Service and Support Animal Policies

SUNY Oswego recognizes the importance of “Service Animals” as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and “Support Animals” under the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and New York State Human Rights Law that provide physical and/or emotional support to individuals with disabilities.  SUNY Oswego is committed to allowing an individual with a disability the use of a Service Animal on campus to facilitate full-participation and equal access to the University’s programs and activities. SUNY Oswego is also committed to allowing Support Animals necessary to provide individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to use and enjoy campus housing. This policy explains the specific requirements applicable to an individual’s use of a Service Animal on campus, as well as requirements applicable to an individual's use of a Support Animal in campus housing.

A. Service Animal

A Service Animal is a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, mental, or other disability. The work or tasks performed by a Service Animal must be directly related to the person’s disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, retrieving items for the Owner, pulling a wheelchair, guiding a blind Owner. Animals other than dogs or miniature horses are not considered Service Animals under the ADA. More information on the definition of a Service Animal can be found on the ADA.gov website. 

B. Support Animal 

A Support Animal is an animal that does work, performs tasks, provides assistance and/or provides therapeutic emotional support that ameliorates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability, and are necessary to afford a person with a disability an equal opportunity to use and access university housing. Support Animals are not pets. While Service Animals can only be dogs or miniature horses, Support Animals in general can be any animal commonly kept in households.

Support Animals are generally not allowed to accompany persons with disabilities in all public areas of SUNY Oswego as a Service Animal is allowed to do, but a Support Animal may reside in university housing. Support Animals are generally not permitted in any area other than the individual’s room.

• Students may be permitted one emotional Support Animal (unless documentation clearly demonstrates the need for more than one. Approval of multiple Support Animals is not guaranteed).

C. Pet

A "pet" is any animal kept for ordinary use and companionship. Service Animals and Support Animals are not considered pets. Pets are generally prohibited indoors on  SUNY Oswego Campuses.

D. Owner

An animal Owner refers to the student or employee who holds title to, possesses, harbors, or exercises care, custody, and control over an animal. 

E. Required Vaccinations

To ensure the health and safety of our community, all animals residing in university housing must stay up to date on their annual vaccinations.

• Dogs: Required vaccinations include DHLPP (or updated equivalent), Rabies, and Bordetella.
• Cats: Required vaccinations include FVRCP and Rabies.

Proof of these updated vaccination records must be submitted annually to Residence Life and Housing prior to or at the start of each academic year. Failure to maintain current vaccinations may result in the animal being removed from housing.

Service Animals will be permitted to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of SUNY Oswego’s facilities where students, members of the public, and other participants in services, programs, or activities are allowed to go, including university housing.  

SUNY Oswego does not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a Service Animal. Individuals accompanied by a Service Animal on campus, but who do not need any additional disability accommodations, are not required to register with the Office of Accessibility Resources, nor is such individual required to submit a request for reasonable accommodations to receive access for their Service Animal. Owners who bring Service Animals into university housing, however, are required to register with Residence Life and Housing by completing the “Service or Support Animal Housing Agreement” form and providing up-to-date annual vaccination records as listed in Section 2, E Required Vaccinations above. The Service and Support Animal Housing Agreement must be completed and approved by the Assistant Vice President for Residence Life and Housing or their designee prior to the animal taking occupancy. 

Service Animals must be housebroken (i.e. trained so that it controls waste elimination absent illness or accident) and must be kept under control by a harness, leash, or other tether, unless the person is unable to hold those or such use would interfere with the Service Animal’s performance of work or tasks. In such instances, the Service Animal must be kept under control by voice, signals, or other effective means.

Residence Life and Housing will inspect the residential unit on a regular basis to ensure proper care of the animal and University facilities. If fleas, ticks, or other pests are detected through inspection, the unit will be treated using fumigation methods by the University approved pest control services. Those costs will be placed on the student’s account or billed to the employee.

Service Animal Owners are held to the provisions listed below. 

A. Inquiries Regarding Service Animals

SUNY Oswego will not ask about the nature or the extent of a person’s disability to determine whether a person’s Service Animal qualifies as a Service Animal. However, when it is not readily apparent, SUNY Oswego staff may make two inquiries to determine whether the dog qualifies as a Service Animal, which are:

• Is this a Service Animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task(s) has the dog been trained to perform?

B.  Responsibilities of Owners

1. Service Animal Control Requirements

• The animal should be on a leash or tethered unless a leash would disrupt any task or work, or the individual is unable to hold a leash. If the animal is not tethered or leashed, the Owner must otherwise have control of the animal.
• The animal should respond to voice or hand commands at all times, and be under full control of the Owner.
• To the extent possible, the animal should be unobtrusive to other individuals and the learning, living, and working environment. The Animal should not:
• Display any behaviors or noises that are disruptive to others, unless it is part of the service being provided to the Owner.
• Block an aisle or passageway. 
• Identification – It is recommended that the Service Animal wear some type of commonly recognized identification symbol, identifying the animal as a Service Animal, but not disclosing the disability, in order for the campus community to easily identify the Animal as a Service Animal. However, this is not a requirement.

2. Service Animal Waste Cleanup

Cleaning up after the animal is the sole responsibility of the Owner. In the event that the Owner is not physically able to clean up after the animal, it is then the responsibility of the Owner to hire someone capable of cleaning up after the animal. The person cleaning up after the animal should abide by the following guidelines:

• Always carry equipment sufficient to clean up the animal’s feces whenever the animal is on campus.
• Properly dispose of waste in appropriate containers.
• If University staff need to intervene to clean up animal waste, any cost incurred for doing so is the sole responsibility of the Owner.

C. Service Animals for on-campus residents

Students and employees with Service Animals in university housing are required to register with Residence Life and Housing by completing the “Service or Support Animal Housing Agreement” form and providing up-to-date vaccination records prior to occupancy so that appropriate accommodations and safety protocols can be arranged.   

D. Removal of Service Animals

Service Animals may be ordered removed from campus and/or campus housing for the following reasons:

• If concerns regarding the animal are reported to Residence Life and Housing, the Owner will be contacted within 24 hours and given the opportunity to address the concerns and or situation. Failure to comply with expectations for direct care of the animal may also result in the Agreement being revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus.
• If SUNY Oswego determines the animal to be a substantial and direct threat to the health and safety of others, the Agreement may be revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus. This may occur as a result of, but not limited to:
  • A very ill animal,
  • A substantial lack of cleanliness of the animal and/or the environment in which the animal is living, 
  • An out of control animal and/or aggressive animal. 
• If SUNY Oswego determines the animal to cause excessive property damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, the Agreement may be revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus. This may occur as a result of, but not limited to:
  • Chewing of university owned property,
  • Defecation and/or Urination that results in damage to University property 
• If the Owner experiences an emergency (e.g., hospitalization) and is unable to care for the animal, staff will contact the emergency contact (or facility) indicated on the Service or Support Animal Housing Agreement form to remove the animal from the residence hall until the Owner is able to provide care for the animal. If the emergency contact is not able to respond to take the animal within 6 hours, an animal control facility will be called to take the animal at the Owner’s expense.

E.  Conflicting Disabilities

SUNY Oswego will consider the needs of all parties with conflicting disabilities in meeting its obligations to reasonably accommodate all disabilities and to resolve the problem as efficiently and expeditiously as possible. 

F. Emergency Response

It is the responsibility of the Owner to make sure they have a plan to evacuate the Service Animal when the Owner is present during a building evacuation. The evacuation plan will be outlined in the Service and Support Animal Agreement in consultation with Residence Life and Housing

G. Public Etiquette towards Service Animals

It is permissible to ask someone if they would like assistance if there seems to be confusion, however, faculty, staff, students and visitors/members of the general public should avoid the following:

• Petting a Service Animal, as it may distract them from the task at hand
• Feeding a Service Animal
• Deliberately startling or distracting a Service Animal, and
• Separating or attempting to separate an Owner from the Service Animal.

Residence Life and Housing will allow a Support Animal if the animal has been approved as a reasonable accommodation because it is deemed necessary for a resident with a disability to have equal access to SUNY Oswego housing by the Office of Accessibility Resources (for students) or the ADA/504 Compliance Officer (for employees). Support Animals are not pets. An accommodation is unreasonable if it:

• Presents an undue financial or administrative burden on the University, 
• Poses a direct threat to individual or public safety or health
• Results in a significant property damage that could not be reduced by other reasonable accommodations

Residence Life and Housing will inspect the residential unit on a regular basis to ensure proper care of the animal and University facilities. If fleas, ticks, or other pests are detected through inspection, the unit will be treated using fumigation methods by the University approved pest control services. Those costs will be placed on the student’s account.

A. Process for Requesting a Support Animal

1. Employee Requests for a Support Animal in a Residence Hall

• Employees requesting a Support Animal in university housing must submit all required paperwork and participate in an interactive process with the ADA/504 Compliance Officer to complete the process.

2. Student Requests for a Support Animal in a Residence Hall

• Students requesting a Support Animal in university housing must submit all required paperwork and participate in an interactive process with the Office Accessibility Resources staff.

3.  Once approved

• If the accommodation for a Support Animal is approved, The Office of Accessibility Resources (for students) or the ADA Compliance Officer (for employees) will inform Residence Life and Housing of the accommodation. The student or employee will be referred to Residence Life and Housing to provide the remaining documentation for the animal to be permitted on the university campus and will be asked to complete The Service and Support Animal Housing Agreement

4. Timing of Request

• In order to adequately process a request for a Support Animal, students and employees are encouraged to begin the process at least 60 days prior to the start of the semester.
• If the need for a Support Animal arises after the semester has started, students should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) and complete the Housing Accommodation Request form as soon as possible. Processing typically takes 2 weeks after meeting with OAR staff. Reviews may take longer if additional information is needed from the student’s medical or mental health provider.
• If the requested accommodation is approved, the student will be notified via their Oswego email. If a Support Animal is approved, students must meet the Residence Life and Housing requirements regarding Support Animals.  Students may not have a Support Animal in their residence hall unless approved by the Office of Accessibility Resources and the Office of Residence Life. If students are found to have a non-approved animal in the Residence Halls, it is a violation to the Student Code of Conduct and the animal must be removed within 24 hours.
• If students have questions or concerns regarding the application process, they may contact the OAR via email ([email protected]), phone (315-312-3163), or in person (Marano Campus Center 155) to schedule an appointment. We recognize some students may not have access to a treatment provider. Students who cannot submit the Treatment Provider Information form may still submit a request and schedule a meeting with the Office of Accessibility Resources. Support Animal letters or documentation from unqualified providers, or those without a history of treating the student will generally not be accepted.
• If employees have questions or concerns regarding the application process, they may contact the ADA/504 Compliance Officer via email [email protected] or calling 315-312-4478.

5.  Authorization of Support Animals in Campus Housing

• Specific factors the University may consider as evidence in determining whether the presence of the specific animal is reasonable or in the assignment of housing arrangements for individuals with Support Animals include, but are not limited to: 
  • the size of the animal is too large for available assigned housing space;
  • the animal's presence would force another individual from an already assigned room, suite or apartment (e.g. allergic reaction or other medical conditions);
  • the animal's presence otherwise violates individuals' right to peace and quiet, is not housebroken, or is unable to live with others in a reasonable manner;
  • the animal's required vaccinations are not up-to-date;
  • the animal poses or has posed a direct threat to others such as aggressive behavior, or injuring the individual or others;
  • the animal poses health risks from zoonotic diseases or safety concerns regarding containment that cannot be sufficiently mitigated for inclusion in a communal living setting;
  • the animal causes or has caused excessive damage to housing beyond reasonable wear and tear;
  • the proper equipment to care for the animal has not been obtained by the requestor. 

6. Conflicting disabilities

• SUNY Oswego will consider the needs of all parties with conflicting disabilities in meeting its obligations to reasonably accommodate all disabilities and to resolve the problem as efficiently and expeditiously as possible.

7. Compliance with state and local animal laws

• Animals that are not allowed as pets in New York State, The City of Oswego, or the Town of Oswego are not allowed as Support Animals.

8. Financial Responsibility

• The Owner is financially responsible for the actions of the animal including bodily injury, property damage, replacement of furniture, carpet, blinds, etc. The Owner is expected to cover all costs of returning the unit to the same condition of move-in. 

B. Responsibilities of Owners

1. Support Animal Control Requirements

• The Owner is expected to provide daily and necessary care of the Support Animal to include bathing, feeding, and managing waste.  
• The Owner is expected to minimize any disruption to the living/learning environment caused by animal odors or noises.
• The Owner must keep the animal inside of their assigned residence hall unit at all times, except for in the instance of natural waste elimination. 
• If the Owner needs to take the animal outside for waste elimination, the Owner is expected to keep the animal on a leash and in control at all times.The animal should be on a leash or in a cage when not providing a needed service to the person with a disability while outside the residence hall room.
• The animal should respond to voice or hand commands at all times, and be under full control of the Owner while outside of the residence hall room, or be caged.
• To the extent possible, the animal should be unobtrusive to other individuals and the learning, living, and working environment, including, but not limited to:
• Display any behaviors or noises that are disruptive to others, unless part of the service being provided to the Owner.
• Block an aisle or passageway. 
• Support animals are not permitted in any area other than the Owner’s assigned on-campus residence hall room. Support animals are only allowed in common indoor areas as needed to enter or exit the building.

2. Support Animal Waste Clean up

• Cleaning up after the animal is the sole responsibility of the Owner. In the event that the Owner is not physically able to clean up after the animal, it is then the responsibility of the Owner to hire someone capable of cleaning up after the animal. The person cleaning up after the animal should abide by the following guidelines:
  • Always carry equipment sufficient to clean up the animal’s feces whenever the animal is on campus.
  • Properly dispose of waste and/or litter in appropriate containers.
  • Contact staff if arrangements are needed to assist with cleanup. Any cost incurred for doing so is the sole responsibility of the Owner.

3. Service Request in Owner’s Room or Apartment
   • Any time the Owner requires service by Facilities, Maintenance and Operations for their apartment or room they are requested to call 315-312-3200 in order to arrange a time when they will be present with their animal.
4. Support Animal Chain of Custody

• If the Owner leaves campus for an extended period of time (that would impact the care of the animal), they are expected to take the animal with them. 
• If the Owner experiences an emergency (e.g. hospitalization) and is unable to care for the animal, staff will contact the emergency contact (or facility) indicated on the The Service and Support Animal Housing Agreement form, to remove the animal from the residence hall until the Owner is able to provide care of the animal. If the emergency contact is not able to remove the animal from the residence hall to care for it, SUNY Oswego will call a facility to remove the animal at the Owners expense, and care for it until the Owner is able to reclaim the animal.

4. Emergency Response

• It is the responsibility of the Owner to make sure they have a plan to evacuate the Support Animal when the Owner is present during a building evacuation. Individuals will not be permitted to enter a building that is under evacuation to remove their animal. 

5. Removal of Support Animals

Support Animals may be ordered removed from campus and/or campus housing for the following reasons:

• If concerns regarding the animal are reported to Residence Life and Housing, the Owner will be contacted within 24 hours and given the opportunity to address the concerns and or situation. Failure to comply with expectations for direct care of the animal may also result in the Agreement being revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus.
• If SUNY Oswego determines the animal to be a substantial and direct threat to the health and safety of others, the Agreement may be revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus. This may occur as a result of, but not limited to:
  • A very ill animal,
  • A substantial lack of cleanliness of the animal and/or the environment in which the animal is living, 
  • An out of control animal and/or aggressive animal. 
• If SUNY Oswego determines the animal to cause excessive property damage beyond reasonable wear and tear, the Agreement may be revoked and the Owner ordered to remove the animal from campus. This may occur as a result of, but not limited to:
  • Chewing of university owned property,
  • Defecation and/or Urination that results in damage to University property 
• If the Owner experiences an emergency (e.g., hospitalization) and is unable to care for the animal, staff will contact the emergency contact (or facility) indicated on the Service or Support Animal Housing Agreement form to remove the animal from the residence hall until the Owner is able to provide care for the animal. If the emergency contact is not able to respond to take the animal within 6 hours, an animal control facility will be called to take the animal at the Owner’s expense.

Students reserve the right to file internal and external appeals or grievances. Please refer to the Office of Accessibility Resources web page on Appeals or Grievances. Students may contact the Office of Accessibility Resources with questions regarding the Service and Support Animal Policy via email at [email protected] or calling 315-312-3358.

Employees reserve the right to file internal and external appeals or grievances. Please refer to the ADA Compliance web page. Employees may contact the ADA/504 Compliance Officer  with questions regarding the Service and Support Animal Policy via email [email protected] or calling 315-312-4478.