Control Requirements: Service and support animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls. Care of Animals: Individuals with disabilities who use service or support animals are expected to:
- Attend to the wellbeing and cleanliness of their animal.
- Animals must be under control at all times and not disruptive to others or they may be removed
- Be responsible for removal of animal waste and maintaining clean conditions.
- Have a plan in place for animal care in the event of an emergency.
- Arrange alternative shelter if the animal has to be removed from campus due to disruptive or unsafe behavior or environmental conditions, or if the handler becomes unable to care for the Service Animal.
- Maintain up to date licensing through the city of Quincy.
Relief Areas: Relief areas may be designated on an individual basis with the collaboration of the Office of Residential Life and the College grounds personnel for individuals, events or programs.
Service Animals in Training/Service Puppies: User/Handler will provide College with written evidence that Puppy is a bona fide service dog candidate supplied by an authorized service dog organization, and is one that the service dog organization expects will return for specialized training when the puppy is old enough.
General Rules:
- Service Animals are allowed in public areas where food is sold or prepared even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises. Approved Support Animals are only permitted in College housing facilities.
- Allergies and fear of dogs are not acceptable reasons for excluding a service or support animal, but cooperation is essential to accommodate those with allergies or other conflicting disabilities when necessary. Those individuals with conflicting requests may be asked to show documentation of a disability to help determine appropriate accommodations.
- An individual with a service or support animal may not be isolated or treated less favorably than others.
- College staff is not required to provide food or care for service or support animals.
- Service or support animals are not to be bathed or groomed in public kitchens or bathrooms on campus. This includes bathroom and kitchen facilities in the residence halls.
Removal of a Service or Support Animal: A person with a disability can be asked to remove their animal when the animal is out of control and the handler does not take action to control it, when the animals is not housebroken, or when it poses a threat to health and safety. When there is a legitimate reason that a service animal must be removed, staff must offer to still provide services or assistance without the animal being present.
Cleaning Fee: Persons authorized to keep a Service or Support Animal in residential facilities will be assessed a cleaning fee of $250 upon check-out of residence.
Restricted Areas: The College may prohibit the use of service and support animals in certain locations due to health or safety hazards, where animals may be endangered, or where their use may compromise the integrity of research or fundamentally alter the nature of a program or activity. Restricted locations may include, but are not limited to: research laboratories, classrooms with demonstration/research animal’s present, medical areas, research areas using radioactive materials or lasers, mechanical rooms or custodial closets, workshops with operating machinery, and food preparation areas. The safety of locations will be individually considered by the Office of Residential Life, the laboratory director or professor, and the College Safety Committee when appropriate. If a location is determined to be unsafe for the use of a service animal, alternative reasonable accommodations will be explored and provided as appropriate to ensure the individual’s equal access to the activity. Exceptions to restricted areas may be granted on a case-by-case basis by contacting Access and Accommodation Services. In making its decision, the Coordinator or Accommodation Committee will consult with the appropriate department and/or laboratory representative regarding the nature of the restricted area.
