Assistance Animal Policy

I. Policy Statement

It is the policy of Maryville University that service animals assisting individuals with disabilities are generally permitted in all facilities and programs on the university campus except as described below.

II. Definition

“Service animals” are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities including, but not limited to “guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.” In certain situations, miniature horses may also be classified as service animals.

For the purposes of this policy, a “partner” is an individual with a disability who is accompanied by a service animal. A “handler” is an individual who is responsible for handling the service animal. A partner may be the service animal’s handler, or there may be a partner and handler team. Dogs-in-training accompanied by handlers (and not partners) are also permitted under this policy and all references to service animals also apply to dogs-in-training.

The ADA, Missouri law [RsMO 209.150] and Maryville University allow service animals to be on the Maryville University campus. A service animal must be permitted to accompany a partner/handler everywhere on campus that the person would otherwise be allowed to go. However, there are some places on campus that are not safe for service animals; these areas are discussed in greater detail, below.

III. When A Service Animal Can Be Asked To Leave

A service animal may be asked to leave a university facility or program if the animal’s behavior or presence poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. For example, a service animal that displays vicious behavior toward people may be excluded. Service animals that are not housebroken can also be asked to leave university facilities and programs. In addition, animals not covered under the ADA service animal definition can be asked to leave a university facility or program. Questions related to the use of service animals on campus should be directed to the Division of Student Success at (314) 529-9477.

IV. Areas Where Service Animals Are Not Allowed To Enter

Service animals may also be excluded in areas where the presence of a service animal fundamentally alters the nature of a program or activity or is disruptive. Examples may include, but are not limited to, research labs, areas requiring protective clothing, and food preparation areas. These areas are more thoroughly explained in the next section.

Areas Off Limits To Service Animals

Research Laboratories: The natural organisms carried by dogs and other animals may negatively affect the outcome of the research. At the same time, the chemicals and/or organisms used in the research may be harmful to service animals.

Mechanical Rooms/Custodial Closets: Mechanical rooms, such as boiler rooms, facility equipment rooms, electric closets, elevator control rooms and custodial closets, are off-limits to service animals. The machinery and/or chemicals in these rooms may be harmful to animals.

Food Preparation Areas: Food preparation areas, such as those found in campus dining or in the Family & Consumer Sciences Department areas, are off limits to service animals per health codes.

Areas Where Protective Clothing is Necessary: Any room where protective clothing is worn is off-limits to service animals. Examples impacting students include the kiln, chemistry laboratories, wood shops and metal/machine shops.

Areas Where There is a Danger to the Service Animal: Any room, including a classroom, where there are sharp metal cuttings or other sharp objects on the floor or protruding from a surface; where there is hot material on the floor (e.g., molten metal or glass); where there is a high level of dust; or where there is moving machinery is off-limits to service animals.

Exceptions

A laboratory director of a research laboratory or an instructor in a classroom or teaching laboratory with moving equipment may allow a service animal in a research laboratory or classroom or teaching laboratory with moving machinery. Admission for each service animal will be granted or denied on a case-by-case basis. The final decision shall be made based on the nature of research or machinery and the best interest of the animal. Example: The machinery in a classroom may have moving parts at a height such that the tail of a large dog could easily be caught in it; this is a valid reason for keeping large dogs out. However, a very small hearing dog may be shorter than any moving part and, therefore, considered for admission to the classroom.

Access to other designated off-limits areas may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

To be granted an exception: A partner/handler who wants her or his service animal to be granted admission to an off-limits area should contact the Division of Student Success at (314) 529-9477.

V. Requirements For Service Animals

Vaccination: The service animal must be immunized against diseases common to that type of animal. Dogs must have had the general maintenance vaccine series, which includes vaccinations against rabies, distemper, and parvovirus and must receive booster vaccinations annually. Other animals must have had the appropriate vaccination series for the type of animal. All vaccinations must be current and the service animal must be wearing current vaccination tags.

Licensing: The service animal must be licensed according to state law and county ordinance.

Health: The service animal must be in good health. Service animals to be housed in university housing must have an annual clean bill of health from a licensed veterinarian.

**Leash:**Service animals must be on a leash or in a harness at all times, unless impracticable or unfeasible due to partner’s disability.

Under Control of Partner/Handler: The partner/handler of a service animal must be in full control of the animal at all times. The care and supervision of a service animal is solely the responsibility of the partner/handler.

**Toileting Areas and Cleanup:**The partner/handler of a service animal should encourage the animal to use marked service animal toileting areas when such areas are provided and properly dispose of animal waste.

**Liability:**The partner/handler of the animal is personally responsible for the animal at all times. The partner/handler will be required to pay for any damages caused by the service animal.

When an animal is excluded from the university campus for failure to meet a requirement in this section, the University will work with the partner to provide the partner with the opportunity to benefit from the education program or activity while the service animal is not on the premises.

VI. Requests For Service Animal Accommodations

Requests for disability accommodations, including requests to have a service animal accompany a student on campus, in classrooms and campus housing, are determined by the Division of Student Success through an accommodations request and review process. Students should contact the Division of Student Success at (314) 529-9477.

During this process, individuals will be asked the following: (1) is the service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the animal been trained to perform? In the event the answer to the first question is no, as would be the case in the instance of a handler requesting to have a dog-in-training on campus, the individual may be required to provide additional documentation. In the case of a student service animal trainer, this may include documentation identifying the training program being utilized to train the dog and the anticipated length of training.

VII. Assistance/Emotional Support Animals And Campus Housing

The policy applies to service animals, which are provided greater access to campus facilities than assistance/emotional support animals. Individuals who would like to request the use of an assistance animal in campus housing due to a diagnosed disability should contact the Division of Student Success at (314) 529-9477. The Division of Student Success and Residence Life will work with the individual to determine whether the individual is entitled to have an assistance animal as a reasonable accommodation in campus housing facilities.

VIII. Conflicting Disability Accommodations

Individuals with conditions affected by the presence of a service animal or an assistance animal should contact the Division of Student Success at (314) 529-9477. The Division of Student Success will work with the individual to determine whether there is a need for an accommodation.