Service Animals
At Gallaudet University, a service animal is defined 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, intellectual, or other mental disability. The crime deterrent effects of an animal’s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship are not considered work or tasks under the definition of a Service Animal. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not considered Service Animals. The work that a Service Animal has been trained to do must be directly related to the person’s Disability, including but not limited to:
- Guiding individuals with low vision or blindness
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Retrieving and delivering items such as life-saving medication or the phone
- Detecting and alerting disabled Handlers/Responsible Parties to the presence of allergens
In order to request a Disability-related housing accommodation involving a Service Animal, the Handler/Responsible Party should contact CAAL no less than 30 days prior to anticipated arrival, in order to permit time to gather all necessary documentation. Substantiating documentation will be required which satisfactorily attests to compliance with the specific requirements for animal licensing and vaccinations for the District of Columbia, as outlined in D.C. Code § 8-1804 for licenses and fees and § 8-1803 for vaccinations.
Gallaudet's policy on service animals can be found at this link: https://gallaudet.edu/operations/administration-and-operation-manual/108-service-animals/.