Disability Services for Students

Service Animal Policy

Southwestern Oregon Community College recognizes and supports the assistance a trained service animal can provide a student with a disability. In order for a service animal to be allowed on campus the following conditions must be met.

1. Documentation. Like any other reasonable accommodation, documentation specifying the necessity of the animal must be stated. It must be stated that the service animal provides an essential service reducing the substantial limitation(s) created by the disability. The documentation can not be more than one year old and must be updated on an annual basis.
2. Certification of the agency or individual recommendation the accommodation. Documents must be provided certifying the agency or the individual recommending the accommodation. This may be done in a variety of ways. 1, Information from the agency or individual describing the training process of the animals they provide. 2, a statement outlining the agencies or individuals training and experience in providing service animals.

Responsibility of the student with a service animal. The student will assume full responsibility for the care and management of their service animal. This will include, but is not limited to, food, water and shelter, managing the animal behavior on campus and in the community, animals’ health and wellness, disposal of animal waste in an appropriate manner. The service animal will be viewed by the campus as an extension of the student and therefore subject to the code of conduct of the college. Violations of the code of conduct will follow established procedures of the college. See student handbook.

Companion animals. Animals that are used for the expressed purpose of companionship (pets) do not qualify as service animals. Even though they may provide a benefit to the student they do not provide a service and will not be allowed on campus.

Requests for service animals at Southwestern will be reviewed on case by case bases. Remember it is the student’s responsibility to supply the required information to the DSS office to establish this accommodation.

Questions? Contact Tim Dailey at tdailey@socc.edu

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