Service animal policy
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, service
animals are permitted in university facilities. Technically speaking
a service animal means any guide dog, signal dog or other animal
individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an
individual with a disability, including but not limited to guiding
individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired
hearing, providing minimal rescue or protection work, pulling a
wheelchair, fetching dropped items, or assisting people with seizure
response. Service animals may include, but are not limited to:
Guide Dogs or animals, Hearing Dogs or animals, Service/Support Dog or
animal, Ssig Dog or animal, or a Seizure Response Dog or animal.
To work on campus, a service animal must be specifically trained to
perform a service function. Furthermore, the animal should typically
wear a harness, cape, identification tag or other gear that readily
identifies its working status. Service animals whose behavior poses a
direct threat to the health or safety of others or is disruptive to the
campus community may be excluded regardless of training or
certification.
Requirements of service animals and their partners/handlers:
- Training: To work on campus, a service animal
must be specifically trained to perform a service function. If
an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service
animal regardless of whether it has been licensed or certified by a
state or local government or a training program, or been trained by
its partner or other handler.
- Under control of partner/handler: The
partner/handler must be
in full control of the animal at all times. The care and supervision
of a service animal is solely the responsibility of its
partner/handler.
- Owner ID and other tags: Some handlers carry
proof of
certification from the school that trained the
animal, but
certification cannot be required. All dogs must be
licensed under state and/or local ordinances.
- Health: The animal must be in good health.
Animals to be housed in campus housing must have an annual clean
bill of health from a licensed veterinarian. The animal must meet
the same licensure requirements for health that all animals are
required to have in conjunction with state and local ordinances for
an animal in public.
- Cleanup rule: a) Always carry equipment
sufficient to clean up
the dog's feces whenever the dog and
partner are off the partner's property; b) Never allow the dog to
defecate on any property, public or private (except the partner's
own property), unless the partner immediately removes the waste; c)
Properly dispose of the feces. (Individuals with disabilities who
cannot physically clean up after their own service animal may not be
required to pick up and dispose of feces. However, when possible,
please ask a person nearby to assist you.)
- A person with a disability who utilizes a service animal will be
registered with the Office of Disability Support Services, providing
thorough documentation of the disability and need to have a service
animal on campus.
Removal of a service animal
Disruption: The partner of an animal that is unruly or disruptive
(e.g. barking, running around, bringing attention to itself, may be
asked to remove the animal from university facilities. If the improper
behavior happens repeatedly, the partner may be told not to bring the
animal into any university facility until the partner takes significant
steps to mitigate the behavior. Mitigation can include muzzling a
barking animal or refresher training for both the animal and the
partner.
Ill Health: Service animals who are ill should not be taken into
public areas. A partner with an ill animal may be asked to leave
university facilities with the animal.
Grievances
Any partner with a decision made concerning a service animal should
follow the applicable institutional Appeal/Grievance procedures,
starting with the Office of Disability Support Services.
Requirements for faculty, staff and students:
- Allow a service animal to accompany the partner at all times and
everywhere on campus, except where service animals are
specifically prohibited.
- Do not pet a service animal; petting a service animal when the
animal is working distracts the animal from the task at hand.
- Do not feed a service animal. The service animal may have
specific dietary requirements. Unusual food or food at an
unexpected time may cause the animal to become ill.
- Do not deliberately startle a service animal.
- Do not separate or attempt to separate a partner/handler from
his or her service animal.