Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Policy
Established: August 2025
Date Last Revised: August 2025
Approved by: Senior Team
Responsible Office: Dean of Students Office
Responsible Senior Staff Member: Vice President of Student Life/Dean of Students or designee
Statement
Mount Holyoke College recognizes that Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) provide therapeutic emotional support for students with a diagnosed disability. Unlike service animals, ESAs are not trained to perform disability-specific tasks and are not considered service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. ESAs are considered an accommodation which can be provided, under appropriate circumstances, through the Office of Disability Services.
The College is committed to ensuring that students requesting ESAs have equitable access to accommodations while maintaining the health, safety, and well-being of the campus community. Students who are granted permission to have ESAs on campus must follow the documentation, registration, and housing procedures outlined in this policy.
Scope / Responsibilities
All Mount Holyoke College students requesting an ESA must comply with this policy and the procedures established by the Office of Disability Services. The Office of Disability Services oversees ESA accommodations in coordination with Residential Life. Students have the responsibility to provide accurate documentation from a qualified medical provider regarding their disability and the functional need for the ESA. Failure to abide by processes laid out within this policy may constitute a violation of the Student Handbook.
Policy
Definitions
Emotional Support Animal (ESA): An animal that provides therapeutic emotional support for an individual with a diagnosed mental health disability. Unlike service animals that are trained to perform specific tasks that are important to the independence or safety of their disabled handler, ESAs are generally not trained to perform disability-specific tasks. Emotional Support Animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA.
Service Animal: A service animal is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. Service Animals are governed separately under the Mount Holyoke College Service Animal Policy.
Eligibility and Documentation
- Students requesting an ESA must be registered with Disability Services.
- A licensed clinician must document the student’s disability symptoms and clearly connect the ESA to alleviating the functional impacts of those symptoms.
- Documentation must include how the animal provides specific support or comfort relevant to the student’s needs.
- Mount Holyoke does not approve animals for companionship alone.
- Approval of an accommodation for an emotional support animal is generally for one animal. A second animal must provide a separate therapeutic benefit, unless the species has documented needs for companionship (for example rats), in which case consideration may be given for a pair
Types of Animals
- Any species may be considered as an ESA; however, the College will evaluate requests on a case-by-case basis to ensure the animal does not pose an undue risk of disruption to the comfort or safety of others or violate health and safety standards.
Licensing
- If the animal is residing on campus it must meet the town of South Hadley and/or Massachusetts licensing requirements and wear tags designating this license.
Animal Behavior
- The animal must be well-behaved at all times, whether in the student’s residence hall room or anywhere else sanctioned on campus, and cannot pose an undue risk to the health or safety of others.
Animal Care and Housing Requirements
- Emotional Support Animals may only be in the owner’s assigned residence hall room. ESAs are not allowed in any other portion of the residence hall, including common spaces, hallways or other students' rooms.
- Emotional Support Animals cannot be in other Mount Holyoke facilities, including dining, library, classrooms, or other College facilities, and any campus vehicles of any kind, including Lyons Lift, airport shuttles, and Mountain Day shuttles.
- Emotional Support Animals must be caged/crated when not being held or handled by the owner, or when the owner is not present in the residence hall room with the animal. This is for the safety of the animal as well as college personnel, who may need to enter the student’s room to perform services and maintenance or respond to an emergency.
- If it is species-appropriate for the animal to be walking/ participating in open-air activities, the animal must have a harness, leash, or other appropriate carrier (backup, stroller) between the room and in the lawn areas (grassy areas) outside at all times.
- Students with animals that need to use relief areas are encouraged to use the lawn areas (grassy areas) for their animals’ relief. Waste must be picked up using a bag and disposed of in the pet waste receptacles provided. Landscaped areas with mulch or rocks are not appropriate for animal relief. Students with questions or additional needs regarding relief areas are encouraged to contact Disability Services.
- Animal Waste - Each residence hall has a specific trash bin for animal waste. This includes dog waste bags, rabbit bedding, cat litter, etc
- Emotional support animals may not be left unattended for extended periods or overnight, nor left in the care of another resident for extended periods or overnight.
- Emotional support animals must be removed from the College premises during any recess/break period where the owner has not been permitted to remain in campus housing.
- Emotional Support Animals must have documented an annual clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian and be current on applicable vaccinations. As part of the accommodation request process, students must provide vet records indicating that their animal is healthy and that any applicable vaccinations are current , and continue to provide updated documentation for the animal to remain on campus.
- All dogs must wear a rabies vaccination tag as required by applicable Massachusetts or local law.
Financial Responsibility
Any person who has an emotional support animal on campus is financially responsible for property damage caused by their animal, including but not limited to the cost of repairs, replacement, or cleaning of facilities or furnishings, and any bodily injury or personal injury caused to other persons by the animal.
Roommate Consent and Housing Adjustments
- If a student shares housing, roommate/apartment-mate/suitemate consent is required via the Roommate Consent Form.
- If a roommate does not consent or has allergies, Residential Life will work with the students to adjust housing placement as needed.
- If an ESA’s presence in a particular residence facility will present a hardship for other residents of the facility, Residential Life will work with the students to adjust housing placement as needed.
Policy Violations
Failure to comply with this policy and the ESA contract may result in the revocation of ESA privileges and/or disciplinary action under the Student Handbook. An infraction may be treated as a community standards violation and handled within the campus conduct process with support or input as may be appropriate from Disability Services. If the ESA poses a threat to the safety of others, Public Safety may be part of a collaborative team to determine the outcome of the behavior.
If an ESA is excluded from Mount Holyoke College facilities or programs in accordance with applicable federal housing administration regulations, the owner of the ESA will be responsible for securing a placement for the animal.
Procedures
1. Apply for Disability Services
- Complete the registration process with Disability Services or schedule an Accommodation Request meeting on Pathways if already registered.
2. Submit Documentation
- Provide clinician documentation connecting the ESA to the student’s functional needs.
- Submit veterinary records or, if applicable, proof of purchase indicating the animal is healthy.
- Provide emergency contacts (cannot be a Mount Holyoke student living on campus).
- Submitting these documents is part of the accommodation request process; until Disability Services has verified all documentation, students are not cleared to bring their animal to campus.
3. ESA Contract
- Review and sign the ESA Contract, which outlines all responsibilities and guidelines for having an ESA on campus.
4. Housing and Roommate Coordination
- Submit Roommate Consent Form if applicable.
- Work with Residential Life for housing adjustments if consent is not granted.
Related Policies
Other Resources