LIBRARY POLICIES : ANIMALS

Pets
Pets are animals kept for companionship; unfortunately pets are not permitted in Upjohn Library Commons.

Service Animals
Service animals are permitted in Upjohn Library Commons, in accordance with the following guidelines:

Service animals are "any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to intruders or sounds, providing minimal protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, or fetching dropped items" (as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations 28 C.F.R. §36.104). Animals that meet this definition are considered service animals regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government or a training program.
See the ADA Business Brief on Service Animals for more information.

Students, faculty, and staff should follow these guidelines regarding service animals:

• Do not pet or touch a service animal without permission from the owner.
• Speak to the owner before speaking to the animal.
• Do not feed service animals.
• Do not try to separate a handler from her or his service animal.
• In case of an emergency, every effort should be made to keep the animal with its owner. However, the first effort should be toward the person; it may be necessary to leave an animal behind in certain emergencies.
• You may not ask about the person's disability, but you may ask if the animal is a service animal, and you may ask to see a demonstration of what tasks the service animal can perform.
• Service animals are not required to wear identification that signifies they are service animals.

Service animals may be asked to leave Upjohn Library Commons under circumstances that include the following:

• The animal is unruly, disruptive, or exhibits aggressive behavior.
  An animal that behaves disruptively has not been trained successfully to function as a service animal in public settings. In such cases, the animal need not be treated as a service animal, even if the animal performs assistive functions for a person with a disability.
• The animal is not on a leash. Service animals are expected to be on a leash and controlled by the owner at all times.
• The animal is destructive.
• The animal is ill.
• The animal is unclean.
• The owner does not clean up after his or her animal.
• The animal's vaccination record is not up to date. All animals must be immunized against diseases common to that type of animal. Dogs must wear a current rabies vaccination tag.

Policy updated February 10, 2011

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