Office of Disability Services

Service Animals

www.ods.appstate.edu

Policy

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that businesses and organizations that serve the public must allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals into all areas of the facility where customers are normally allowed to go. 

North Carolina Statute states that it is unlawful to disguise a dog as an assistance dog, or deprive a visually impaired person, a hearing impaired person or a mobility impaired person of any rights granted the person pursuant to G.S. 168-4.2 through 168-4.4.  Appalachian State University, which receives federal and state funds, adheres to these policies regarding service animals.

The ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability.  Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or her.  Examples of service animals are as follows: a seeing eye dog used by some individuals who are blind, a service animal alerting persons with hearing impairments to sounds, and/or a service animal pulling wheelchairs or carrying and picking up things for persons with mobility impairments.

A service animal is not a pet.  A service animal may be excluded from campus or classrooms when the animal's behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.  A service animal may be excluded if it becomes disruptive and fundamentally alters the nature of the class, performance, lecture, movie, play, etc.

Students who qualify for these rights may:

  1. be asked if the animal is a service animal;
  2. be asked if the animal has been individually trained to perform a specific task or skill;
  3. be asked for a demonstration of the particular task or skill in relationship to the individual’s disability; and/or
  4. be asked to provide proper documentation of a disability to the Office of Disability Services.

The University will ask students for this information only in circumstances where the need for and qualifications of the service animals are not obvious.