Bringing Animals on Campus Policy

No pets or animals shall be permitted on campus, except:

• Service animals, which are animals trained to provide assistance to people who have a physical or psychological disability by performing work or tasks directly related to that disability. 
• Emotional support animals (ESAs), which are animals that provide emotional or other therapeutic support, but are not required to perform work or tasks. Emotional support animals on campus are restricted to residence halls and outdoor spaces for exercise and hygiene. (Animals may be walked in outdoor common spaces except athletic fields and research areas, including the E-garden and Roemer Arboretum. Owners are responsible for proper disposal of all animal waste). Students requesting an ESA must submit documentation from a licensed medical doctor or therapist for approval by the Office of Accessibility.
• Therapy animals, which are animals used by healthcare professionals, including mental health professionals, in a therapeutic setting. Therapy animals must be trained for animal assisted therapy through the American Kennel Club (AKC) or a national animal therapy organization.
• Animals required for laboratory and experimental purposes.
• Animals on leashes accompanied by a responsible person during a temporary visit. Such leashed animals, however, are not permitted in campus buildings or athletic fields (including the stadium), unless they are seeing-eye dogs. Temporary visits of leashed animals other than seeing-eye dogs may be authorized in the residence halls prior to the visit by the Director of Residence Life.
• Animals visiting campus for "pet therapy" events, with permission of the director of the area of the visit (e.g., the Director of Student Life will authorize such events in the college union; the Director of the library will authorize such events in the library). All such animals must be kept under control at all times by leash, voice command, or enclosures.
• Fish in bowls and aquariums with less than a 10-gallon capacity kept in residence hall rooms.

Specific information on service animals and emotional support animals, including the federal government’s specific definition of emotional support animals, may be found at the Office of Accessibility.