A service animal assists an individual with a disability in the essential activities of daily living. The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service animals as, “…any…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 who are hearing impaired to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items.” If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal regardless of whether it has been licensed by a state or local government or an animal training program.
Types of Service Dogs:
- Guide Dog: trained to serve as travel support by persons with low vision, severe visual impairments, or who are blind.
- Hearing Dog: trained to alert a person with significant hearing loss, or who is deaf, when a sound, such as a knock on the door, occurs.
- Service Dog: trained to assist a person who has a mobility or health impairment. This dog may perform duties such as carrying, fetching, opening doors, ringing doorbells, or steadying a person while walking.
- SSig Dog: social signal dog trained to assist a person with autism. The dog alerts the partner to distracting repetitive movements common among those with autism, such as hand flapping, allowing the person to stop the movement. Also assists partner with sensory input, such as steering around a puddle or recognizing a familiar person in a crowd.
- Seizure Response Dog: trained to assist a person with a seizure disorder. May stand guard over the person having a seizure or go for help.
Dogs not Considered Service Animals:
- Pet: domestic animal kept for pleasure or companionship.
- Therapy Animal: An animal with good temperament and disposition, who has reliable, predictable behavior, selected to visit people with disabilities or the elderly as therapy. Though the animal may be incorporated as an integral part of a treatment process, the therapy animal does not assist the individual in the activities of daily living.
Procedure for Bringing a Service Animal to Campus:
- Persons with a documented disability who wish to stay on campus with a service animal must complete and return the Accommodations Request form to the Academic and Disabilities Support (ADS) Office, and must follow through the accommodations procedure well in advance of need. The person will need to provide documentation of disability and need for a service animal from a medical practitioner.
- The person will also need to complete a Service Animal Registration Form with an attached record of current vaccinations. Service animals are required to wear current license and rabies tags.
- The ADS Office will then work with campus staff to provide campus housing convenient to a relief area for the animal, as well as consider the needs of persons with relevant allergies.
Guidelines for Service Animal Behavior:
Service animals are trained to behave appropriately in public settings so that their presence does not present disruption to the activities of other community members. The care, supervision, and behavior of a service animal are solely the responsibility of its partner/handler, who must be in full control of the animal at all times.
- The partner should keep the dog on a leash at all times, avoid leaving the animal unsupervised for long periods of time (such as in the dorm or in a vehicle), and should enlist the help of an assistant if total care of the animal cannot be provided by the partner/handler.
- Cleanliness of the service animal is mandatory. Consideration of others must be taken into account when providing maintenance and hygiene of service animals. The owner is expected to clean and dispose of all animal waste and if the disability prevents the owner from being able to clean up after the animal, they should have assistance arranged.
When a Service Animal can be asked to Leave:
Should a service animal present a serious disturbance to members of the community that cannot be mitigated in collaboration with Student Life staff, the partner/handler may be asked to remove the animal from campus. If this means that the animal must be placed in a local animal boarding service until the end of residency, the student is responsible for such arrangements and cost of boarding.
- Disruption: repetitive unruly or disruptive behavior such as barking, whining, running around unleashed, being aggressive towards others, or otherwise bringing attention to itself. (Barking or whining as a means of service to alert the partner/handler of a situation are acceptable.)
- Ill Health: Service animals that are ill should not be taken into public areas for the safety of the animal itself and other animals.
- Uncleanliness: consistently unclean or bedraggled; or repeated elimination in inappropriate areas such as a dorm or well-traveled pathways or areas. Occasional uncleanliness from exposure to weather such as mud or rain is to be expected. The partner/handler should be prepared with towels or other implements to wipe the animal down before re-entering buildings.
Guidelines for Other Students, Faculty and Staff around a Service Animal:
- Always ask the partner/handler before approaching a service animal. Do not startle or reach suddenly for a service animal, or pet a service animal while it is working. Petting a working animal distracts it from the task at hand. Be especially sensitive to not distracting the animal in busy situations.
- Allow a service animal to accompany the partner/handler at all times and everywhere on campus, except for areas where its presence is prohibited by health codes such as kitchen areas.
- Do not feed the service animal as the animal may have specific dietary requirements. Unusual food might cause illness.
- Do not bring another dog up to the service animal without first securing the permission of the partner/handler. Again, be aware that another dog will distract the working service animal from the task at hand.
For more information, contact the Academic & Disabilities Support Office at (802)-454-8315, ext. 238 or adsoffice@goddard.edu.
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