Service and Emotional Support Animals

Emotional Support Animal as an Accommodation

The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) University maintains a “no pets” policy in the residence halls. In accordance with state and federal law, the University will consider any eligible student’s request for a reasonable accommodation to keep an emotional support animal in university housing as an exception to the policy.

• University residence halls are generally not an animal-friendly environment. The communal nature of a residence hall requires the institution to consider the comfort and concerns of all students.
• An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal whose presence alone helps an individual with a disability, and whose use is supported by a qualified physician, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional based on a disability-related need.

For questions or additional information, please contact OSAA at OSAA@mcphs.edu or call 617-879-5995.

Steps to Request an ESA Accommodation

1. Complete the Student Request for Services (SRS) Form and submit supporting medical documentation, including veterinary documentation for the ESA. You may attach documentation at the end of the SRS form, or you can fax, scan, and email the supporting documents.
2. Respond to the OSAA email requesting your availability for an intake appointment. The subject line of this email will read, “ACTION REQUIRED: Next Steps for OSAA Accommodation Request.”
3. Attend an intake appointment with an OSAA staff member.
4. After the intake appointment, OSAA will review your SRS, supporting documentation, and self-report to determine your eligibility. If you are deemed eligible, an Eligibility Letter will be sent to your MCPHS student email along with information regarding the next steps to implement your accommodations.

Determining reasonable accommodations is an interactive and collaborative process involving both the student and OSAA. This process includes OSAA’s review of third-party documentation provided by your qualified professional. MCPHS will consider your disability, history, experiences, requests, and the on-campus housing environment to determine whether a specific accommodation is reasonable.

Important Information

Post-deadline requests will be evaluated for the following semester deadline. For deadline information, please refer to the Housing/Dining Accommodation Webpage.

Eligibility for an ESA accommodation through OSAA does not guarantee housing or a single- or studio-style living space.

Students must complete all required information with Residence Life. For any questions related to Residence Life or the housing process, please contact Residence Life directly.

• Boston: residencelife@mcphs.edu
• Worcester: residencelife.wor@mcphs.edu
  

Service Animal Information

A "Service Animal" is a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. A Service Animal that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability may be permitted where reasonable, based on the following assessment factors: (1) whether the Service Animal is housebroken; (2) whether the Service Animal is under the owner’s control; (3) whether the University can accommodate the Service Animal’s type, size, and weight; and (4) whether the Service Animal’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the University.

All other animals, whether wild or domestic, do not qualify as Service Animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Service Animals on Campus

Dogs in non-residential areas of University buildings are working service animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for their handlers. They are not pets. Below is some important information about service dogs and how other community members should behave around them.

If you encounter a handler with a service dog, please do not interact with the service dog in any way, including:

• Pet the service dog.
• Feed the service dog.
• Talk to the service dog.
• Separate the service dog from its handler, or attempt to do so.
• Request a demonstration of the service dog's work.
• Ask for documentation of the service dog’s training or license.

Service dogs may travel anywhere and everywhere their handlers go on our campuses. There may be exceptions if the service dog poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, compromises a sterile environment, is out of the handler’s control, or otherwise alters the nature of a university service, program, or activity.

In the above scenarios and others, a student with a service dog should not be denied access to an area of the University without consultation with the Office of Student Access and Accommodation (OSAA).

For more information on service animals, please visit the Americans with Disabilities Act website.

Should I notify OSAA of my Service Animal's presence?

OSAA encourages students to contact OSAA to inform OSAA of the upcoming presence of a Service Animal on campus. OSAA can help to ensure that the Service Animal is properly accommodated in both residential and academic buildings.

OSAA may ask the following, legally permitted, questions:

• Is the service animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task has the service animal been trained to perform?

If students would like to pursue academic, housing, or other accommodations, they may be required to submit appropriate documentation to support the requested accommodations. Additionally, they will need to schedule an intake appointment to discuss the requested accommodations and the barriers faced in an academic, housing, or other university setting.

Student-related questions about Service Animals on campus can be directed to OSAA.

Information for Handlers

There may be a variety of reasons an animal is present on campus, including Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, and Therapy Dogs. You may see animals in common areas and elevators. To maintain an appropriate campus environment, MCPHS encourages all handlers to:

• Focus on keeping the animal neutral.
• Position your body slightly between the animal and others.
• Use the cue the animal is trained to follow (heel, focus, sit, etc.).
• Exit the elevator first if the situation escalates.
• Ensure the animal is under control at all times, especially in common areas.
• Keep animal leashed (ESA/Therapy) and close.
• Wait for the next elevator if possible/as needed.
• Maintain distance from others as appropriate.

*Therapy Animals = Support for others, no legal right to public access