Animals on Campus (Students)

As reflected in institutional policy, dogs and other pets (except service animals and approved emotional support animals) are not permitted in Institution buildings or on Institution property. 

We recognize that having a service animal on campus or an ESA in the residence hall can be a real benefit for someone with a significant disability.  The practical limitations of our campus and housing arrangements make it necessary to carefully consider the impact of the request for an animal on campus on both the student and the campus community.

Students who have service animals or emotional support animals should adhere to the following procedures regarding having their animals on campus.

​All students requesting accommodations are required to participate in an interactive process through the Student Accessibility Resources office.  The process includes submitting a request for accommodations form, participating in an access consultation and submitting appropriate documentation.  Together, the information gathered through these steps will be utilized to determine which accommodations for which you will be eligible at WVSU.  

• Emotional support animals are considered under the Fair Housing Act (FHA).  The FHA indicates a person may keep an assistance animal in his/her residence hall or campus apartment as a reasonable accommodation if:
  • The individual has a disability;
  • The animal is necessary to afford the individual with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing; and 
  • There is an identifiable relationship between the disability and the assistance the animal provides.
• When approved, emotional assistance animals are allowed in the residence hall bedroom or campus apartment bedroom for which the individual with a disability is assigned by the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
• ​The process has two stages: a determination if the ESA is necessary based on the documentation AND a determination if it is reasonable to be implemented by the Office of Housing and Residence Life.
• To be considered reasonable as an ESA, the animal must be fully vaccinated, toilet trained, and not engage in any concerning or dangerous behaviors. Due to this, generally speaking, dogs will need to be around 1 year old before they will be allowed on campus.
• Animals that are primarily contained in a cage or terrarium (such as hamsters, rabbits, turtles or other rodents) do not have to meet the toilet training requirement but the cage or terrarium must be kept clean and sanitary.
• The presence of an animal that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, including the potential transmission of zoonotic diseases such as is the case with some reptiles and rodents, is a factor in determining the reasonableness of an ESA request.
• It is important to remain in contact with the Director with Disability and Accessibility Resources who will assist you through the process outlined below. 
• Monitor your WVSU email account for updates regarding your request which will be sent from sar@wvstateu.edu.
• It can take several weeks or more to complete all the steps.  This is partially dependent on your mental healthcare provider’s speed of response as well as the quality and depth of the documentation submitted.
• ​The process must be completed prior the housing deadline for the given semester.​

STEP 1 – Submit Request for Accommodations Form

• The preferred method is the online form (see link below).  A printed copy is available upon request.
• For assistance completing the form, you may request this by email, text, phone or in-person at 117 Sullivan Hall East

ESA REQUEST FORM

STEP 2 – Submit Documentation  

• Documentation must be from a psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor or other licensed provider of mental health services. 
• It must include sufficient detail to make it clear you are an individual with a disability as well as a clear connection between your disability and why the ESA is required in order for you to use and enjoy university housing
• You are highly encouraged to utilize the Disability Verification Form to obtain the documentation for this request as it allows your mental health provider to thoroughly explain why an emotional support animal is required for you to reside in and enjoy the residence hall.

• Your mental health provider may utilize their own format as long as answers to the questions from the verification form are included.

Disability Verification Form

• You will need to sign on page 1 to provide consent before forwarding to your provider.
• Once completed, you or the provider can submit the PDF form using the link below.

Documentation Submission

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to the Director for Disability and Accessibility Resources.

STEP 3 – Attend and Participate in Access Consultation

STEP 4 – Complete Questionnaire

• You will need to complete the CBARQ for canines, the FeBARQ for felines or a version of the CBARQ for other common household animals.

STEP 5 – Complete Forms

• Animal in University Housing Agreement 

• Animal registration form and picture 

• Required veterinary records  

• Roommate/Suitemate Acknowledgement Form (if applicable). 

STEP 6 – Receive Approval/Denial

Animal in University Housing Guidelines and Agreement 

WEST VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY 

University Responsibilities 

1. The University will not ask or require an individual with a disability, hereinafter referred to as owner, to pay a deposit, surcharge or fee for allowing an assistance animal in University housing. 

2. The University will be responsible for determining if there are any competing interests in placement of assistance animals and work to rectify any issues identified. 

3. The University will make publicly known the designated corridors and areas in which animals are allowed and where they are prohibited. 

4. To the extent possible, the University will protect the confidentiality of individuals who require assistance animals due to a disability. 

5. University personnel shall not be required to remove an animal during emergency evacuation for events such as a fire alarm, nor will roommates be held responsible for the same.  In cases of emergency, emergency personnel will determine whether to remove the animal.  Neither the University nor first responders may be held responsible for the care, damage to, or loss of the animal. 

Owner/Handler Responsibilities 

All animals in University Housing must meet the following requirements and guidelines: 

1. The owner is solely responsible for the custody and care of the assistance animal.  When absent for an extended period, the owner may arrange for another individual to care for the animal. The appropriate division must be notified when someone else will be caring for the animal in the owner’s absence.  Animals left unsupervised are subject to removal from campus (see point 23). 

2. Prior to the arrival of the animal on campus, the owner must abide by current county (Kanawha), state (West Virginia) and federal ordinances, laws, and/or regulations pertaining to licensing, vaccination, and other requirements for animals.  

• It is the owner’s responsibility to know and understand these ordinances, laws, and regulations.  

• The University has the right to require documentation of compliance with such ordinances, laws, and/or regulations, which may include a vaccination certificate and proof of licensure. The University reserves the right to request an updated verification at any time during the animal’s residency. 

3. The owner must provide a current picture of the assistance animal and current vaccination records, both of which are to be updated yearly. 

4. The owner must carry a university provided assistance animal identification card and the animal must wear a collar with identifying tags at all times. For those animals which might not tolerate a collar/tags, microchip identification will be permissible. An exception can be made for animals that are primarily caged and confined to the residence.   

5. The owner must attest to the absence of any concerning or dangerous behavior of the animal in the following categories: 

• Stranger-directed aggression: Threatening or hostile responses to strangers approaching or invading the animal’s or owner’s personal space, territory, or home range. 

• Owner-directed aggression: Threatening or hostile responses to the owner or other members of the household when challenged, manhandled, stared at, stepped over, or when approached while in possession of food or objects. 

• Animal-directed aggression: Threatening or hostile responses when approached by unfamiliar animals. 

• Animal rivalry: Threatening or hostile responses to other familiar animals in the same household. 

• Stranger-directed fear: Fearful or wary responses when approached by strangers. 

• Nonsocial fear: Fearful or wary responses to sudden or loud noises, traffic, and unfamiliar objects and situations. 

• Animal-directed fear: Fearful or wary responses when approached by unfamiliar animals. 

• Separation-related behavior: Vocalizing and/or destructiveness when separated from the owner, often accompanied or preceded by behavioral and autonomic signs of anxiety including restlessness, loss of appetite, trembling, and excessive salivation. 

• Attachment and attention-seeking: Maintaining close proximity to the owner or other members of the household, soliciting affection or attention, and displaying agitation when the owner gives attention to third parties. 

• Trainability: Willingness to attend to the owner, obey simple commands, learn quickly, fetch objects, respond positively to correction, and ignore distracting stimuli. 

• Chasing: Chasing other animals, given the opportunity. 

• Excitability: Displaying strong reactions to potentially exciting or arousing events, such as going for walks or car trips, doorbells, arrival of visitors, and the owner arriving home; has difficulty settling down after such events. 

• Touch sensitivity: Fearful or wary responses to potentially painful procedures, including bathing, grooming, nail-clipping, and veterinary examinations. 

• Energy level: Energetic, “always on the go”, and/or playful. 

The representation of the animal’s behaviors must be truthful and honest to the extent of the owner’s knowledge. The University makes the truth and accuracy of information provided during the process part of the representations made by the owner/handler, employee, or in the case of University housing, tenant under a lease or similar housing agreement, similar to the extent the University requires truth and accuracy of other material information. 

6. No more than two animals can reside in any given assigned housing unit (duplex, suite.  Exceptions to this procedure will be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

7. The owner must fully cooperate with university personnel with regard to meeting the terms of these procedures for care of the animal (e.g., cleaning the animal, feeding/watering the animal, outdoor grass relief area, disposing of feces, etc.). 

8. Assistance animals are allowed for as long as is necessary when the individual requires them due to their disability. The owner must notify the staff with Disability and Accessibility Resources and the area responsible for management of the housing unit if the animal is no longer required, the animal is no longer in the residence or the owner is requesting that the approved animal be replaced by another emotional support animal.  

9. For assistance animals, the owner must register with the Disability and Accessibility Resources unit each semester and may be asked to provide updated documentation from a mental health provider regarding the continuing need for an assistance animal as a reasonable accommodation. 

10. The owner is at all times responsible for the behavior of the animal. The animal is considered to be an extension of the person and therefore the animal’s behavior will be treated as the owner’s behavior.  

11. An owner may be directed to remove an animal that is unruly or disruptive (e.g. excessive noise, running around, bringing attention to itself, jumping up on people, exhibiting aggressive behavior, repeated soiling of facilities) if the owner is unable or unwilling to take effective action to control the animal. Such behavior may result in exclusion from university facilities until the owner can demonstrate that s/he can effectively control the animal. The owner must also ensure that the animal is kept clean and well-groomed. Animals that are unclean (e.g., repeated soiling of facilities, flea-infested, foul-smelling and/or shedding excessively) may be excluded from University facilities. 

12. When approved, emotional support animals are permitted within University housing. The animal should not accompany the individual to class, work, the library, dining service areas, the fitness center, classrooms, offices or other areas of campus. If an individual believes they may need the animal in these areas as an accommodation, they must request consideration of this accommodation through the Disability and Accessibility Resources unit. 

13. The University has designated areas in specific public spaces to be utilized for the purposes of toileting or exercise as well as designated corridors for the purposes of reaching these areas, the nearest transit stops or the owner’s vehicle to travel off campus. 

14. The owner is required to immediately clean up after the animal relieves itself or has an accident whether in indoor or outdoor spaces. For those animals which are litter box trained or contained within an aquarium or terrarium, the owner/handler shall ensure the litter or containment system is regularly changed, cleaned and the waste properly disposed. For those who are not litter box trained, the owner/handler shall take the animal to a designated outdoor area for this purpose. An owner/handler with a disability who cannot physically clean up after their animal shall make all necessary arrangements as required for someone to assist with cleaning up after their animal. 

15. When transporting the animal outside of the assigned housing unit, animals must be under the control of the owner by using a leash that is 6′ in length or less, harness or tether, or securely confined in a crate or carrier, unless (1) the owner is unable to use a leash, harness, or tether due to disability or (2) use of such a restraint would impede the animal’s safe and effective performance of its work or task.  

16. Service Animals may travel freely with their owner throughout the public and most controlled areas of campus.  

17. All other animals, including but not limited to emotional support animals, must be contained within the individually assigned housing unit (bedroom) at all times, except when transported outside to designated areas and under control as indicated in points 10-14.  

18. The owner may be requested to utilize certain pieces of equipment in common areas such as laundering machines to eliminate risk of contamination for those who may be sensitive or allergic to pet dander. 

19. The owner must provide consent for the University to disclose information regarding the request for and presence of the assistance animal to those individuals who may be impacted by the presence of the animal including, but not limited to, University housing personnel, First Responders, and potential and/or actual roommate(s)/neighbor(s). Such information shall be limited to information related to the animal and shall not include information related to the individual’s disability. 

20. The owner agrees to abide by all equally applicable residential policies that are unrelated to the individual’s disability such as assuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with the routine activities of the University or cause difficulties for individuals who reside there. 

21. University staff associated with divisions or departments responsible for management or maintenance of University housing may enter the owner’s assigned housing unit to determine the need and extent for deep cleaning and/or management of fleas, ticks, or other pests introduced by assistance animal as needed. A University-approved cleaner and/or pest control service will perform any necessary services, and the owner will be billed for the expense of any treatment above and beyond normal required levels. 

22. The owner is responsible for any expenses the University incurs which is above and beyond normal expenditures including removal of odors caused by the animal or for repairs to University premises. Potential costs include those incurred while the owner occupies the housing unit and those assessed after the owner vacates the housing unit. 

23. Absences of the owner that will exceed 24 hours and for which the animal will remain in the housing unit are to be reported to the appropriate division or department responsible for management of the assigned housing unit. Under no circumstances is the animal to remain in the housing unit in the absence of its owner for more than a reasonable amount of time as determined by the university.  In no instances may the total amount of time the animal is unattended by the owner exceed eight (8) days, seven (7) nights for any contiguous duration; nor more than a total of fifteen (15) days during one fiscal year.  Depending on the situation and animal, the University reserves the right to remove animals who are unsupervised for periods of time determined to be unreasonable by the University. 

24. Whenever the owner is absent the following are required: 

• The owner is responsible for ensuring that the assistance animal is contained via crate, cage, or other manner when the owner is not present including during the day while attending classes or other activities. 

• For those animals which require daily care, when the owner is to be absent from his/her university housing for overnight or longer, the owner must make arrangements for care of the animal in their absence and notify housing staff of the individual responsible.  

• The University may take reasonable efforts to gain access to an animal confined in the residence hall when the animal is being neglected, appears to be in distress, or when there is danger to the animal as indicated by smells, sounds or other signs which a University housing staff or other University staff member determines may be a sign of such. 

25. Any violation of the above will be handled under the appropriate disciplinary process. 

26. The owner hereby releases the institution from liability and understands they are solely responsible for any damage caused by the animal and must take appropriate precautions to prevent property damage or injury. The owner is financially responsible for the actions of the animal which result in bodily injury or property damage, including but not limited to any replacement of furniture, carpet, drapes or wall covering, etc. The owner is responsible for paying medical, pain and suffering, repair and property damage costs. 

27. These guidelines will be reassessed as needed.