Emotional Support Animals:  We believe that most, if not all, pets serve an important emotional support function.  Pets provide unconditional love, and help us understand the importance of caring for another living creature.  One of the reasons Eckerd’s pet policy was created was to provide students attending classes and living on campus with the opportunity to live with emotional support animals and family pets in their residence halls, recognizing the positive emotional support pets provide.  As such, we expect all students who believe their pets to be emotional support animals abide by the guidelines of the pet policy.  Should a student believe that his/her pet serves a particular supportive function that, consequently, places the student or pet in violation of the pet policy, she or he should file an Appeal to the Pet Council as outlined on their website.  Once this request is filed, Disability Support Services personnel will be consulted for input in determining whether the request should be granted.  Students are encouraged to submit any documentation from a treating medical or psychological professional in support of their appeal to Disability Support Services.  Approved emotional support animals are required to live in designated pet houses, unless specifically approved by the Pet Council in consultation with Disability Support Services and Residence Life.

Service Animals:  Service Animals are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” (see this link for the ADA definition).  Service animals are working animals, not pets, and the work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.  Further, the ADA states that “dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.” Only registered service animals are allowed to accompany students into academic buildings or other non-residential facilities.

Students with Service Animals are encouraged to contact Disability Support Services prior to bringing their service animal on campus.  Because Service Animals are permitted access to nearly all facilities on campus, they are viewed differently than emotional support animals and other pets on campus, and accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis, pursuant to the College's disability policies, found at this link.

Questions regarding these policies should be directed to Scott Strader, PhD., Director of Counseling & Disability Support Services, and the designated Section 504 Disability Coordinator, at 727-864-8248 or dss@eckerd.edu.