The University of Maryland Baltimore County allows the use of service animals by individuals with disabilities in all public areas at the university.
Service animals are federally defined as dogs* trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair or equipment for someone with a mobility disability, alerting or protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take a prescribed medicine, or performing other disability-related duties. Service animals are trained, working animals, and are not equivalent to pets. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under ADA.
When it is not obvious what service animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Authorized UMBC employees who are managing an event, facility, or activity may ask two questions:
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? (Do not ask what the disability is!)
- What work or task is the dog trained to perform?
The ADA requires that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times and be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents them from using these devices.
At UMBC we take the person at their word that the dog is a service animal and trained to do a disability-related task.
- Do not ask the person what their disability is or for medical documentation.
- The dog’s training should be self-evident by being under the control of the handler and training documentation is not to be requested. If the animal is not under the handler’s control, see Exclusions, below.
- Do not ask for a demonstration of the task or work.
Exclusions:
A person with disability cannot be asked to remove their service animal from the premises unless:
- The animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it (excessive barking, jumping up on other people)
- The animal is not housebroken, or has no licensing information.
Service Animals in Campus Housing:
For students who want to bring a service animal into campus housing to live with them, or request the accommodation of having an emotional support animal live with them in UMBC housing, the process begins via the Students Disability Services website. The accommodation request must reach the status of being approved before an ESA is brought into housing.
*Miniature Horses as Service Animals:
In addition to dogs, the ADA has a separate regulations about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. The regulations have the following provisions:
- Size: 24-34 inches high and generally under 100 lbs.
- Miniature horse is housebroken.
- Miniature horse is under owner’s control.
- Whether the facility, activity or event can accommodate the miniature horse type, size and weight.
- Whether the miniature horse’s presence will compromise legitimate safety requirements.
Please note: Emotional Support Animals, once approved as a housing accommodation, are allowed in campus residence halls only, and not in other campus facilities. Only trained service animals have access within campus buildings. Animals that are newly residing in the area should register with their local animal services agency within 30 days of arrival. Baltimore County Animal Services is linked here.