Western Nevada College Policies

Policy 13-2-2: Service Animal Policy

WNC Policy 13-2-2
Procedure:	Service Animal Policy
Policy No.:	13-2-2
Department:	Disability Support Services
Contact:	Disabled Student Services Coordinator
Policy:	According to federal disability laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined 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 to an impending seizure or protecting individuals during one, alerting individuals who are hearing impaired to intruders, or pulling a wheelchair and fetching dropped items. " Service animals will be permitted to accompany a person with a disability everywhere on campus or off campus as the activity (e.g. internship, field work, etc,) pertains to the curriculum. If there are any questions as to whether an animal qualifies as a service animal, a determination will be made by the Disability Support Service's coordinator. In compliance with the ADA, service animals are welcome in all buildings on campus and may attend any class, meeting or other co-curricular event. Students with disabilities desiring to use a service animal on campus should first contact DSS to register as a student with a disability. The DSS coordinator will evaluate the disability and recommend any additional accommodations appropriate to the functional limitations of the disability based on the documentation received.

Requirements
Areas Off Limits to Service Animals

Section 1: Requirements
- A. Requirements of service animals and their owners include:
  - 1. Vaccination: The animal must be immunized against diseases common to that type of animal. Owners of dogs must provide proof of current rabies vaccine to the DSS coordinator.
  - 2. Licensing: Dogs must be licensed in accordance with county regulations.
  - 3. Health: The animal must be in good health. Service animals that are ill should not be taken into public areas. A partner with an ill animal may be asked to leave the college facilities.
  - 4. Leash: The service animal must be on a leash at all times.
  - 5. Under Control of the Owner: The owner 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 owner.
  - 6. Cleanup: The owner must clean up after the animal.
    - a. Individuals with disabilities who physically cannot clean up after their own service animals may not be required to. However, the individual is required to notify DSS so that other accommodations can be made.
- B. Reasonable behavior is expected from service animals while at the college. If a service dog, for example, exhibits unacceptable behavior, the owner is expected to employ the proper training techniques to correct the situation.
- C. The owners of disruptive and aggressive service animals may be asked to remove them from the college's facilities. If the improper behavior happens repeatedly, the owner may be told not to bring the service animal into the facility until they take significant steps to mitigate the behavior, such as muzzling a barking dog, or refresher training for the animal and its owner. Proof of these mitigating efforts will be provided to DSS before the animal will be allowed back on campus.
- D. Cleanliness of the service animal is mandatory. Consideration of others must be taken into account when providing maintenance and hygiene of a service animal. For instance, daily grooming and occasional baths should keep dog odor to a minimum, and adequate preventative measures should be taken for flea control. If another student or instructor in a classroom has an allergy to a service animal, DSS should be notified immediately to resolve the situation.

Section 2: Areas Off Limits to Service Animals
- A. Areas Where There is a Danger to the Service Animal are Off Limits
  - 1. 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; where there is a high level of dust; or where there is moving machinery, is off limits to service animals. (e.g., mechanical rooms, custodial closets, welding shops, and metal/machine shops)*

*Instructors may make exceptions on a case-by-case basis. The final decision shall be made based on the nature of research or machinery and on the best interest of the animal.

**WNC is a willing supporter of service animals in training.

Date Adopted and Dates Revised
Date Adopted	November 21, 2006	Dates Revised	September 2, 2008

Please direct comments about this page to the Assistant to the President
URL: http://www.wnc.edu/policymanual/13-2-2.php
Date Printed: February 9, 2012

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