Service Animals

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Service Animals

Please review the information on this page to learn more about the policies in place at the University of Rhode Island (URI) to support students with service animals. While students do not need to request the use of a service animal, it is helpful to notify Disability Access, and Inclusion (DAI).

Definitions of A Service Animal:

Service Animal: a working dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, performing other duties, etc. The work or task that the dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

A service dog is NOT a pet or designated as an Emotional Support Animal, but rather, are a medically necessary component of equal access for individuals who utilize them.. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADAAA.

Service-puppies-in-training: Under Rhode Island statute, puppies who are being raised and trained by agencies such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind or other legitimate training agencies are afforded similar privileges and access as certified service dogs. For the specific procedure to follow, please contact the Dean of Student’s Office, Assistant Dean of Students for Accessibility and Inclusion, at dai@etal.uri.edu or by phone 401-874-2098.

URI Policy for Service Animals

It is the general policy of the University of Rhode Island (“URI”) that pets ARE NOT allowed in campus buildings or in URI Housing Facilities.

Where service dogs are allowed: Under the ADAAA and State/Local government regulations, service dogs are allowed to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the university where students, faculty, staff, or members of the public are allowed to go. However, it may be appropriate to exclude a service dog from certain sterile environments or where the presence of the dog creates a risk of harm or disruption.

(For example: service dogs are allowed in classrooms, administrative buildings, residential areas and dining areas. However, a dog may be excluded from surgical areas or animal research areas where the dog would create a disruption or compromise a sterile environment. In such cases alternate accommodations will be provided to the person with the disability)

Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons to deny access to a service dog.

Service Animals Must Be Under Control: under the ADAAA and RI State Statute, service animals must, at all times, be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or if the individual’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.

Inquiries about Service Animals: when it is not obvious what service an animal is providing, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask TWO questions:

  • Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and
  • What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Staff may not ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task. Please contact the Dean of Students Office for more information.

Notification about the presence of service dogs: A person with a disability is not required to notify the university about their service dog. However, in order to provide better and more inclusive support and/or accommodations, we encourage students who have service dogs to identify to DAI at 401-874-2098 or dai@etal.uri.edu. In this way we can facilitate easier communication with faculty and we may be able to provide additional accommodations or services that support student success at URI.

Service Puppies: students who are designated puppy raisers from legitimate training agencies such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind must identify to the Dean of Students Office and follow separate procedures for obtaining permission to have puppies in university facilities. Please call 401-874-2098 to set up an appointment with the Assistant Dean of Students for Accessibility and Inclusion.

Removing a service dog: A person will not be asked to remove their service dog from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the owner does not take effective action to control it, or (2) the dog is not housebroken. If there is legitimate reason to remove a service animal, the person with the disability will be afforded alternative accommodations that substitute for the animal’s presence.

Student Responsibility for Care of Service Animals

URI is not responsible for the care or supervision of the SERVICE DOG.

The animal’s owner is responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of SERVICE DOGs, including: 

  1. Compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification;
  2. Providing veterinary evidence where appropriate of animal health and vaccination.
  3. Keeping the animal under control and taking effective action when it is out of control;
  4. Feeding, walking, and disposing of waste;
  5. Waste disposal via university plumbing is prohibited in university buildings, and is to be disposed of in external trash containers.

The following policies are pertinent to Service Dogs who have been specifically trained and whose work it is to perform specific disability-related tasks for a person with a disability:

  1. URI will not require any surcharges or fees for a SERVICE DOG. However, the animal’s owner may be charged for damage caused by a SERVICE DOG to the same extent that URI would normally charge any person for the damage they cause to university property.
  2. The owner of the SERVICE DOG must comply with all university rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, and cleanliness.
  3. In all cases, the owner of the SERVICE DOG is responsible for the animal’s behavior, which is subject to disciplinary action of the student via the URI Student Conduct process.
  4. In all cases, the owner of the animal agrees to hold harmless the University of Rhode Island for any damage or any injury to others caused by their SERVICE DOG. Evidence of home liability insurance may be requested for certain animals.
  5. If necessary, the removal of any SERVICE DOG, with any necessary cleaning, repairs and/or pest control will be done at the expense of the responsible resident.
  6. A SERVICE DOG as appropriate to the animal, must be housebroken (i.e., trained so that it controls its waste elimination, absent illness or accident).
  7. The SERVICE DOG must be kept under control by a harness, leash, or other tether at all times.
  8. If the SERVICE DOG shows aggression or threatening behavior of any kind toward any other person or animal, this may be just cause to remove the dog and bar the animal from campus.   Prior to such action, the University of Rhode Island representative will notify owner of the SERVICE DOG about the concern and will try to resolve the concern with the dog’s handler.
  9. If a SERVICE DOG is removed by the University, other reasonable accommodations will be provided to ensure equal access to university programs and services.

In addition to provisions for service dogs, provisions will also be made for a miniature horse as a service animal if it has been individually trained to perform tasks or to do work for a person with a disability. Four factors will determine whether a miniature horse can be accommodated: (1) whether the miniature horse is housebroken, (2) whether the miniature horse is under the owner’s control, (3) whether the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight, and (4) whether the miniature horse will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility.

Service Dog Puppies and Puppy Raisers at URI

Puppy Raisers are URI students who are officially designated by a service-dog training agency (such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Inc.), or who can demonstrate that they are legitimately qualified to train a puppy to become a service dog, and who wish to bring an official puppy-in-training into URI Facilities are required to follow these procedures and policies.

General Information

It is the general policy of the University of Rhode Island (“URI”) that pets ARE NOT allowed in campus buildings or in URI Housing Facilities.

However, the University of Rhode Island recognizes provisions under Rhode Island General Law § 40-9.1-2.1. that handlers/trainers of agency-owned puppies being raised and trained to become certified service dogs (also known as service animals) are given similar access to public facilities as persons with disabilities handling fully trained and certified service dogs.

URI students who are officially designated puppy raisers for a service-dog training agency (such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind, Inc.), or who can demonstrate that they are legitimately qualified to train a puppy to become a service dog, and who wish to bring an official puppy-in-training into URI Facilities are required to follow these procedures and policies.

Procedures for URI Students Who are Designated Puppy-Raisers for Service Dog Training Agencies (or Who Are Otherwise Legitimately Qualified to Train a Service Dog)

  1. Contact the Dean of Students Office for an appointment with the Asst. Dean of Students for Accessibility and Inclusion; 401-874-2098 or dai@etal.uri.edu
  2. Complete an application for permission to conduct puppy training at the University of Rhode Island.
  3. Provide complete information to document that you are an approved puppy raiser with the organization. Alternatively, provide documentation that you are a qualified service dog trainer or are supervised by a qualified service dog trainer.
  4. Provide evidence from the service-dog-training agency that they carry liability insurance for your dog and are responsible for any injury/damage caused by the dog.
  5. Attach all agency and health records certifying that the puppy is a registered dog with the service-dog-training agency and is fully vaccinated according to RI Law. Also provide proof of a client-doctor relationship with a licensed practicing veterinarian in the state to provide routine and/or emergency care when needed.
  6. Complete a FERPA Permission form that allows URI to communicate as needed with the service-dog-training agency about your academic and social standing at URI or about other information related to your puppy.
  7. Sign the URI Animal Policies agreement certifying that you understand and agree to these policies.
  8. Complete a Class Workspace Permission form for EACH and EVERY environment (classroom, workspace, or housing/residential life facility) to which you wish to bring the puppy.   (i.e. signed by Professor, supervisor, HRL Director etc.).
  9. Return a signed copy of each permission form to the Dean of Students Office.
  10. Contact the Assistant Dean of Students for Accessibility and Inclusion with any questions or concerns at 401-874-2098.

Policies Regarding Service-Dog Puppies being raised by URI Students

The following policies will be strictly enforced; violations are subject to the URI Student Conduct process. The animal’s owner is responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of service-dog puppies in training, including:

  • Compliance with any laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, and owner identification;
  • Keeping the animal under control and taking effective action when it is out of control; feeding, walking, and disposing of waste; waste disposal via university plumbing or indoor trash containers is prohibited. Waste must be recovered, bagged, and placed in an outside trash container.
  • URI will not require any surcharges or fees for an Service Dog Puppy in the residence halls, because it is a disability-related accommodation. However, the animal’s owner will be charged for damage caused by an ESA to the same extent that URI would normally charge any person for the damage they cause to university property.
  • People with disabilities who live with Service Dog Puppies must comply with all university rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, and cleanliness.
  • In all cases, the owner of the animal is responsible for the animal’s behavior which is subject to disciplinary action via the URI Student Conduct process.
  • In all cases, the owner of the animal will agree to hold harmless the University of Rhode Island for any damage or any injury to others caused by their Service Dog Puppy.
  • If necessary, the removal of any Service Dog Puppy, with any necessary cleaning, repairs and/or pest control will be done at the expense of the responsible resident.
  • Students must verify that the Service Dog Puppy’s medical and vaccination records are current. Please contact Disability, Access, & Inclusion with this information.
  • The student resident will be permitted to have no more than one animal due to the confined residential living space.
  • The Service Dog Puppy must be housebroken (i.e., trained so that it controls its waste elimination, absent illness or accident)
  • At any time, a maximum of ONE puppy is permitted in any course session, residential room or work environment.
  • If permission is granted by professor or supervisor, the puppy must be authorized by the agency as “ready” to accompany the puppy-raiser to class or work. Permission from professor, HRL administrator, or work supervisor with accompanying permission forms will be obtained in advance for each course or environment into which the puppy is being included and will be returned to the Dean of Students Office, 302 Memorial Union.
  • Information about the puppy may be shared with authorized university officials, as needed, including the University of Rhode Island’s Attending Veterinarian.