Service, Therapy, and Companion Animals
If the ADA Center has granted approval with respect to a service, companion, or therapy animal, then the student or household member must ensure that any appropriate paperwork is completed with each of the ADA and the University Housing Office. That individual also must notify both the Housing office and the ADA Center substantially before any date that the service, therapy or companion animal first arrives to any ISU Housing facility.
That above student or household member retains a duty either to comply with each local, state or federal requirement for any service animal, or to comply with this policy with respect to any therapy or companion animal.
Each individual with any disability who uses any service, therapy or companion animal at the University remains responsible at all times for that animal.
The above student or household member must ensure that any use of the animal does not constitute a direct threat to any other person's health or safety. That individual must cause the animal to be marked with identification that informs the general public that the animal is a service, therapy or companion animal.
Other matters for which the above student or household member is legally responsible include, without limitation:
- having the animal's health verified as acceptable by a qualified veterinarian or service animal school;
- cleaning up after the animal, including sanitarily disposing of any animal waste;
- restoring any University-related property damage that the animal causes;
- controlling the animal's behavior in any private or public place related to the University;
- maintaining due care and diligence in the animal's on-campus use.
Service Animals
The ADA Center reserves a right to require any student or household member to produce documentation that any service animal that this individual houses in any Residence Hall or University Apartment fulfills any federal or local law's service animal exception criteria.
The University considers these exception criteria to mean that the animal must be trained specifically to perform a service tailored to compensate for the individual's disability.
Examples of applicable service animals include, without limitation:
- a dog guide for a blind/vision-impaired person
- a hearing dog for a deaf/hearing-impaired person,
- a service animal for a person having a seizure disorder or any other physical disability.
Under applicable law, a service animal or service dog is exempt from any no-pet restriction.
Therapy and Companion Animals
Helpful Definitions:
- A "companion animal" is an animal that the ADA Center determines to be necessary for a person with a disability to participate in University programs.
- A "DSM" diagnosis is a clinical assessment based on any then-current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
- A "therapy animal" is an animal owned by a therapist who uses the animal as a therapy component for a person with a disability.
- A "licensed practitioner" is any person who the State Idaho or other generally-recognized authority then-currently has certified to make a DSM diagnosis.
- The ADA Center determines a companion animal "necessary" upon confirming that a person with a disability may experience discrimination based solely on disability if the animal does not live with the student in a Residence Hall or University Apartment.
State and federal laws do not provide any public accommodation exception to any "no pets" policy with respect to therapy and companion animals.
The ADA Center requires the above individual to provide written clinical support including - without limitation - a DSM diagnosis from a licensed practitioner before determining whether to permit any on-campus use of any therapy or companion animal.
The University further assesses any request for any therapy or companion animal in University housing with respect to its reasonable accommodation standards, as currently outlined in the ADA Center's web page.
The ADA Center welcomes any student or the student's diagnostician/therapist to provide additional information that explains whether a therapy or companion animal is necessary to avoid discrimination. However, the ADA Center reserves a right to deny any applicable request that is not supported by the above clinically supported evidence that the animal is necessary.
If the ADA Center determines that a requested animal is not a necessary companion animal, then the University will enforce its "No Pets" policy relative to that animal.