Request Forms should be emailed to the Accessibility Facilitator ([email protected]).

Principia requires appropriate documentation from a health professional treating the applicant’s disability that demonstrates the necessity of an Emotional Support Animal to alleviate one or more of the applicant’s symptoms. Typically, an Emotional Support Animal will be a cat or dog. Requests for emotional support provided by other animals will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Accessibility Facilitator and in consultation with Student Life. Animals that are or would be substantially disruptive to the residential experience of other students or who create a reasonable apprehension of harm/damage to person or property will not be permitted in Principia residential housing units. 

To obtain approval for an Emotional Support Animal, a student should review this policy in full, Complete the Housing Accommodations Request Form, and agree to abide by the Residential and Community Expectations for Service and Emotional Support Animals as detailed below. Accommodation Request Forms should be emailed to the Accessibility Facilitator ([email protected]).

Each request will be reviewed on an individual and annual basis. An Emotional Support Animal will be approved only in circumstances when:

1. A clear need is demonstrated for the Owner’s equitable access to and enjoyment of the College’s residential and academic communities.
    
2. A clear connection is established between the documented disability and the support the ESA provides.
    
3. The well-being of the animal is fully considered, accounted for, and supported through an approved animal welfare and maintenance plan.
    
4. Documentation of the emotional support animal’s vaccinations and standard of veterinary care is provided.
    
5. There is no significant concern that the animal will pose a health or safety risk to anyone living in or outside of the Owner’s House.
    
6. The Owner’s roommate has agreed to living with the ESA or the Owner can be provided a single room. Note that the College reserves the right to reassign the Owner and the ESA to a different living space if the College determines the Owner’s living space is not suitable for housing an ESA.
    
7. The Owner must provide written consent for the  Accessibility Facilitator and Student Life to disclose information regarding the request for and presence of the ESA to those individuals who may be impacted by the presence of the animal including, but not limited to, Student Life and residential personnel, the student’s potential or actual roommate(s)/neighbor(s), and campus security. Such information will be related to the animal and will not include information related to the Owner’s disability. 

Owners and animals must abide by all Residential and Community Expectations for Service and Support Animals as outlined below: 

1. Owners are responsible for the safety of Service and Emotional Support Animals and must be in control of their animals at all times.
    
2. Owners will be required to meet a level of care for their animals that the College deems appropriate to ensure the safety and well-being of the animal, including, but not limited to daily food, attention, and exercise, regular assessment and maintenance of the animal’s health and welfare, including vaccinations, tick and flea prevention, deworming, and other regular care. The costs and arrangements for this care are the sole responsibility of the Owner. Note: Food or food scraps may not be taken from the dining room to feed a SA/ESA.
    
3. Service and Emotional Support Animals must stay inside the Owner’s room when unleashed or uncrated.
    
4. Service and Emotional Support Animals always must be leashed, harnessed, or tethered when leaving and outside of the Owner’s room. Note: exceptions to this guideline are instances where a Service Animal’s Owner’s disability interferes with the use of a harness, leash, or other tether; or the use of a harness, leash, or other tether would interfere with the SA’s safe, effective performance of work or tasks. When a leash or tether is not in use, the SA must be otherwise under the Owner’s control (e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means).
    
5. Service and Emotional Support Animals cannot be left unattended overnight at any time. If the owner must be away from their animal overnight, the Owner must arrange for it to be cared for off-campus. An SA/ESA may not be left on-campus in the care of another student. The Owner must notify their RC and Campus Security immediately if their animal escapes or is unable to be immediately located.
    
6. Service and Emotional Support Animals must be fully and reliably housebroken, and their Owner is responsible for properly disposing of their waste. Animal waste should not be placed in indoor trash cans. Cleaning up after an animal is the sole responsibility of the Owner. Persons with disabilities who physically cannot clean up after their own SA will not be required to do so; however, these individuals should take their animal to an agreed upon designated area for relief as decided between the Owner and Accessibility Facilitator. If an animal relieves itself in non-designated areas, the Owner may ask a person nearby for assistance.
    
7. Service and Emotional Support Animals must not be allowed to act in a disruptive or aggressive manner. This includes the animal initiating contact without the Owner’s permission, barking, or intrusive sniffing.
    
8. The Owner is fully responsible for the animal’s behavior and any harm or damage that the animal causes to any person or property. The removal of any animal as well as any necessary cleaning and/or repairs will be at the owner’s expense. The College reserves the right to conduct room inspections for the purpose of assessing damage caused by an SA/ESA or otherwise to determine the owner’s compliance with these procedures.
    
9. Any flea infestation that can be attributed to the SA/ESA will be attended to by a professional extermination and/or cleaning company at the Owner’s expense. Owners are required to promptly notify Student Life when a flea or similar problem is noted.
    
10. All state/county required animal immunizations and licenses must be current and on-file with Student Life.
     
11. Animals to be housed on campus must have an annual clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian submitted to the Title IX Coordinator prior to the Owner’s arrival on campus. If relying on either veterinary care or Christian Science treatment for non-routine care of the SA/ESA, the Owner must notify and be in regular communication with their RC about the situation.
     
12. Collars and identification tags with current/accurate contact information must be worn by an SA/ESA at all times.
     
13. To support a student’s success, Principia encourages Owners to communicate in advance with any impacted College faculty or staff should they desire to have a Service Animal accompany them in academic classes, employment, or other activities on campus. 

1. The Owner cannot care for it;
2. The animal is out of control and the Owner does not take prompt and effective action to control the animal;
3. The animal poses a threat of harm or injury to another person;
4. The animal causes damage to property of Principia or a third person;
5. The animal is not housebroken;
6. The animal would pose an undue financial and administrative burden on the College;
7. The animal would fundamentally alter the nature of the College’s programs or operations.

Some students or faculty at the College may be allergic to animals. Any person who has any well-being related issue with a Service or Emotional Support Animal should contact the Accessibility Facilitator  with any concern. The person impacted may be asked to provide appropriate medical or other documentation to support their concern. When so documented, the needs of both parties will be considered in resolving the issue. If an allergy/animal conflict within a House cannot be resolved agreeably, then the Accessibility Facilitator in partnership with Student Life will provide a solution. If this solution is not acceptable to all involved an appeal may be promptly made in writing to the College President whose decision shall be final.