Service and Assistance Animals

Service Animal:  A service animal is defined as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

 • Miniature horses may be considered service animals in some cases;
 • The work or task that a service animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the functional limitations of the person’s disability;
 • Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals;
 • An animal whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support does not qualify as a service animal.

 

Assistance Animal:  An assistance animal (therapy, comfort, or emotional support animal) is an animal that provides emotional support which alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of an individual’s disability.

 

Pet:  A pet is defined as an animal that is kept for ordinary use and companionship.

A student who will be living in University Housing (residence hall or Central House on Stadium) and who is seeking to bring an assistance animal must make a formal request to CEADR for an accommodation on the basis of a qualifying disability. To make this formal request, the student must submit a completed application for accommodations which may be found on the CEADR website (www.southalabama.edu/sds). The request for an accommodation concerning an assistance animal and approval should be made prior to the date the student would like to bring the animal into campus housing.

Students bringing an assistance animal to live in University Housing or Central House on Stadium without prior approval may face disciplinary action and/or eviction.

The request for an assistance animal may be denied if proper documentation is not presented or if such an accommodation is deemed unreasonable. Examples of an unreasonable accommodation include one which presents an undue financial or administrative burden on the University; poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation; the animal in question would cause substantial physical damage to the property of others that cannot be reduced or eliminated by another reasonable accommodation; or constitutes a fundamental alteration of the nature of the service or program. If a requesting student is denied a request for an assistance animal, the student may appeal the decision, in writing, to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (VPSA), within 5 business days. The decision of the VPSA is final. Requests for an assistance animal require complete documentation to be submitted before review and rendering of a decision and/or recommendation. Documentation must be dated within the last 12 months. Detailed documentation requirements are available on USA’s CEADR website at www.southalabama.edu/sds.

Documentation of the need for an assistance animal should follow the CEADR guidelines for documentation of a disability, and should include the following information:

• The credentials and contact information of the evaluator(s);

• A diagnostic statement identifying the disability;

• A description of the diagnostic methodology used;

• A description of the current functional limitations;

• A description of the expected progression or stability of the disability;

• A description of current and past accommodations, services and/or medications;

• Statement on how the animal serves as an accommodation for the verified disability;

• Statement on how the need for the animal relates to the ability of the resident/student to use and enjoy the living arrangements provided by the

University.

 

Any student approved for an assistance animal while on campus must:

 

• Follow all established University policies as outlined in The Lowdown and Housing Community Standards;

• Register the animal with CEADR prior to moving into campus housing each year (deadlines noted above);

• Ensure that at the start of each academic year the animal is licensed pursuant to applicable local (i.e. Mobile County) laws and is in good health;

• Review and sign appropriate forms as requested at the start of each academic year.

The owner of the service/assistance animal is expected to accept the following responsibilities:

 

• Comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws concerning the ownership of an animal;

• The owner, not the University or another student/resident, is responsible for the care and conduct of the animal;

• Animals must be kept clean, healthy and under the control of the owner at all times. While outdoors on campus, the animal must be on a leash;

• All required immunizations must be up to date;

• All license(s) required under applicable law or regulations must be current and up-to-date;

• Dogs or cats must wear a collar with appropriate tags (i.e. vaccinations, contact information) at all times;

• Animals must be fed on a regular and healthy feeding schedule;

• Animals and their accoutrements (i.e. Heat Lamp) must not pose a direct threat to the safety of others. All electrical accouterment must be approved by the University Fire Marshall prior to use;

• The owner is responsible for prompt clean up and disposal of the animal’s waste;

• Owners with cats must properly maintain litter boxes. In consideration of the health of the cat and the occupants of the apartment or residence hall room, cat litter box contents must be changed with new litter regularly in accordance with manufacturer recommendations;

• The animal’s waste must be taken to an appropriate residence hall or apartment dumpster. No waste is to be disposed of in any trash receptacle inside any building, or through any sewer system inside buildings (sinks and toilets);

• Animals must sleep in the owner’s room or apartment;

• Animals must not be disruptive to other students including excessive noise;

• USA is not responsible for an animal during a fire alarm, fire drill, or natural disaster/building emergency;

• Whenever the owner is away from the room, the animal must be contained in a cage/crate. Should a USA employee (i.e., maintenance worker) enter the room and an uncaged animal escape, USA will not be held responsible. Crated/caged animals should not be left alone for more than 24 hours;

• Owner is responsible for finding appropriate accommodations for the animal when he/she will be leaving for a period of more than 24 hours;

• An emergency contact number for an alternate caretaker should be on file with the CEADR office and the Housing Office;

• The owner is responsible for any bodily injury or property damage caused by the animal, as well as any related charges;

• The owner must notify CEADR, in writing, as soon as an assistance animal is no longer present in the residence or no longer needed for the owner’s disability;

• If a student is seeking to replace an assistance animal with another, the student should notify CEADR;

• For assistance animals, approvals are only good for the academic year in which the approval is made. A new request must be filed prior to occupancy at the beginning of each subsequent academic year;

• It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that the animal is free from fleas or other pests;

• The owner will be responsible for the cost of eliminating any pest infestation as a result of the animal. In the event of infestation, the University or Central House on Stadium will contract an appropriate pest control company and bill the student directly for charges;

• At the end of a contract period, the University or Central House on Stadium will inspect and clean the residential unit. The owner will be responsible for the fees associated with cleaning the unit above a standard cleaning and will be billed accordingly.

 

Failure to comply with any of the above policies may result in the removal of the animal and/ or the owner of the animal from the assignment.

 

Students bringing approved assistance animals will be required to complete and sign an Assistance Animal Registration and Agreement with Housing. The form includes provisions related to the above policy to which the student must adhere in order to maintain the animal. Students bringing service animals are requested to register the animals so that the University will be aware of the authorized presence of the service animals on campus.

Students who are adversely affected by the presence of animals (i.e. respiratory diseases, asthma, severe allergies) are asked to contact CEADR. Affected students may be eligible for an accommodation when living in proximity to a service/assistance animal. The CEADR Director and the Housing Director or Central House on Stadium General Manager will collaborate, as needed, to help resolve any conflicts related to a service/assistance animal. 

All staff members will consider the needs and/or the appropriate accommodations of all residents involved. Students who do not wish to live with an assistance or service animal may be reassigned to a different room. 

If an assistance animal owner is found to be in violation of the assistance animal agreement, then the assistance animal and/or the owner may be removed from University Housing or Central House on Stadium. Similarly, a service animal and/or the owner may be removed from campus if the service animal is out of control and its handler does not take effective action to control it, if the service animal is not housebroken, or if the service animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

USA Police Department officers will make every reasonable effort to keep the animal with its owner in the event of an emergency evacuation. However, the emergency responder’s first effort will be toward the student and this may necessitate leaving an animal behind in certain emergency evacuation situations.

While visitors may bring service animals to campus, they may not bring assistance animals. All visitors with service animals must adhere to the same service animal control, behavior and safety guidelines as students attending the University.

 

6.1.1  Potential violations of this policy by a student will be addressed, pursuant to the Student Code of Conduct, policies and procedures of the Department of Housing, or other applicable policy or procedure.

 

6.1.2  Potential violations by faculty, staff and administrators will be addressed pursuant to policies applicable to the appropriate classification of employee, including the Faculty Handbook or Staff and Employee Handbook as applicable.

 

 

6.2.1  Under Alabama law, misrepresenting that a person has a disability or a disability-related need for the use of an assistance or service animal, making materially false statements for the purpose of obtaining documentation for the use of an assistance or service animal, or misrepresenting an animal as an assistance or service animal shall be subject to a civil penalty of $500 or deemed a Class C misdemeanor.

 

6.2.2  A second or subsequent offense is deemed a Class B misdemeanor.