Service Animals
Blue Ridge Community College, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), does not exclude service dogs from college facilities or activities.
To work on campus, a service dog must be specifically trained to perform a service function. If an animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal, regardless of whether it has been licensed or certified by a state or local government or a training program.
Service animals whose behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others or are disruptive to the campus community may be excluded, regardless of training or certification.
Companion/Therapy Animals Not Permitted
Companion animals are pets that afford some comfort and security to an individual. These animals are not trained to perform a specific task for an individual.
Therapy animals are owned by a licensed therapist and are used as a part of the therapist’s work with individual clients.
These animals do not act in a way that is different from a pet and therefore the campus policy regarding pets should be followed. Thus therapy and companion animals are not permitted on the college campus.
Student Responsibilities
- The student must follow all ADA guidelines.
- Students using a service animal in their classrooms should contact Student Accessibility before the semester begins so it can be noted in their Letter of Accommodation.
- The animal should be in good health with current records of all appropriate vaccinations.
- The student is responsible for general hygiene of the animal and when possible, for cleaning up after it.
- Students using service dogs are responsible for any damages to property caused by the animal.
- The student must be in full control of the animal at all times.