Service Animals
Definition
A service animal is defined as a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.
These tasks can include things like, but are not limited to:
- pulling a wheelchair
- guiding a person who is visually impaired
- alerting a person who is having a seizure
The work or task a service dog (or in some cases a miniature horse) does must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Allowed Locations
Service dogs may accompany persons with disabilities into places that the public normally goes.
- This includes businesses open to the public and public transportation.
- At Penn State, this includes residence halls, classrooms, the library, dining halls, etc.
The law that allows a trained service dog to accompany a person with a disability is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Per Penn State’s University Policy AD66,
Student Disability Resources is involved in student requests to have a service animal on campus, in classrooms, and in housing facilities.
Procedure for use
To provide notice that a service animal will accompany a student on campus:
- Contact Student Disability Resources to schedule an appointment to discuss the work or task the dog has been trained to perform along with owner responsibilities
- If the service animal will reside in campus housing, consult Housing and Food Services's (HFS) procedure for service and emotional support animals