Service Animals at Great Bay
Below please find information related to Great Bay Community College’s service animal policy and regulations.
Service Animals Assisting Individuals With Disabilities
Great Bay Community College generally permits service animals assisting individuals with disabilities in all facilities maintained by the College. Therefore, an individual with a disability shall be permitted to be accompanied by his/her service animal in all areas of the College’s facilities where members of the public are permitted.
This policy applies only to facilities owned by the College or under its control. Please be advised that there may be restrictions imposed on the use of service animals in non-college facilities, such as hospitals, science laboratories or other clinical or internship experience locations. Such restrictions are established by the individual facilities according to their own policies and procedures and the College has no control over such restrictions.
“Service Animal” Defined
The Americans with Disabilities Act’s regulations define “service animal” as any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, or intellectual disability.
Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition.
Permissible Inquiries About a Service Animal
It is permissible for the College to make the following inquiries in order to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal:
- Is the animal required because of a disability?
- What work or task is the animal trained to perform?
The College shall not inquire about the nature or extent of a person’s disability. Further, the College shall not make these inquiries about a service animal when it is readily apparent that an animal is trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability (e.g., the dog is observed guiding an individual who is blind, pulling a person’s wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability).
Specific questions related to the use of service animals on College property can be directed to:
Amanda Voce
Accessibility Advisor & Services Coordinator
[email protected]
Additional Information
Work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to its handler’s disability. Examples of work or tasks performed by service animals include, but are not limited to:
- Assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks.
- Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds.
- Providing non-violent protection or rescue work for a person having a seizure.
- Pulling a wheelchair.
- Alerting individuals to the presence of allergens.
- Reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications.
- Retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone.
- Providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities.
- Calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack.
- Helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.
- Or performing other duties related to a its handler’s disability.
Services that do not qualify as work or tasks performed by a service animal include:
• Crime deterrent effects.
• The provision of emotional support, comfort, or companionship, often referred to as “therapy” or “companion” animals.
Consistent with state law, all dogs on campus shall:
• possess an animal license in compliance with local ordinances
• be properly immunized and vaccinated
• wear a current rabies vaccination tag or possess proof of vaccination
It is recommended that a service animal wear some type of recognizable symbol identifying it as a service animal. A recognizable symbol identifying a service animal will alert others that the animal is working and not to distract or disturb the service animal. However, there is no requirement for documentation to prove that the animal has had particular training or is a “certified” service animal.
When practicable, a student, employee or visitor seeking to use a service animal is requested to notify the appropriate College office listed below prior to bringing the animal on to College property. A service animal’s handler may be asked to complete a voluntary Service Animal Registration Form. These documents shall be maintained confidentially by the College. If the animal qualifies as a service animal, the handler will voluntarily agree to comply with this policy at all times while the animal is on College property. Members of the general public intending to visit the college with a service animal should notify the appropriate office below when practicable.
Students:
Amanda Voce
Accessibility Advisor & Services Coordinator
[email protected]
Jenna Anand
504/Title II Coordinator
[email protected]
Employees:
Diane S. Carroll
Sr. Human Resources Officer
[email protected]
Visitors:
Contact the Campus Safety Office inside the main entrance at the Welcome Desk.
The College is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal. A service animal must be under the control of its handler at all times while on campus. In accordance with the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of tasks. Under those circumstances where a service animal is not tethered, the service animal must be otherwise under the handler’s control (e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means).
The College may direct an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from the premises if the animal:
• is out of control and its handler does not take effective action to control it. (including the animal poses a direct threat to others on campus and/or exhibits behavior that interferes with the educational process)
• is not housebroken, is ill, or presents a reoccurring offensive odor
• is not properly licensed and/or vaccinated
If the College excludes a service animal from its premises, it shall still afford the individual with a disability the opportunity to participate in its programs or activity without having the service animal on the premises.
Members of the College Community should avoid:
• petting a service animal as it may distract the animal from its work
• feeding a service animal
• deliberately startling a service animal
• calling or attempting to attract the attention of a service animal
• attempting to separate a service animal from its handler
Any person who believes that his/her rights to use a service animal on College property have been violated may file a complaint by contacting:
Jenna Anand
504/Title II Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
