Service Animals
Individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by their service animals on Kalamazoo College property where members of the public or participants in College services, programs, or activities are allowed. As defined by federal law, a service animal is “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.” If a dog is not trained to do work or perform tasks, and only provides comfort or emotional support, the dog is not a service dog and may be excluded from College property (except as described below).
To respect the rights and privacy of individuals with disabilities, federal law only permits the College to ask if a dog is required because of a disability, as well as what work or task the dog has been trained to perform. Individuals do not have to provide documentation of their disabilities, proof that service dogs have been trained, or place special vests on their service dogs.
Service dogs may be excluded from campus under the following circumstances:
- The dog is disruptive and not effectively controlled.
- The presence of the service dog would fundamentally change the nature of the job, service, or activity.
- The service dog’s presence, behavior, or actions pose an unreasonable or direct threat to property and/or the health or safety of others.
- The dog is not housebroken.
- The animal is not provided appropriate care to maintain health and well-being, and/or the animal is mistreated or abused.
Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals in College Housing
Individuals with disabilities may have a service animal or an emotional support animal (ESA), in College housing, in accordance with applicable law and policy. Under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), ESAs are animals individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the person’s disability.
An individual with a disability may request a disability accommodation that allows their ESA to be permitted in College housing even if the ESA is not trained to perform work or tasks. As part of the interactive process, Disability Services partners with students, Residence Life, and other units in determining whether to approve the request.
As with service animals, individuals are responsible for the control, care, and supervision of their emotional support animals at all times, and the College may exclude an ESA under the circumstances described in the section above.