Emotional Support Animal Procedure
Emotional Support Animals - provide some therapeutic benefit to persons with mental or psychiatric disability, requiring no specific training. The mere presence of this animal mitigates the effects of the emotional or mental disability.
This procedure is for students who live on campus in the residence halls. In order to be considered for an emotional support animal the student will need to follow the instructions for getting registered with the Student Disability Resource Center.
- When you have been fully admitted to the University, provide your psychiatrist with the Documentation Guidelines for Emotional Support Animals (pdf) and make them aware of the USG Documentation Policy.
- Once you have all of your documentation, including the letter from your psychiatrist and copies of any psychological evaluations, you may fill out the online Request for Services. Please do not complete this form until you have all of your documentation ready to upload. If you need assistance filling out the online Request for Services, please refer to this document: Completing the Online Request for Services Form (pdf)
Documentation must be from an appropriate licensed professional and follow the University System of Georgia Documentation Policy and documents your impairment(s).
All documentation is sent to the Regents' Center for Learning Disorders to be evaluated. When the Student Disability Resource Center receives the review from the Regents' Center for Learning Disorders, we will e-mail you at your Bobcats e-mail address with the results of the evaluation.
If approved for an emotional support animal, you will be instructed to set up a meeting with the Director of the Student Disability Resource Center. The Executive Director of Housing will also be notified by the Director of the Student Disability Resource Center. The student is responsible for submitting any required Housing paperwork and/or payments directly to the Executive Director of University Housing. No emotional support animal may enter a Housing facility until written approval has been granted.