Emotional Support Animals

New Guidelines updated on August 7, 2026 in accordance with new legal guidance.

Guidelines for Students Requesting an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)

Students requesting accommodation for an emotional support animal (ESA) in campus housing must submit documentation that establishes a disability and that the requested accommodation is reasonable and necessary to afford the student equal opportunity to use and enjoy their assigned housing. The documentation must describe a disabling condition, which is defined by the presence of significant impairment in one or more major life activities. Merely submitting evidence of a diagnosis is not sufficient to establish the reasonableness and necessity of the requested accommodation.

The Verification Form for Students Requesting an Emotional Support Animal is provided to standardize the accommodation request process and make an individualized assessment more efficient and effective. If the information requested in the form is left blank or is incomplete, it may delay or prevent OSA from completing the accommodation request process.

A licensed healthcare provider with experience and expertise in the area related to the student’s disability should provide the documentation. Furthermore, an established therapeutic relationship between the provider and student requesting the ESA should be evident. The provider cannot be related to the student.

Disability Determination

Documentation should identify the disability or disabilities that is/are the basis for the accommodation request and describe how the symptoms cause significant impairment of a major life activity. The date of initial clinical contact with the student, date of most recent office visit, and approximate number of sessions with the student provide evidence of an established therapeutic relationship. Because conditions may change over time, current and future evaluations are critical in assessing reasonable and necessary accommodations. In addition, depending on the nature of the disability, evaluations may need to be updated on a semester-by-semester or yearly basis.

Emotional Support Animal Assessment

Documentation should identify the specific ESA being recommended and include information about the ameliorative effects that the ESA provides. There must be a direct link between the recommended ESA and the use and enjoyment of the assigned campus housing that establishes the necessity of the requested accommodation. To be necessary, the requested accommodation must be indispensable and essential to achieve ameliorative effects on the disability.

Further assessment by an appropriate professional may be required. All documentation must be submitted on the official letterhead of the professional providing documentation, be dated and signed by the provider, and include the name, title, and professional credentials of the provider, including information about license or certification. The Office of Student Accessibility will review the Verification Form for Students Requesting an Emotional Support Animal and other relevant information provided as part of an individualized assessment to make a determination regarding whether the requested accommodation is reasonable and necessary. Students should remain in contact with OSA while a decision is being made about their accommodation request.

A request for or grant of accommodation for an emotional support animal may be refused or revoked if the animal poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. An individualized assessment of the animal may be required before an accommodation request is granted. A student with an accommodation for an ESA is responsible for the care and maintenance of the animal, including feeding, providing veterinary care, and controlling the animal. Failure to do so will be grounds for removal of the animal from campus housing. An ESA must be housebroken. If an ESA is required to be vaccinated, documentation of current vaccination status must be provided before an accommodation request will be granted.

Please do not hesitate to contact OSA at (806) 651-2335 if you have any questions.

All documentation submitted to OSA is considered confidential.

Emotional Support Animals in University Housing

West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) will comply with all applicable federal/state laws regarding the provision of reasonable/appropriate accommodations for students who have a documented disability as well as members of the public with regard to the use of emotional support animals (ESA) while on campus.

The above information establishes the procedural guidelines in allowing emotional support animals (ESA) on the campus at WTAMU. These procedural guidelines have been established to provide general guidance and instructional support for individuals using emotional support animals (ESA) on campus or in residential living.

Additionally, the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity's (FHEO) May 22, 2026, memorandum rescinds FHEO’s 2020 notice regarding assistance animals. FHEO states it “will find reasonable cause for failure to provide a reasonable accommodation involving the waiver of a pet policy only where the animal has been individually trained to perform work or perform tasks directly related to the complainant’s disability.”

Emotional support animals (ESA) are restricted to dorm room and outdoor space if on a leash. ESAs are not allowed in common areas such as classrooms, buildings, and dining halls.

Emotional support animals (ESA) are:

Only allowed in Residential Halls after being approved through the Office of Student Accessibility and University Housing.
Required to be checked in with Residential Living staff to ensure a current photo is on file for use in emergencies and that a local emergency contact has been provided.
Must be housebroken. (Puppy pads indicate they are not trained.)
- Generally, vets have provided the following guidance.
  - Month = hour of hold bladder (Example: 6 months = 6 hours)
- Must be cared for by the individual responsible for the animal.

The University may exclude an emotional support animal (ESA) if the animal:

Has not been trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the student's disability.
Would fundamentally alter the nature of a program or activity.
Would cause physical damage to the property of others or University facilities.
Would pose a direct threat to the health/safety of others.
Does not meet vaccination requirements under the Center of Disease Control.

The University is not responsible for the care or supervision of an ESA. The individual receiving the accommodation of an ESA is responsible for the control of their ESA at all times as well as the immediate clean-up and proper disposal of all animal waste. Individuals must also comply with all applicable laws/regulations including vaccination, licensure, health, and leash laws.

For the health and safety of all University constituents, WTAMU is not required to accept an ESA that cannot meet vaccination requirements from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention. ESA requests are required to meet vaccination requirements to be certified disease-free under the CDC. The CDC has indicated an ESA should be limited to those that cannot possibly transmit Zoonotic disease, Zoonotic being diseases that can be naturally transmitted from animals to humans.

Request for Verification Form

Click here to request a Verification Form for Students Requesting an Emotional Support Animal

Open the link found above, fill out the requested information, and submit.

Your request for an application will be processed, and you will receive an email with the required forms and documents which must be completed and submitted.

The process can take an average of 2-3 weeks based on the time of your initial submission request and the number of applications being processed.