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EIU Office of Internal Auditing

#165 - Animals on Campus


Approved: January 7, 2019

Monitor: Vice President for Student Affairs


EIU strives to provide a safe, secure, non-threatening, and healthy campus environment for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors while recognizing services that animals provide to students, faculty, staff, the institution and the community.

Dogs, cats and other animals are permitted on University premises only under the following conditions.

1. Animals on University Grounds

a. Animals are permitted on University grounds only if leashed or under the direct control of an individual.

b. Proof of vaccination in accordance with local law and other licensing requirements must be available if requested.

c. Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their animals.

d. Animals which are unleashed or unattended will be reported to the University Police Department if found on University premises.

2. Registration of Animals

a. Student owners of Service Animals or Emotional Support Animals must be approved and registered with Student Disability Services.

b. Staff or faculty owners of Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals or Therapy Animals must be approved and registered with Human Resources.

3. Animals in University-owned Buildings

The following animals are allowed in University-owned buildings:

a. Service Animals for people with disabilities

i. As defined by the ADA, Service Animals are animals that are individually trained to perform specified tasks for people with disabilities such as guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling wheelchairs, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure or performing other special tasks.

b. Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

i. Emotional Support Animals (ESA) do not have a definition under the ADA.

ii. A student may keep an ESA in a university owned place of residence, as a reasonable accommodation if:

1. The person has a disability (must be registered, see item 3).

2. The animal is necessary to afford the person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling.

3. There is an identifiable relationship or nexus between the disability and the assistance the animal provides.

a. Staff and faculty may have an ESA as a reasonable accommodation, if approved.

c. Therapy Animals

i. A Therapy Animal is trained with its owner, as a team, to provide comfort and stress relief to others in a variety of situations.

ii. Therapy animals and their handlers must be certified through a formal Animal-Assisted Therapy organization (https://www.akc.org/sports/title-recognition-program/therapy-dog-program/therapy-dog-organizations/) and provide documentation.

iii. Registered Therapy Animals and their handlers are permitted in university-owned buildings as follows:

1. Special occasion visits - A University employee or student group may seek approval for a therapy animal to visit campus on a limited basis for special occasions (i.e. mid-term examinations, final examinations, crisis recovery, or other specified occasions).

2. Recurring visits - A University employee who has received training and certification as a therapy animal handler may schedule hours and a location for his or her therapy animal to be on campus and available to students or employees who wish to interact with the animal. The therapy animal should be made available for visits in an area that is easy for those who do not wish to interact with the animal to avoid such contact.

3. Approval for visits should be obtained from the administrator, department chair or dean of the space where the therapy animal will be located.

d. Laboratory Animals

i. Lab animals are the direct responsibility of the person in charge of the project for which they are being used.

ii. Lab animals may only reside in the lab space for which they are intended.

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