Assistance Animal
Assistance Animal Policy Statement: 完美体育官网 (“B-CU”, “University”) recognizes the importance of Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals ("ESA") to individuals with disabilities and implemented the following policy regarding Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals, collectively Assistance Animals, in order to accommodate individuals with disabilities. This policy ensures that individuals with disabilities who require the use of Service Animals and/or ESA as a reasonable accommodation benefit from the work or tasks conducted by such animals or the therapeutic support they provide. B-CU reserves the right to modify this policy as the need arises.
The term "Service Animal" in this Policy aligns with the ADA definition, referring specifically to dogs trained to assist individuals with disabilities, including physical, sensory, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities. Other animals do not qualify as Service Animals.
According to Florida law, Service Animals must be under the owner's control using a harness, leash, or tether, unless the owner is unable to do so due to a disability or it interferes with the animal's work. In such cases, the animal must be controlled by voice commands or signals.
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) provides comfort to individuals with emotional or mental impairments but does not qualify as a "Service Animal." While ESAs are typically a dog or a cat, this Policy specifies that reptiles, barnyard animals, and other non-domesticated animals are not permitted as ESAs on B-CU Campus, in line with federal guidance.
Requesting an Assistance Animal / Emotional Support Animal
A student seeking to have an Assistance Animal in University housing must make a formal request to the University’s Student Accessibility Services. To do so, the person should submit the Housing Accommodations Request Form so that the student can be assigned to the most appropriate housing location with them Assistance Animal, considering the student’s needs and preferences. You are not permitted to keep an Emotional Support Animal or Service Animal in a residential building without prior approval as a reasonable accommodation through The Office of Student Resource Services.
Here are the key dates for requesting housing accommodations:
- May 1 for the Fall semester
- November 1 for the Spring semester
- March 1 for returning students
Although applications submitted after these deadlines will be accepted and reviewed, B-CU cannot guarantee that it will be able to accommodate late applicants' needs, including any that arise during the semester.
Students seeking approval for an Assistance Animal or Emotional Support Animal should follow these steps:
- Complete the Assistance Animal Request Form and obtain appropriate documentation from your treating provider.
- Students may email documentation directly to resourceservices@cookman.edu, Odessa Chambliss Center (Nursing Building), Room 144 or fax to 386-481-2987.
SRS will arrange a meeting and engage in an individualized interactive process with the student requesting the Assistance Animal to be housed in University Housing. SRS will make an individual assessment on a case-by-case basis of whether the requested accommodation is reasonable. If it is determined that the student qualifies for a Service Animal or ESA as a reasonable accommodation, the next steps will be provided to the student. If the requested Assistance Animal is not deemed a reasonable accommodation, alternative reasonable accommodations will be considered and suggested to the student.
