Service animals are animals that are trained to perform a specific work or task, and the work or task the animal is trained to perform MUST be directly related to the individual's disability.  A common type that most people are familiar with is a seeing-eye dog; a dog that is specially trained to serve as navigation or “sight” for an individual with a visual impairment.   There are only two types of animals that the Americans with Disabilities Act has approved for use as a service animal (dogs or miniature horses).  Service animals are not considered an accommodation; rather, they are required for accessibility purposes.  Service animals are generally allowed to go wherever their owner goes (i.e. the animal may accompany their owner to class, to an on-campus job, to the cafeteria, to the library, etc.).
 
Emotional support animals are not specifically trained to perform a work or task; therefore, there are some limitations associated with having an emotional support animal on campus.  The Fair Housing Amendments Act influences how emotional support animals are governed, which includes on campus housing facilities at colleges and universities.  Since emotional support animals are not trained to perform a specific work or task and are considered an accommodation and not for accessibility purposes, the animal(s) is limited to the owner’s living space.  Therefore, it is not permissible for an emotional support animal to accompany their owner to class, to an on-campus job, to the cafeteria, to the library, into a residence hall (other than the one building they have been assigned to live in while staying on campus), into another resident’s room within their assigned residence hall, etc.

Emotional support animals are commonly dogs or cats, but may also include other types of typical household pets that provide therapeutic benefit to an individual with a mental or emotional disability.  Animals that are considered illegal to own, or exotic in nature are prohibited.  A partial list of disabilities covered includes:  anxiety, depression, bipolar/mood disorders, panic attacks, and other emotional/psychological conditions.  Individuals are encouraged to converse with their counselor or therapist to determine which type of animal would be most appropriate.

A) Documentation:

A resident requesting permission to have an emotional support animal in their on-campus housing facility must provide appropriate documentation to the Office of Student Disability Services.  Appropriate documentation may be submitted to our office via:

Email:  msu.studentdisabilities@murraystate.edu 

Fax:  270-809-4339

Mail:

Murray State University
The Office of Student Disability Services
423 Wells Hall, Murray, KY 42071

Documentation may also be included as an electronic attachment as part of your online housing application.  Students returning to live on campus MUST renew their request annually AND provide updated documentation once every academic year.

Students MSUT submit an ESA Documentation Form.  Part #1 of this form is to be completed by the student/applicant, and Part #2 must be completed by a qualified healthcare professional (i.e. therapist, counselor, or medical provider) who is most familiar with the student and their need to have an ESA while residing on-campus.  The ESA Documenation Form is available from the Office of Student Disability's website.

B) Forms:

Students will also be expected to complete a Student Registration Application as well as a Request for Housing Reasonable Accommodation Form.

C) Email from Roommate(s) and/or Suite-mate(s):

Students will also be expected to communicate with their roommate and/or suite-mates that they have requested to bring an animal to campus.  Your roommate and/or suite-mates will need to send an email to kashlock@murraystate.edu indicating that they are OK sharing space with you and your animal.  If you have multiple roommates and/or suite-mates we will need to receive an email from each one individually.

D) ADA Subcommittee of the Affirmative Action Committee

Complete applications will be reviewed by the ADA Subcommittee of the Affirmative Action Committee.  You will be notified via email (sent to your Murray State University email account) with a decision as soon as possible.  The Housing Office will be notified of this decision as well.

If your request for an emotional support animal is approved your Residence Director and/or your Resident Advisor will contact you to review a document called Policies and Procedures for Maintaining an Animal in Murray State University Housing.  This document outlines the responsibilities of you the owner for maintaining an animal on campus.

The Housing Office will not charge you an additional deposit (i.e. pet deposit); however, please note you would be responsible for paying for any damages that may occur as a result of something your animal may have done in your room or in your residence hall.

You will also be expected to provide the Housing Office with proof of current vaccination records for your animal.  This is to ensure that your animal has a clean bill of health and is safe to reside on campus.

The Housing Office will also notify all residents in your building to let everyone know that ‘a resident’ has been approved for an emotional support animal.  You will not be singled out by name and your room number will not be disclosed.  This message is intended to let all residents know that the University’s pet policy has not changed and that students would need to have a valid, medically documented reason for having an animal on campus.  This email message is also intended to give other residents the opportunity to let the Housing Office know if they have any allergies or other concerns about living in the same building with an animal(s).

Please note that there are some areas within the residential colleges that have been deemed as animal free zones.  Depending on which residence hall you live in and what type of animal you are requesting to bring to campus, a reassignment may be necessary.  If a reassignment is needed, the Housing Office will communicate with you your relocation options.  

By law the University is required to maintain record of individuals residing on campus who have disclosed to the University (i.e. the Office of Student Disability Services or the Housing Office) that they have a disability.  If your request for an emotional support animal is granted by the ADA Subcommittee of the Affirmative Action Committee, by law your name will be added to the KRS Statute 164.9495 (Minger Act) listing.  This listing will remain confidential and will only be used in the event of an emergency that would require the evacuation of your residence hall.  Names on the Minger listing will only be revealed to individuals who have been trained to respond to emergency situations (i.e. the Housing Department staff and both campus and community emergency personnel).

You will need to contact both the Office of Student Disability Services and the Housing Office:

a. when you plan to bring your emotional support animal to campus
b. if it is necessary to make a change to the type of animal you will have on campus
c. if your ESA is no longer needed on campus

Contacts:

Office of Student Disability Services – Ken Ashlock (Director), kashlock@murraystate.edu

Housing Office – Joanne Guns (Associate Director), jguns@murraystate.edu

Residents must also email a picture of their emotional support animal to kashlock@murraystate.edu