Pets are not permitted at UCF or in student housing accommodations, except as authorized by the University. UCF will consider requests for a “reasonable” accommodation from a student with a documented disability to permit the presence of an emotional support animal (ESA) if the animal is both necessary because of a student’s disability and reasonable under the circumstances.
Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the animal must be directly related to the person’s disability. Housing and Residence Life requests that residents notify them of the intended presence of a service animal in housing prior to the animal’s arrival.
Under the Fair Housing Act, an ESA is an animal that an individual with a disability utilizes in the housing environment solely for emotional support, well-being, or comfort, such as alleviating or mitigating one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. While dogs are commonly used as emotional support animals, other types of animals may serve a person with a disability as an emotional support animal.
- Emotional support animal accommodations requests are determined by Student Accessibility Services in connection with Housing and Residence Life. To start the process, visit SAS’s website: https://sas.sdes.ucf.edu/get-connected/
- Please keep in mind that registration of the animal with any national organization is not necessary and will not suffice for appropriate documentation or circumvent the DHRL emotional support animal process. Additional documentation will be needed to review the request.