Service and Assistance Animal Policy

Wheaton College is committed to providing equal access to its policies, practices, or procedures to ensure that students with disabilities have the same access to College programs, activities, and services as their nondisabled peers. The Learning and Accessibility Services (LAS) office works in collaboration with Housing and Residence Life to review and approve Assistance Animals in Housing.

Definitions

Service Animals

Service Animals are animals that are individually trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities. Examples of such tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs for those with limited mobility, and alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure. Animals other than dogs or, in some cases, miniature horses, are not Service Animals. The work or task that a Service Animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

Assistance Animals

Assistance Animals are animals that provide emotional or other support that decreases one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Unlike Service Animals, Assistance Animals are not required to be trained to perform work or tasks, nor do they always accompany a person with a disability. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) are a subset of Assistance Animals.

Pets

A “pet” is an animal kept for ordinary use or companionship. Service and Assistance Animals, as defined above, are not considered pets. Pets are prohibited indoors and in university housing except for aquatic species that live under water in standard size aquariums. For more information, please refer to the Animals/Pets in Campus Housing Policy.

Approved Animal

An Approved Animal is an Assistance Animal that has been approved by LAS as a reasonable accommodation under this policy.

Owner

An Owner is an individual with a disability who has requested an accommodation and has received approval to bring the approved animal on College property.

Direct Threat

Anything that results in a direct threat to the health or safety of others, or in property damage to the property of others, including property owned by the College. The determination of the existence of a Direct Threat:

• Must be based on objective evidence and not fear, speculation, or stereotype; and
• Requires an individualized analysis that includes considering if a reasonable accommodation can eliminate or significantly reduce the threat.

Example: A resident requests an Emotional Support Animal at a property where another tenant is allergic to that animal. LAS and the ESA Review Committee must consider the following factors to determine if a Direct Threat exists:

• How often the animal’s presence will trigger the allergies.
• The severity of the allergic reaction that the animal triggers; and
• If a Reasonable Accommodation (i.e., housing both residents on opposite sides of the unit, placing the requestor at another unit, etc.) will eliminate or significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of an allergic reaction.

Access to Campus for Service Animals

In order for an individual to qualify for having a Service Animal on campus:

1. W/he must have a disability as defined by the ADA, and
2. The accompanying animal must be trained to do work or specific tasks for the qualified individual.

Service Animals are permitted to accompany people with disabilities to public areas of campus and owners are not required to provide certification that the animal has been trained or licensed or make a formal request for an accommodation. Faculty or staff members with questions may contact LAS at las@wheaton.edu.

Service Animals are permitted to accompany individuals with disabilities in all public areas of campus but may be prohibited in certain locations due to health and safety restrictions (e.g., where the animal may be in danger, or where its use may compromise research). Restricted areas may include, but are not limited to, custodial closets, boiler rooms, facility equipment rooms, research laboratories, classrooms with research/demonstration animals, areas where protective clothing is necessary, wood and metal shops, rooms with heavy machinery, and areas outlined in state law as being inaccessible to animals.

Service Animals may be granted access to restricted areas on a case-by-case basis by gaining approval from LAS and the appropriate department representative. Service Animals do not need prior approval to be on campus though it can be helpful for an owner to voluntarily share that information with the College, especially for housing purposes.

In contrast, Assistance Animals are only permitted in and around the Owner’s campus housing as set forth below.

Assistance Animals in Campus Housing

Before an Assistance Animal can move into campus housing with a person with a disability, a request with supporting documentation, according to documentation guidelines to establish:

• That the individual qualifies as a person with a disability (i.e., has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities); and
• That the Assistance Animal is necessary to afford the person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing (i.e., that the animal would provide emotional support or other assistance that would alleviate one or more symptoms or effects of the disability).

Requests must be submitted to Wheaton’s LAS Office and approval must be granted by the ESA Review Committee, which is comprised of LAS, Housing, and ResLife representatives. Requests should be made at least 30 days prior to Fall Semester move-in  as late requests may impact the timeliness of the approval process. New ESA approvals can only be made prior to the start of the Fall Semester for Fall move-in. No new approvals will be made until the start of the next academic year. As provided in the Animals/Pets in Campus Housing Policy, the fine for an unauthorized animal in campus housing is $50 per day.

Special Rules for Assistance Animals

Assistance Animals are not allowed to accompany persons with disabilities in all public areas of Wheaton campus as a Service Animal is allowed to do, but an Assistance Animal may reside in campus housing.

Assistance Animal Approval Process

Students whose requests are approved give consent for a ResLife staff member to speak directly with the roommates or students in neighboring rooms prior to bringing the Assistance Animal into housing to determine if allergies, phobias, or other health concerns are present. No information regarding the diagnosis or nature of the disability will be shared. If concerns are raised, a direct threat analysis will be conducted. If the animal is approved, ResLife will supply an “Approved Animal” magnet to affix to their door for purposes of alerting Facilities Dept staff to the animal’s presence.

Care and Control

The Owner is responsible for the cost, care, and supervision of Service and Assistance Animals. Wheaton College is not responsible for the care or supervision of Service or Assistance Animals. Roommates and student neighbors are not responsible for the care or supervision of Service or Assistance Animals.

Owners who are accompanied by Assistance Animals must comply with the same College rules regarding noise, safety, disruption, and cleanliness as people without disabilities.

The following guidelines for Service and Assistance Animals are intended to ensure that the animal does not engage in behavior that would be disruptive or a direct threat to the health and safety of others. If the animal’s behavior is disruptive, aggressive, or destructive, the handler will be held responsible and may be asked to remove the animal from campus.

Guidelines for Service and Assistance Animals on Campus

• Animals must be always controlled by Owner.
  • Animals who are in public, outdoor spaces on campus must always be on a leash unless a leash would negatively impact the ability of the animal to complete the task/service for which it is being utilized.
  • Animals may not disrupt the environment by barking, meowing, scratching, screeching, or growling.
  • Assistance Animals must be housebroken before arriving on campus.
  • Arrangements must be made to remove the animal from campus during breaks and any other time when the Owner is off-campus overnight.
  • Evidence of inhumane treatment of the service/assistance animal by the Owner may lead to the animal’s removal from campus.
• Animals must be in good health.
  • Animals must be properly vaccinated; vaccinations must be current. Documentation of vaccinations may be required.
  • Animals must be maintained in a manner that takes into consideration the health and hygiene of the animal and those who encounter the animal.
• To the greatest extent possible, the animal should be unobtrusive to other students and the learning environment.
• Wheaton will not require any deposits, surcharges, or fees for Service or Assistance Animals. However, an Owner will be charged for additional cleaning that must occur due to the presence of the Animal. Additionally, an Owner will be charged for damage caused by a Service or Assistance Animal to the same extent that Wheaton would normally charge a person for the damage they cause or if the room requires additional cleaning beyond standard yearly institutional cleaning procedures. Examples of reasons for additional cleaning may include but are not limited to residue of animal waste on the floor, urine or animal smell in the apartment, excessive fur/animal hair within the apartment, pest control services required due to the animal’s presence, and/or carpet steam cleaning.
  
• The Owner is responsible for complying with the DuPage County/City of Wheaton dog control and licensing laws or any other applicable laws pertaining to animal licensing, vaccination, identification, or animal rights and owner responsibilities.
• Relief Guidelines
  • Service and Assistance Animals must be housebroken before arriving on campus.
  • The Owner is responsible for cleaning up all animal waste and disposing of that waste immediately in outdoor dumpsters. Animal waste is not to be disposed of indoors.

Conflicting or Competing Accommodations

If another student, staff, or faculty member has a severe allergy around animal dander or a phobia to the type of animal being approved, there will be a direct threat analysis conducted. The final determination will be considered on a case-by-case basis and attempts will be made to accommodate the needs of both individuals to the fullest extent possible.

Responsibilities of the Campus Community

• Must allow Service Animals to accompany their Owners at all times and everywhere on campus where the general public are allowed.
  • As noted above, the appropriate way to ascertain that an animal is a Service Animal is to ask (only if it is not apparent) if the animal is required because of a disability and what tasks it has been trained to perform. Specific questions about the individual’s disability should not be asked.
• Must allow Assistance Animals in approved dwelling place in campus housing.
• Contact LAS if any questions or concerns arise relating to Service or Assistance Animals.
• Contact LAS Office if students/faculty/staff have any additional questions regarding visitors to campus who have animals.
• Report any animals who misbehave or any Owners (or other individuals) who mistreat Service or Assistance Animals to the Wheaton Public Safety at 630-752-5911 or 911 from campus phones.