USSDR Blog Banner

Emotional Support Animals becoming more common on campus

Emotional Support Animals becoming more common on campus

admin No Comments September 12, 2016
blog title

David Long relies on his 11-week-old German Shepard to provide structure and consistency as he adjusts to civilian life after six years of military service, but establishing a routine will have to wait.

Long is in the process of registering Schön, his puppy, as an emotional support animal so she can live with him in his Court Street apartment. Due to a strict no-pet policy imposed by his landlord, Schön must stay with a friend until the registration process is complete.

“She gives me structure, a routine, something that’s embedded in the military that you kind of lose when you get back to civilian life,” Long said. “For people that have PTSD, anxiety and are transitioning back to being a civilian, it helps out a lot. It just makes sense.”

The Fair Housing Act requires a landlord to afford a person with a disability “equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling,” even if the property has a no-pet policy, according to disabilityrightsohio.org. Emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act, but not protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act, unlike service animals trained to help people with physical disabilities.

Schön will need to be potty trained, obedient, and pass a certification test before she will be recognized by the USA Service Animal registry, Long said. He will also need to fill out an application for his landlord and provide a note from his doctor to validate the need for an emotional support animal.

To keep an emotional support animal in OU’s residence halls, students must meet similar requirements and file a request with Student Accessibility Services.

“A student interested in making a request would follow the process of applying for accommodations just as any student with a disability,” Carey Busch, assistant dean for student accessibility said in an email. “The documentation would be dependent somewhat on the nature of the disability, but in general must come from a healthcare practitioner who is qualified to diagnose and treat the condition.”

After Student Accessibility Services receives documentation from the student and healthcare practitioner, it typically takes seven to 14 days to complete the registration process and receive approval, Busch said.

An emotional support animal approved by Student Activities Services is able to live in any OU residence hall. There are no specific restrictions on the species of emotional support animal, Pete Trentacoste, executive director of Residential Housing said in an email.

A total of eight emotional support animals are living in residence halls this year, including a dog, several cats, a hamster and a hedgehog, Trentacoste said.

“There are a few more than last year but I wouldn’t say the increase is significant,” he said. “Currently, we have a total of 8 students that have an ESA out of our 8,100 plus students living on campus.”

For students living off campus, there are some housing options that are pet-friendly.

The Summit at Coates Run does allow pets, but requires pet owners to abide by an addendum in their lease, and does not permit animals in the fitness center or•pool area. An occupant with a service animal is not charged any additional fees, but The Summit will ask what work or task the animal has been trained to perform if it is not obvious what a service animal provides, Carl Franz, The Summit’s assistant manager said in an email.

Long hopes to overcome the lack of understanding surrounding emotional support animals that provide assistance for disabilities that aren’t obvious physical impairments by explaining the purpose Schön’s work serves.

“She’s not there just to be cute and fluffy,” he said. “She gives me the opportunity to be responsible for something, and make sure I have balance in my life. By taking care of her, I’m taking care of myself, in a sense. “

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Preloader
X
SERVICE DOG ID CARD USA Service Animal Registration Your Service Dog ID card will include our convenient QR Code for a quick scan link to our registry lookup. By simply entering your dog\'s registration number your official registered profile will be accessible for quick verification in the event the validity of your service dog is ever questioned. 2054
$29.99
Product Image
5 12634
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Horrible. My letter wasn't accepted and I am forced to live somewhere else now. Never again.
Great experience - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Overall easy to purchase and register.
One more step - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I will be satisfied when I get a fax number to send my apartment complex paperwork to be filled out
Did not receive order - by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
I made a purchase on 3/9/2023 and it is now 3/23/2023 and I have yet to receive my package in the mail. I also can not get ahold of anyone at the company to check on my order.
Very thin - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
The vest is thin, not sure how long it will hold up. Love the cards tho they are nice and help show registration
Housing Letter - by , March 25, 2011
3/ 3stars
Well, they did email my letter, although my understanding was to also send a hardcopy in the mail. I never received this. I paid serious money, with a budget of disability so no choice but to send this disgruntled review
Dog tags - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great I love how fast you receive service
- by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I did not see a place to unload my photo
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Excellent and gentle people. Caring and Loving Staff
amazing great nice perfect - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Perfect service awesome experience
Teronica - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
It was nothing less than amazing. Very sweet therapist , very kind & understanding
Excellent Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
You were very helpful as I worked on the registration and determined what to order. Thank you very much to Carolyn and Lori for their email and phone assistance.
Great experiences - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
The vest is very lightweight and fits my dog perfectly. Thank you for helping in this process
Exceptional Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great, thorough
Great Customer Service - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great customer service. expedient process, easy to access resources
USA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
USA SDR ia a wonderful company. They're quick to respond and make purchases easy, quick . The instructions and explanation are to the letter. This is the third time I have used them. If in the future I need a new dog registered I will only use them.
Easy to complete - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
Great ! This site made it so easy to complete
UsA Service Dog Registration - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
What a great experience. Everything was straight forward and easy to use. Got my card within 3 days of ordering
Order Correction - by , March 25, 2011
5/ 5stars
I made a mistake and ordered the Deluxe ESA package and included the letter I didn't need. With a Very quickly returned - Super friendly, helpful and Honest phone call, the matter was resolved and my order was edited and will be out to me ASAP. Please thank her for me on behalf of me and my partner Blue! The speed of everything was great, but the Kindness of my agent- I can't remember her name! - was Unreal.
- by , March 25, 2011
1/ 1stars
Good have not. Received card yet