Service Animal and Emotional Support Animal Policy

Purpose

In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended (“ADA”), the Fair Housing Act, and state and local law, Lindenwood University will accommodate persons with disabilities who require the assistance of a qualified Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal. It is the purpose of this policy to articulate the conditions under which such animals are permitted access to University grounds and facilities. The Policy also outlines Lindenwood’s procedures with regard to animals utilized for disability accommodation purposes.

Scope

This policy applies to student requests for service animals and emotional support animals at the University.

Policy

I. DEFINITIONS

Service Animal – “Service Animal” means any dog (or, in very limited circumstances, a miniature horse) that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of and to accommodate the functional needs of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals are not Service Animals for the purpose of this Policy. The work that the Service Animal has been trained to do must be directly related to the person’s disability. Because the animal does perform work for the student, it may be allowed in any area in which the student has access and the need for assistance from the Service Animal (e.g. residence halls, classrooms, dining halls, library, labs, student center).

Emotional Support Animal – An “Emotional Support Animal” is an animal that is specifically designated by a qualified medical treatment provider as affording an individual with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling, provided there is a nexus between the individual’s disability and the assistance the animal provides. An Emotional Support Animal provides support to a person by relieving one or more identified symptoms associated with a student’s documented disability. Because Emotional Support Animals do not perform work or tasks, they do not qualify as Service Animals and are allowed in campus housing and on outdoor campus grounds only. Emotional Support Animals are not permitted in classrooms, libraries, food service areas, labs, student centers, sporting arenas, or other common areas on campus.
II. SERVICE ANIMALS
- (A.) Service Animals on Campus
  
  A Service Animal is generally permitted to be on University property in any place where the animal’s handler is permitted to be, although there are specific locations and activities on University property where all animals are prohibited for health and safety reasons. Such prohibited areas may include but are not limited to the following: certain laboratories or clinical/sterile environments; certain food preparation areas; mechanical rooms/custodial closets; areas where protective clothing is necessary; or areas where the Service Animal may be in danger.
  
  A Service Animal shall have a harness, leash or other tether, unless the handler’s disability precludes use of such tether, in which case the animal must otherwise be under the control of the handler (i.e. voice controls or other effective means). Members of the University community and visitors are prohibited from interfering in any way with a service animal or the duties it performs.
- (B.) Notification of the Need for a Service Animal
  
  Students with disabilities who intend to bring a Service Animal onto campus are requested to notify the University of the need for the Service Animal’s presence in advance of bringing the animal to campus. Please contact the Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager to comply with this notification requirement. The Program Manager will provide the appropriate forms to complete, and answer any questions pertaining to this Policy. The Program Manager’s contact information is below:
  
  Janet Owens
  Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager
  Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) / Room 355
  (636) 949-4768
  jowens1@lindenwood.edu
  
  The student with the disability may be asked whether the animal is needed because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform.
  
  When a student’s Service Animal is confirmed by the University, the animal’s handler will be given a document that confirms his/her right to be accompanied by the Service Animal on campus. The student may choose to share the verification document with members of the campus community. If necessary, the Residential Life Office will notify other residents within the housing assignment (as well as maintenance and security staff, as needed) that the animal will be residing in a shared assigned living space.
III. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS
- (A.) Emotional Support Animals in Student Housing
  
  An Emotional Support Animal owned by an individual with a disability who lives in student housing on University property is allowed to live with the individual in the handler’s place of residence. Emotional Support Animals are not allowed in any other buildings on University property, nor are they allowed in other controlled spaces on campus.
- (B.) Requesting an Emotional Support Animal
  
  A student with a disability who lives in student housing and wishes to seek permission to have an Emotional Support Animal must submit a request, in advance of bringing the animal to campus, to the Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager. The Program Manager will provide the appropriate forms to complete, and answer any questions pertaining to the Policy. The Program Manager’s contact information is below:
  
  Janet Owens
  Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager
  Learning and Academic Resource Center (LARC) / Room 355
  (636) 949-4768
  jowens1@lindenwood.edu
  
  Each request is reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with consideration of the individual circumstances of each requesting student. Once the necessary documentation is collected, the request will then be sent to key administrators for review. The student will be contacted for any necessary follow-up and to communicate the decision concerning his/her request.
  
  The student will be expected to provide documentation of his/her disability and the disability-related need for an Emotional Support Animal, and this documentation must state how the animal will impact the student’s ability to participate in campus housing. The documentation must be from a qualified and licensed healthcare professional in Missouri or the student’s home state who is not affiliated with Lindenwood University and unrelated to the student. The qualified and licensed healthcare professional (including, but not limited to, a licensed psychologist, psychiatrist, neurologist, or other professional with training and expertise in the diagnosis of mental health disorders) must verify that the student is under his/her care and must sign and mail a letter/documentation on the professional’s letterhead directly to the Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager.
  
  The documentation must contain sufficient information to establish the professional’s qualifications, and it must address and include the following:
  - (1) Verification that the student is under the healthcare professional’s care;
  - (2) Verification that the student has a disability, including the diagnosis and a description of the functional limitation(s);
  - (3) Verification that the animal is an Emotional Support Animal, i.e., that it provides emotional support that reduces or alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms associated with the student’s existing mental or psychiatric disability;
  - (4) Verification that the student can responsibly care for the Emotional Support Animal;
  - (5) Information on how long the professional has treated the student;
  - (6) Information on whether the Emotional Support Animal has helped the student in the past, and if so, how; and,
  - (7) Whether medication provided to the student completely alleviates the symptoms addressed by the Emotional Support Animal.
  Generally, documentation from a healthcare professional who has had no contact with the student except for limited encounters intended to produce documentation under the healthcare professional’s policy are not considered reliable. Such professional- patient/client relationship will lack the diagnostic rigor and level of familiarity/knowledge/history with the student’s condition and functional limitations that is necessary to support a request under this policy.
  
  The impact one’s disability has on functional limitations frequently may change over time. Therefore, documentation must reflect the current status of the student and his/her present functional limitation, and must explain the current nexus between the disability and symptom alleviation/reduction. Applications and updated documentation supporting a student’s request for an Emotional Support Animal must be submitted each academic year, and the University will review and must approve the request each year before the Emotional Support Animal is permitted on campus.
  
  The student will also be expected to provide documentation that the animal is in compliance with all state and local requirements associated with licensing, vaccinations, and other health regulations.
  
  If the student is living in housing and has roommate(s), each roommate will need to complete a corresponding form stating his/her agreement to live with the animal and clarify he/she does not have any allergies or other conditions/circumstances that would prohibit close contact with the animal. A meeting will be scheduled by a residential staff member to review policies and procedures in regards to having an Emotional Support Animal in the residence. The animal will not be authorized on campus until this meeting takes place. The Emotional Support Animal is authorized to reside in the handler’s housing assignment only; it is not permitted to visit other housing areas. Failure to abide by this policy may result in an unauthorized pet charge assessed to the student where an animal is present.
  
  Should the request for an Emotional Support Animal be approved, the handler will be given a document that confirms his/her right to maintain the animal in his/her housing assignment. The student must provide his/her Area Coordinator with a copy of the verification document prior to moving the animal into the housing assignment. If necessary, the Residential Life Office will notify other residents within the housing assignment (as well as maintenance and campus security staff, as needed) that the animal will be residing in a shared assigned living space.
  
  Students are not authorized to have an animal in their housing assignment unless and until their request under this Policy is approved and Residential Life has completed the meeting required for roommate agreements. Having an animal in student housing prior to receiving authorization will result in a $150 unauthorized pet charge.
- (C.) Application Deadline
  
  In order to be able to reasonably accommodate a housing assignment for resident students with an approved Emotional Support Animal, the following application deadlines have been stipulated and must be adhered to:
  
  Fall deadline: June 1
  
  Spring deadline: November 1
- (D.) Specific Requirements of the Emotional Support Animal in Housing
  - Identification and Other Tags: The animal must have tags (or some other visible marker) indicating ownership and rabies clearances. All Emotional Support Animals must be kept current in compliance with local jurisdiction (i.e. dog license, city/county ordinance) requirements. The Residential Life Office reserves the right to request proof of licensing or paperwork at any time during the animal’s residency.
  - Health and Vaccinations: The animal must be clean and in good health. All animals on campus must have an annual well care visit with a licensed veterinarian. The Residential Life Office reserves its right to request proof of the required visits at any time. All animals must have had a general maintenance vaccination series appropriate to the species. All vaccinations must be current. Applicable animals must wear a current rabies vaccination tag. Proof of vaccinations must be submitted with the Emotional Support Animal application. A resident with an ill animal may be asked to remove the animal from the University’s facilities.
  - Grooming: The animal must be well groomed, and measures should be taken at all times for fleas and odor control. Students who use University facilities and bathrooms for grooming and bathing are responsible for cleaning up pet hair, and other remnants related to these actions. Failure to control infestation will result in a fine. The animal handler’s residence may be inspected for fleas, ticks, or other pests, as needed. The room will be treated if fleas, ticks, or other pests are detected, and the handler will be responsible for the cost of the inspection and for pest treatment.
  - Physical Control: The animal must be on a leash at all times if let outside. It should never be permitted to wander around off leash except when the animal is inside the handler’s residence. The care and supervision of the animal is the sole responsibility of its handler.
  - Campus Responsibility: Animal handlers are responsible for any damage caused by the animal. Handlers will be fined for any damage found in the house from the animal. When an animal is left unattended in a residence, the animal is required to be kenneled. Animals may not remain unattended for prolonged periods of time (e.g., over breaks in the academic schedule). It is the responsibility of the handler that an unattended animal does not disrupt others.
  - Cleanup: The handler shall properly dispose of the feces and other animal waste/by-products in a prearranged area. This includes both inside and outside of the residence.
  - Disruption: The handler of an animal that is unruly or disruptive (e.g. barking, running around, aggressive towards others, bringing attention to itself) may be asked to remove the animal from the University facilities. If the improper behavior happens repeatedly, the animal may be barred from University property until the handler decides to take the significant steps to eliminate the behavior.
- IV. BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS
  
  The animal handler is responsible for assuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with the routine activities of the work environment, classroom and residence or cause difficulties for others. The animal handler must always be in control of the animal.
  
  The Student Support and Accessibility Program Manager or campus security will be notified if the animal causes a disturbance, violates this Policy or threatens or causes harm to facilities or other students.
  
  The Service Animal or Emotional Support Animal can be disqualified from campus or limited in its campus access if:
  - The animal is out of control or disruptive, and the handler does not take immediate action to control it;
  - The animal is not housebroken;
  - The animal is in spaces that were not previously approved by the Support and Accessibility Program Manager; or,
  - The animal handler fails to comply with this Policy.
  The animal handler must agree to abide by all University policies and the specific and agreed-upon plans for maintenance of the animal while on campus. If the animal handler is unable to collect and dispose of animal waste, an alternative person must be identified for this service. Do not assume that college personnel or roommates are responsible for this service. Residential staff will not clean up any animal waste.
  
  The animal handler is financially responsible for the actions of the animal, including any property damage or bodily injury. This includes, but is not limited to, replacement of furniture, carpet, wall coverings, or other damaged property. This could include extensive damage to floors and carpets from animal paws that are not kept clean. The animal handler is expected to cover any costs of repair, cleaning, and/or replacement. The animal handler could be asked to move out if the damage is deemed excessive and/or the result of negligence or violation of this Policy. When the animal handler vacates the premises, he/she agrees to be responsible for any costs incurred for cleaning beyond a normal cleaning or repair. Handlers of animals that are impounded are responsible for the payment of any impoundment and/or any fees required to secure the release of their animals.
  
  The animal handler agrees to abide by all other residential policies. An exception to the no-animals policy does not constitute exception to any other policy. The Residential Life Office retains the right to relocate the animal handler and approved animal as necessary. Should the animal be removed from the premises for any reason, the animal handler is expected to fulfill his/her housing obligations for the remainder of the housing contract.