Office of Compliance
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Assistance and Service Animal Decision Making Guide

This is a guide for interacting with individuals with disabilities using assistance or service animals to appropriately determine if their animal has a legitimate right of access to the university. Questions and concerns can be directed to the ADA Coordinator.

Guide:

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Service Animal decision making guide flowchart. Accessible text-based version available below.

 

Download the Assistance & Service Animal Decision Making Guide

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Accessible Text-based Version of Guide:

  • Start with asking this question: “Is the animal a service animal required because of a disability?”
    1. If “yes,” you can only ask this follow-up question: “What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?”
      1. Examples include, but are not limited to: leading/guiding, picking items up, opening doors, assisting with balance, alerting to noises, detecting/reacting to changes in health status such as seizures, diabetes.
      2. Vague response? You may ask follow-up questions to gain clarification of the work or task the animal performs.
        1. If the work or task is identified:
          1. Service dog/miniature horse is permitted in virtually all non-employment locations or in most spaces the handler can go.
          2. All other species of service animals are permitted only in places offering goods or services available to the general public.
    2. If response is “no,” ask “Is the animal a Service Animal in Training?”
      1. If “yes”:
        1. Only permitted in places offering goods or services available to the general public.
        2. Must be tethered or leashed and wearing a special cape.
        3. No work or task is identified? The animal is not permitted and can be asked to leave. The individual may stay.
    3. If response is “no,” ask “Is the animal an Emotional Support Animal approved as a reasonable accommodation by a University Disability Authority?”
      1. If “yes”, you can ask: “Is the animal approved for this location?”
        1. If response is “yes,” ask “Which University Disability Authority approved this animal as a reasonable accommodation?”
          1. Explain your process is to verity the accommodation and in doing so you may:
            1. Request individual’s name and student/employee ID number.
              1. To verify contact:
                1. McBurney Disability Resource Center (students and Extension program participants)
                2. Employee Disability Resource Center (employees)
                3. ADA Coordinator (all others)
                  1. If verified, the emotional support animal is permitted in locations approved under the disability accommodation.
      2. If response is “no,” the animal is not permitted and can be asked to leave. The individual may stay.

Other requirements of Service Animals, Service Animals-in-Training, Emotional Support Animals, or their Handlers:

  • Animals must be housebroken
  • Handler must control the animal at all times
  • Service Animals-in-Training must be tethered or leashed and wearing a special cape at all times
  • Animals are not permitted in work spaces unless approved as an accommodation

Exclusion of animals:

Service animals, Service Animals-in-Training, and Emotional Support Animals may be excluded from the university space for the following reasons:

  • The animal’s presence fundamentally alters the program, service, or activity in the location
  • The animal’s presence jeopardizes the safe operation of the program
  • The animal is not housebroken, under the handler’s control, or is disruptive

Note:

  • Exclude the animal and not the handler
  • Reasonable efforts must be made to offer the program, service, or activity to the handler if the animal is not permitted