Procedure for Requesting a Support Animal in University Housing:
Important Definitions
Support Animal: An emotional support animal is any animal that provides emotional support alleviating one or more symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
Service Animal: Under Title II and Title III of the ADA, a service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.
Handlers of service animals are invited to contact University & Community Housing Services (UCHS) via phone at 805-893-4371 or email housinginfo@housing.ucsb.edu to inquire about a separate process.
Students applying for a support animal must complete the following:
- Contact University & Community Housing Services (UCHS) via phone at 805-893-4371 or email housinginfo@housing.ucsb.edu to request access to the online application.
- Submit a personal statement along with a letter of support from your diagnosing professional. This should be submitted as a completed questionnaire or, alternatively, as a letter addressing the requested information. By providing this documentation, the student gives committee members permission to contact their clinician for clarification, if needed.
- Once the required questionnaire is completed by the student's clinician, the student should upload the document. The request for a support animal will then be reviewed at the next committee meeting. Please do not have the clinician send the document directly to UCSB on the student's behalf; instead, the student must upload it as part of their request.
- If the request is deemed a reasonable accommodation, the student will be asked to provide proof of a current Santa Barbara County license (required for dogs and cats) and a clear photo of the animal(s).
- Once the additional documentation is reviewed, the student will be asked to electronically sign the Guidelines for Maintaining an Approved Animal.
- After the guidelines are signed and verified, an approval notice will be emailed to the student, allowing them to bring their animal into residence.
Please note: Under no circumstances may an animal be brought into residence without written approval from University & Community Housing Services (UCHS). Do not bring your animal into campus housing until you have received explicit consent.
The review committee is composed of staff from the Disabled Students Program, Student Health Services, and Residential & Community Living. The committee meets monthly, and the process can take up to eight weeks before the student is notified about the status of their request. As such, UCSB students can submit requests in conjunction with an active University housing application and do not have to wait for a completed contract.
For more information, please consult the UCSB Service and Support Animal Policy or the Americans with Disabilities Act Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals guidelines.