This Policy establishes the conditions under which animals are permitted inside buildings, facilities and grounds owned/controlled by Mid Michigan College (Mid). It applies to all students, faculty, staff, contracted employees, and visitors to the College. The Policy addresses service animals (in service/in training), therapy animals, emotional support animals, and pets on campus. It provides guidance on the use of Service Animals that complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) of 1990 and Michigan Law (MCL 750.502c, 752.61, and 752.62).
It is the policy of Mid Michigan College that under specific circumstances, animals may be present on campus. Animals can pose a risk to members of the campus community and certain campus activities and facilities may present a risk to animals. As such, Mid has established defined categories of animals and guidelines for their presence (or lack thereof) on campus, along with the responsibilities of the owner/handler of the animal.
The ADA defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to perform work or tasks for people with disabilities and are allowed on campus grounds, inside building and facilities, subject to the limitation/expectations outlined in this Policy. Examples of such service animal work or tasks include, but are not limited to: guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or other tasks relating to a person’s disability.
Additionally, the ADA has a separate provision about miniature horses that have been trained to work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The College must permit miniature horses when reasonable. In making such an assessment, the College shall consider
Every effort will be made to grant service animal access to all areas of the College that are open to any other student, faculty member, or member of the public. Service animals have the same rights of access anywhere on campus, in accordance with their handler’s rights to access, but with limited exceptions based on health and safety issues. These exceptions include teaching laboratories, mechanical rooms/custodial closets, areas where protective clothing is necessary, and areas where there is a danger to the service animal. In these situations, reasonable accommodations and considerations will be made to allow access to these locations.
The College may consider the following factors regarding access
To be considered for a service animal’s access to restricted areas, a student should contact the Student Accommodations Office; employees or college visitors should contact Human Resources. In these situations, the College will engage in an individualized assessment of the situation and consider the needs of all parties involved in meeting its obligation to provide access and/or reasonable accommodations.
Students
Students with disabilities are encouraged (but not required) to register with Student Accommodation Services for access to resources, information, and advocacy across a range of disabilities-related dynamics. Registration with Student Accommodation Services is required for any student who wishes to use a miniature horse on Campus.
Employees
Employees with a disability who wish to utilize a service animal as a reasonable accommodation in a College office or other campus area (not open to general public) should contact the College’s Civil Rights/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator, who will work in tandem with Human Resources.
Visitors
Campus visitors with service animals may access all public facilities with the exception of areas where services animals are specifically prohibited due to safety/health restrictions or areas where the service animal may be unsafe.
Service animals are permitted in all public facilities on campus in accordance with this Policy. Mid employees should not question an individual about an accompanying service animal if the individual's disability and function of the animal is obvious. In the unusual circumstance when an inquiry must be made to determine whether an animal is a service animal, a Mid employee may only ask two questions
College employees shall not ask any questions about the individual's disability. Conversational questions such as the animal’s name, breed, etcetera, are not prohibited. Although a service animal may sometimes be identified by a harness, cape, backpack, or identification card, such identifiers are not required and should not be requested or demanded for any service animal on campus.
Service animals work and perform tasks. They are not pets. It is recommended that members of the Mid community adhere to the following best practices when interacting with service animals
A handler/animal team could become stressed during emergency situations involving smoke, fire, sirens, or injury. As a result, they may exhibit protective behavior. Be aware that service animals may try to communicate the need for help. In emergency situations, make every effort to avoid separating the handler from the animal.
Police K-9s are owned and managed by Police Agencies and when on-duty, have been trained to perform a service or task. For purposes of this Policy, they are considered a service animal and in this capacity are allowed access to all campus areas.
Conflicting Disabilities
Individuals with any medical issues that are impacted by animals (e.g., respiratory conditions, allergies or psychological conditions) should contact the Civil Rights/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator.
A therapy animal is an animal certified and registered with a verifiable animal organization. This animal may make visits in the community or establishments to create a therapeutic experience for people. On a limited basis, Therapy Animals are permitted on campus and restricted to certain common areas of college buildings and facilities. Therapy Animal visits to campus will be posted through standard College communication formats.
Domestic animals are those species of animals that normally and customarily share human habitat and are normally dependent on humans for food and shelter. These include: dogs, cats and other common domestic animals.
An emotional support animal is a personal pet that provides comfort and support to their handler. Because they have not been trained to perform specific work or tasks, they do not qualify as a service animal under the ADA.
Emotional support and domestic animals (pets) are not allowed inside buildings or other inside facilities owned, operated or controlled by the college.
Exception
Pets are welcome outside of campus buildings/facilities in outdoor public spaces and on trails/wooded areas. Exclusion includes areas such as athletic fields, gardens, landscape areas, or other areas as noted by Mid. Pets must be on a leash or under control of their owner at all times.
A wild animal is a non-domesticated animal, living in their natural habitat/environment and dependent on themselves for food and shelter. Wild animals may select the campus landscape as their habitat and individuals utilizing campus grounds are expected to take reasonable precautions when encountering them. Do not feed or otherwise engage with any non-domesticated animal. The hunting, trapping, or caging of wild animals (other than by College designated employees) is prohibited.
Wild animals pose a potential conflict to persons and property. Animals that are a risk and present a hazard shall be regulated, controlled, or humanely relocated, when possible, in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations by College designated employees, or other County/State Officials.
Owners/Handlers are responsible for meeting all applicable requirements under this Policy. These are outlined below.
All animals covered by this policy (service animals, service animals in training, therapy dogs, and domestic pets) must be licensed and vaccinated in accordance with applicable state, county, and local laws. Animals must be registered as required by applicable laws and regulations. Any tags certifying compliance with such requirements must be worn by the animal at all times. Documentation relating to licensure and vaccination status must be made available, upon request by the College. Failure to do so could result in the removal of the animal from College premises.
The care, safety and supervision of any animal covered under this policy is the responsibility of the owner/handler. The owner/handler must maintain control of the animal at all times and is responsible for any cleanup of the animal and for any damage caused by the animal. Mid may designate specific animal toileting areas.
The College will seek restitution for any damage to college-controlled property, facilities, or grounds as a result of any animal. The repair or replacement cost of the damaged property is the sole responsibility of the animal’s owner. The College will also seek restitution for any animal-related medical and/or other expense, including but not limited to: harm caused by bites, allergic reactions, disease, or other adverse animal-related interactions.
Individuals may not bring dangerous, illegal, or poisonous animals onto any properties owned or controlled by Mid.
Other than in a vehicle, if an unrestrained/unattended, endangered or misbehaving animal is observed, a reasonable attempt will be made to locate the animal’s owner. If attempts to find the animal’s owner are unsuccessful, Animal Control will be contacted and will be directed to remove the animal from College property. Animals that are left in their owner's vehicle will be reported to Animal Control for action if the animal appears to be under duress from heat, inadequate ventilation, or severe cold.
Animals (including service animals) may be removed from Mid facilities or grounds for disruptive behavior, such as barking, wandering, displaying aggressive behavior. Unhygienic, unsanitary, or animals that are ill are not permitted in any public campus areas. The individual responsible for such an animal will be required to remove the animal.
Mid has adopted grievance procedures which provide a venue for a prompt, equitable, and impartial resolution of grievances alleging prohibited action by the ADA or Section 504. Grievance may be filed by completing the ADA Grievance Form available on the Mid Cares webpage or by contacting one of the College’s ADA/Section 504 Coordinators.
Individuals wishing to request a modification or exception to this Policy as a reasonable accommodation should contact the College’s Civil Rights/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator Martricia M. Farrell, mfarrell@midmich.edu / (989) 386-6622 ext. 394.