Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides emotional support which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of an individual’s disability. Appropriate documentation is required to establish that the ESA is needed for the student to use and enjoy University housing and fully engage as a student at UNH.

Unlike a service animal, an Emotional Support Animal does not perform a task for a person with a disability relating to activities of daily living or accompany that person at all times. As a result, ESAs approved for the residential setting are not permitted in other buildings, and are subject to restriction from any area with a no-pet policy. Waiver of a No Pet Policy to allow for an ESA may be a reasonable accommodation in some circumstances. To establish reasonable accommodations, please follow the process for requesting accommodations through SAS. For any questions,  please contact SAS (227 Smith Hall, sas.office@unh.edu, 603.862.2607, 7.1.1 NH Relay).

PLEASE NOTE: There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certifications or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal. The HUD Guidance states:

Some websites sell certificates, registrations, and licensing documents for assistance animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee. Under the Fair Housing Act, a housing provider may request reliable documentation when an individual requesting a reasonable accommodation has a disability and disability-related need for an accommodation that are not obvious or otherwise known. In HUD’s experience, such documentation from the internet is not, by itself, sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a non-observable disability or disability-related need for an assistance animal.

By contrast, many legitimate, licensed health care professionals deliver services remotely, including over the internet. One reliable form of documentation is a note from a person’s health care professional that confirms a person’s disability and/or need for an animal when the provider has personal knowledge of the individual.

For any questions about what documentation is acceptable, please contact SAS directly or visit our Submitting Documentation Page.

Key Things to Know

  • Emotional Support Animals must be approved by SAS. Once approved, students are required to work with housing and sign paperwork before bringing the animal to campus. ESAs are not allowed on campus unless the accommodation is approved by SAS and the student has signed the housing agreement.
  • Students are responsible for maintaining the health and safety of their ESAs.
  • Students are responsible for the behaviors of their ESA at all times.
  • ESAs are required to remain in the student's living space. This does not include standard care and safety procedures such as taking a dog on a walk for exercise and toileting.
  • Students should have a pre-existing relationship with the animal to ensure the animal can be an emotional support for the student.
  • The ADA and DOJ do not currently recognize any form of certificate, identification card, vest, or tag as proof of an animal’s designation as a service animal OR an emotional support animal.  All of these items may be considered fraudulent, regardless of the claims asserted on the ‘documentation’ items.  The "registration" and "certification" documentation purchased online does not constitute appropriate documentation.

Student Responsibilities

Students are responsible for…

  • Meeting all general accommodation responsibilities as outlined as outlined on the SAS Website.
  • Maintaining the health and safety of the ESA at all times.
  • Ensuring the ESA is kept within the student's living space. This does not include standard care and safety procedures such as taking a dog on a walk for exercise and toileting.
  • Maintaining a safe, clean, and healthy living environment. 
  • Cleaning up after any pet waste, accidents, or messes both within and outside of the living space.
  • Securing the animal when leaving the animal unattended.
  • Ensure the animal is not unattended overnight.
  • Covering any financial costs associated with damages caused by the animal both within and outside of the living space.

Emotional Support Animal Process

  1. Student engages in the interactive accommodation process with SAS (register with SAS, submit documentation, meet with SAS) - This is an important process for all accommodations, but should be reiterated in relation to ESAs as students may not bring animals into residential buildings without being approved for an accommodation through SAS.
  2. SAS approves the ESA - SAS has to give specific approval for an ESA as an accommodation. Once approved, SAS adds the student's name to the housing accommodation list and housing is notified about the approval.
  3. Housing reaches out to the student to sign the housing agreement - Once housing is notified, housing will reach out to the student to talk with the student about animals in residence halls and to have the student sign the housing agreement. 
  4. Student signs the housing agreement - Once the housing agreement is signed, the student can officially bring their ESA to campus.
  5. Student brings their ESA to campus and maintains the health and safety of their ESA - Once approved and the housing documentation is signed, students may bring their animal to campus. The student is then responsible for all animal behaviors, as well as the health and safety of the animal. SAS should be notified if there are issues, concerns, or changes.

Common Questions

Can a student bring their ESA to classes?

An ESA approval does not allow a student to take their ESA to classes or other specific spaces. If a student feels there is a need for an ESA to accompany them to classes as an ADA accommodation, then it should be discussed with SAS. 

What animals can be approved as an ESA?

As per the HUD guidance, ESAs may include "animals commonly kept in households". They further clarify "for purposes of this assessment, reptiles (other than turtles), barnyard animals, monkeys, kangaroos, and other non-domesticated animals are not considered common household animals". Please contact SAS to further inquire about specific types of animals.