Guidelines for Service Animals on Campus

University of New Haven is committed to providing access to its programs and services to all members of the university community inclusive of individuals with disabilities. The University follows the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and the most up-to-date guidance from the Department of Justice (DOJ) with regard to service animals on campus. In accordance with ADAAA and DOJ, the University of New Haven notes the following regarding persons with disabilities who bring service animals to campus, including University Housing.

Definitions

"Service animals," as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), are dogs individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, responding to and protecting a person who is having a seizure, 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 ADAAA guidelines.

A “Handler” is a person/student with a disability who is directly served by a service animal or a personal care attendant who handles the animal for a person/student with a disability.

Handler Responsibilities and Guidelines for Animal Care

  1. Under the ADAAA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents use of these devices. In this case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.

  2. The handler is responsible for the actions of the service animal, including bodily injury and/or property damage caused by the service animal. The handler’s financial responsibility may include replacement of furniture, carpet, window, wall covering, and costs of damage to other University owned property. The handler is expected to cover these costs at the time of repair and/or move-out.

  3. The cost of care (health and safety) for the service animal is the sole responsibility of the handler. In accordance with local ordinances and regulations, the service animal must receive all required and/or recommended immunizations against diseases. Local licensing requirements must be followed. The University may request an updated verification regarding a service animal’s vaccinations at any time during the service animal’s residency, but verification will at a minimum be required at the start of each year the animal is in residence. These records will be maintained in the Accessibility Resources Office and will be shared with the Office of Residential Life and University Police.

  4. The handler is to ensure that the service animal is not disruptive or a nuisance to members of the university community. Disruptive behavior includes loud barking or other distracting actions by the service animal unless said noises or behaviors are part of the needed service to the handler. A nuisance is defined as, but not limited to, excessive noise, physical harm to humans or other animals, and destruction of property. To the extent possible, the handler should ensure the service dog does not approach or sniff people, dining tables, or the personal belongings of others.

  5. The handler must take precautions to assure the service animal does not block any emergency exits.

  6. Service animals must be housebroken. It is the handler’s responsibility to remove and properly dispose of the service animal’s waste (e.g. urine, excrement, fur, etc.), which must be placed in a sturdy plastic bag before disposal, and must be disposed of in an outside trash receptacle. If the handler is not physically able to clean up after the service dog, then the handler must hire and pay someone who is physically able to perform this service. The handler should keep the animal from urinating in gardens or cultivated areas of the campus.

  7. If the service animal resides in university housing, the handler will provide emergency contact information for an individual should the handler be unable to care for the service animal at any time. A current University student or University personnel (unless the University personnel are the parents/guardians of the student) are not appropriate choices for an emergency contact and will not be permitted. If a service animal resides in University housing, the Accessibility Resources Center will share a copy of the emergency contact information with the Office of Residential Life and the University Police Department.

  8. First year students who requires the use of a service animal who choose to reside in university sponsored housing, are encouraged to notify the Accessibility Resources Center (ARC) of the intent to live in university housing so that ARC can make appropriate arrangements regarding placement, roommates/suitemates or other required accommodations. Current students who reside on campus should choose roommate(s) and/or suitemate(s) who are comfortable residing with the animal. For first year students who have not selected his/her own roommate, prospective roommates will be notified of the presence of a service animal in the room. All roommates or suitemates of the Handler must acknowledge in writing that the service animal will be in residence with them. In the event that one or more prospective roommates or suitemates do not approve, or have a health or safety related concern regarding exposure to the service animal, general university policies regarding roommate or suitemate disagreements will be followed to enable either the handler and the service animal or the non-approving roommate(s) or suitemate(s) to be moved to a different location.

  9. The service animal cannot pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others. If the service animal is deemed to pose a physical threat to others, actions will be taken to remove it from university property.

  10. If it is suspected that a service animal is being neglected, mistreated, or has been abandoned, the University may contact the animal control division of the West Haven Police Department. The service animal should not be left alone for unreasonably long periods of time.

  11. Routine care for the service animal is expected for health and safety reasons, and includes flea and tick prevention, de-worming, routine vaccinations, bathing, and annual examinations by a veterinarian.

Service Animals on Campus

Service Animals may accompany the handler throughout the University property. The University may implement certain restrictions in some areas based on health and safety. Examples may include, but are not limited to, science/research laboratories with sterile conditions, classrooms with research or demonstration animals, areas where protective clothing is necessary, custodial closets, boiler rooms, facility equipment rooms, and areas identified by state law as being inaccessible to animals.

The Residential Life staff will inspect residential facilities on a regular basis as a part of routine health and safety checks of all residential space. If fleas, ticks, or other pests are detected during inspection, the unit will be treated using fumigation methods by the university approved pest control service. Those costs will be billed to the student/handler’s account.

Removal of a Service Animal

Service animals may be removed from University of New Haven premises under the following circumstances:

  1. The service animal is not housebroken (see #6 above).

  2. The service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it. If improper animal behavior occurs repeatedly; the handler may be prohibited from bringing the service animal into any University facility until the handler can demonstrate that he/she has taken significant steps to mitigate the behavior.

  3. The cost of care (health and safety) for the service animal is the sole responsibility of the handler. In accordance with local ordinances and regulations, the service animal must receive all required and/or recommended immunizations against diseases. Local licensing requirements must be followed. The University may request an updated verification regarding a service animal’s vaccinations at any time during the service animal’s residency, but verification will at a minimum be required at the start of each year the animal is in residence. These records will be maintained in the Accessibility Resources Office and will be shared with the Office of Residential Life and University Police.

  4. The service animal demonstrates a direct threat. A handler may be directed to remove a service animal that University of New Haven determines to be a substantial and direct threat to the health and safety of individuals. Any service animal that displays vicious behaviors toward other students, staff, or guests, may be barred from campus.

When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, the Accessibility Resources Center will work with the student with the disability to obtain goods or services without the use of the animal.

The University reserves the right to amend these guidelines at any time as circumstances require.