Visitors and Service and Support Animals at Stanford
Service and Support Animals
Stanford University Compliance
Stanford University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by allowing the use of service animals by visitors while on campus. The University also complies with the Fair Housing Act by evaluating requests for support animals by visitors in residence.
Definitions
Service Animal
A Service Animal (sometimes referred to as a guide dog or signal dog) is a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. In some cases, a miniature horse may be permitted as a Service Animal. All other types of animals do not qualify as Service Animals. The work or task a Service Animal has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Examples of tasks performed by a Service Animal include, but are not limited to:
- Guiding a person who is blind.
- Alerting a person who is deaf.
- Retrieving items for a person using a wheelchair.
- Alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure.
Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support are not considered Service Animals but may qualify as Support Animals (see section below).
Support Animal
A Support Animal (sometimes referred to as an assistance animal, comfort animal, therapy animal, or companion animal) is an animal that provides emotional or other support/assistance that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Unlike a Service Animal, a Support Animal does not necessarily assist a person with a disability with activities of daily living, nor does it accompany a person with a disability at all times.
Support animals are generally not allowed in public spaces such as classrooms or cafeterias.
Visitors Requesting Service or Support Animals
Visitors should note that the University restricts pets and support animals from public spaces on campus, with the exception of service animals. Visitors accompanied by their service animal shall be accommodated in all public spaces such as concert halls, athletic venues, cafeterias, museums, etc. Visitors must adhere to University guidelines regarding the use of a service or support animal while on campus.
Regarding support animals, if frequent and/or prolonged visits will occur, visitors should contact the coordinator for the campus event they are attending and relay their accommodation request (attending professional development courses, conferences, camps). Medical documentation from a licensed healthcare provider may be requested. The Diversity and Access Office is available as a resource for program coordinators regarding this policy and its implementation.
Reporting Concerns Regarding Service or Support Animals
Stanford may require any individual to promptly remove any service or support animal from campus that does not abide by the above requirements and expectations or that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. In such an event, the individual, but not the animal, will remain welcome on campus; and the University will need to engage in an interactive discussion with the individual with a disability to determine whether an alternative form of accommodation can be implemented.
University officials may also report any service or support animal to the city and county animal control authorities which it reasonably believes is not being maintained in compliance with animal health and safety provisions, or any instance where Stanford believes that an animal is being abused by the person it serves.