Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals
Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) serve different purposes and have different access rights at Baylor University.
Service Animals
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a Service Animal is generally a dog that has been individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to an individual’s disability.
Service Animals do not require approval or mandatory registration through OALA. Individuals who use Service Animals may generally be accompanied by the animal in Baylor spaces where they are otherwise permitted to go, subject to applicable health, safety, and animal-control requirements.
Students may voluntarily connect with OALA for communication and access coordination when helpful.
For information about Service Animals in classrooms and academic environments, voluntary OALA coordination, Service Animals in training, laboratories, faculty responsibilities, and related accommodations, visit our Service Animals in Academic Spaces page.
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional Support Animals provide disability-related emotional support but are not Service Animals under the ADA and do not have the same public-access rights.
At Baylor, ESAs are approved through OALA as a disability-related housing accommodation. An ESA must be approved through OALA before being brought into Baylor University housing and does not have general access to classrooms, libraries, dining facilities, academic buildings, or other non-residential campus spaces.
Students seeking an ESA must submit an OALA application with medical documentation that will be reviewed in line withour documentation guidelines. Approved ESA owners must also review, sign, and comply with the Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Agreement and a safety check must be conducted by CL&L before bringing the animal into university housing.
Owner and Handler Responsibilities
Owners and handlers are responsible for the care, supervision, control, and conduct of animals permitted on Baylor property.
Please review Responsibilities of Owners/Handlers for Animals on Baylor Property for Baylor’s general expectations regarding animal behavior, control, care, safety, and owner responsibility. ESA owners must additionally comply with their signed Emotional Support Animal (ESA) Agreement.
Questions
Questions regarding disability-related animal access or accommodations may be directed to the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation at OALA@baylor.edu.