Inquiries Regarding Service Animals

In general, members of the College community should not ask about the nature or extent of a person’s disability. However, as permitted by the ADA, if it is not obvious that the animal is required because of a disability, the handler may be asked:

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

Faculty, staff or students cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical or training documentation or other service animal identification (e.g., a special service animal vest, tags, or harness), or ask that the service animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task. Community members should not make 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., if the dog is observed guiding an individual who is blind or has low vision, pulling a person's wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability).