POLICY OVERVIEW

Amarillo College is committed to compliance with state and federal laws regarding individuals with disabilities.  All questions regarding service animals should be directed to Disability Services, 806-345-5639, fax 806-371-5997, or e-mail.  No documentation will be required to bring service animals on campus, but it is requested that you contact our office so we may confirm the following:

1. Is the animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

SERVICE ANIMALS PERMITTED ON CAMPUS

By law, a service animal means 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, intellectual, or other mental disability.  Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals.  In some cases, the college may permit miniature horses on campus on a case-by-case basis, consistent with applicable law.

The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability.  Examples of such tasks include, but are not limited to: 

1. Assisting an individual with low vision with navigation;
2. Alerting individuals who are hard of hearing to the presence of people or objects;
3. Pulling a persons wheelchair; or
4. Providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with a mobility disability.

EXCEPTIONS

Amarillo College may exclude a service animal from campus if its behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or when its presence fundamentally alters the nature of a program or activity.  Amarillo College may ask an individual with a disability to remove a service animal from campus if the animal is out of control and the individual does not take effective action to control it; or if the animal is not housebroken. 

RESPONSIBILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SERVICE ANIMALS

Amarillo College is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal.  Individuals with disabilities are responsible for the control of their service animals at all times and must comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including vaccination, licensure, animal health, and leash laws.  A service animal shall be restrained with a harness, leash, or other tethers, unless an individual's disability precludes the use of a restraint or if the restraint would interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of work or tasks.  If a service animal is not tethered, it must be the individual's control, whether by voice control, signals, or other effective means.

Individuals are responsible for ensuring the immediate clean-up and proper disposal of all animal waste.