Emotional Support Animals
Many website's sell certificates or letters for emotional support animals to anyone who answers certain questions or participates in a short interview and pays a fee.
- If you did not talk to a board-certified doctor or licensed mental health professional who has personal knowledge of you through an established therapeutic relationship, you have been sold an unenforceable document.
- Such documentation from the Internet is not sufficient to reliably establish that an individual has a disability-related need for an emotional support animal.
- Do not pay for a letter from a website. Instead, you should contact your current mental health professional.
If you already have a professional looking after your mental health, that is the best person to talk to regarding your interest in an emotional support animal. We recognize that there are legitimate licensed health care professionals that provide services remotely over the Internet.
- Only a letter from a health care professional with personal knowledge of the individual making the request is acceptable.
- Provider letters must answer all questions found on the Emotional Support Animal in University Housing Documentation guidelines.
- Documentation with this level of detail is only possible when the health care professional has personal knowledge of the individual.
A legitimate ESA letter can only come from a licensed healthcare professional, such as a therapist, counselor, social worker, psychiatrist, psychologist, nurse, physician’s assistant, or doctor. Beware of sites that:
- Approve you for an ESA letter after only asking a few questions online.
- Only have you message or talk with a mental healthcare professional often not in your state.
- “Register” your emotional support animal and tell you registration is sufficient for protecting your rights. Registration is different from getting an ESA letter.
Current SIU students may contact Counseling and Psychological Services to establish a therapeutic relationship for purposes of assessing a student’s disability-related need for an Emotional Support Animal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is an Emotional Support Animal?
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is a common household animal which affords a person with a mental or emotional disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy University Housing, pursuant to the Fair Housing Act. An ESA provides emotional support, comfort, and companionship which may alleviate one or more symptoms of a mental or emotional disability. Although it is the policy of SIU (Southern Illinois University) that individuals are prohibited from having animals in University Housing, SIU will consider an accommodation request for an Emotional Support Animal.
Where can ESA’s go on campus?
ESA’s do not perform work or tasks that would qualify them as “service animals” under the Americans with Disabilities Act and therefore are not permitted in any other buildings or facilities than the student's dwelling unit within University Housing. Students approved to bring an ESA with them must follow the campus animal policy as well as University Housing procedures for animals.
What if I am disturbed by a noisy or smelly ESA in my building?
Contact University Housing staff for your building.
What if I do not want to live with a roommate who has an ESA?
Students can indicate this on their Housing application but can also contact University Housing at 618-453-2301.
Where can I live on campus if I have an ESA?
SIU Carbondale will not limit room assignments for individuals with Emotional Support Animals to any building because the individual needs an Emotional Support Animal due to a disability.
How can I get my pet certified as an ESA?
There is no certification process for an ESA. Although interacting with an animal can be beneficial to many people, only those individuals who need an animal to alleviate one or more symptoms of a mental or emotional disability can have an ESA in their domicile. Pre-approval is required to bring an ESA to live with you at SIU.
Visitors in University Housing
Overnight guests are not permitted to bring their ESA, even if approved through another university. ESA approval is only for individuals with a contract to reside in University Housing facilities.
Summer Camps and Short-Term Programs
During special, short-term events such as summer camps and conferences that provide housing, Service Animals are allowed, as required by the ADA. Emotional Support Animals, as defined by the Fair Housing Act, are not allowed to reside in campus housing or to accompany an Owner during summer camps unless the camp is over two weeks long. The FHA rule does not apply to transient housing intended for a temporary sojourn. However, SIU respects the needs of disabled individuals and chooses to allow Emotional Support Animals for any summer camp or other program which is more than two weeks (about 14 days) in length.
Camp attendees or others staying in SIU Housing must initiate the approval process three (3) weeks in advance by faxing a letter from a provider or the Housing Emotional Support Animal Documentation Guidelines to the Office for Access & Accommodations at 618-453-5700. Failure to obtain pre-approval may result in the animal being removed from University housing. Short term or overnight guests in the residence halls are not allowed to bring an ESA.
Employees in University Housing
Requests made by faculty or staff residing in University Housing should be directed to the ADA Office. Before an emotional support animal can move into University housing with an employee with a disability, a request must be submitted to and approved by the ADA Coordinator. Failure to obtain approval may result in the animal being removed from University housing. To initiate the approval process, employees should visit the employee accommodation website to begin the accommodation process. Employees must submit a letter which follows the Housing Emotional Support Animal Documentation Guidelines.