Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Accommodation Log

This template records service animal and emotional support animal accommodation requests from start to finish. It captures the request type, the two ADA-allowed inquiries, any housing documentation reviewed, the decision, and the follow-up trail. Use it to keep responses consistent and to document why an accommodation was approved, denied, or still pending.

It is typically completed by HR, housing, resident services, or an accommodation coordinator who receives and reviews the request. The same person or team should also maintain the audit trail so the record stays complete. If your process involves legal, disability, or housing review, those reviewers can be added as approvers or commenters.

Use it every time a request is received, whether the request is straightforward or needs more documentation. It also works for follow-up events, such as a request for additional information, a decision change, or a renewal review. Keeping one log per request helps avoid mixing details across different cases.

The template is built around the two allowable inquiries: whether the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. The form also includes a place for observation notes when the animal's role is apparent in a housing or workplace setting. It should not be expanded into broad medical questioning.

Record only the documentation you actually reviewed, such as a letter, verification, or other supporting material permitted by your policy. Note whether additional information was requested, why it was needed, and what was received. This keeps the record aligned with data minimization and avoids collecting unnecessary PII.

It creates a clear audit trail showing what was asked, what was reviewed, and how the decision was made. That matters when you need to demonstrate consistent handling, reasonable accommodation review, and careful handling of sensitive information. The staff attestation also helps show who completed the record and when.

Yes. You can rename unit_or_program, adjust request_type values, and tailor documentation fields to your policy or jurisdiction. If you use it in housing, keep the focus on accommodation review; if you use it in HR, add internal routing or approval steps as needed.

Common mistakes include asking more than the allowed questions, writing vague decision reasons, and collecting unnecessary medical details. Another frequent issue is skipping the follow-up section, which leaves no record of what happened after the decision. The template helps prevent those gaps by separating inquiry, documentation review, decision, and audit trail.

An ad hoc thread often loses the decision basis, the exact documentation reviewed, and the staff member responsible for follow-up. This template standardizes those fields so every request is handled the same way. It is easier to review later, easier to train staff on, and less likely to miss a required step.