Emotional Support & Service Animals 

If you plan to have a service dog in university housing, you must provide sufficient notice to Disability Services so that appropriate arrangement regarding roommates and placement may be made. Service dogs residing in university housing are subject to the university’s Housing Service Dog and Emotional Support Dog Agreement Form. Registration is not available for visitors to campus.  

If you would like to voluntarily register your service dog, you should contact Disability Services at Vermont State University. As stated, registration is voluntary but may aid you and your service dog in accessing the university premises. Registration is not available for visitors to campus or service dogs in training.  

Your disability may not be visible. When it is not obvious what service a dog provides and you have chosen not to voluntarily register your service dog with VTSU’s Disability Services, only limited inquiries are allowed. University personnel may ask two questions in determining the validity of the presence of the dog: (1) Is the dog a service dog required because of your disability, and (2) What disability-related work or task has the dog been trained to perform?  University personnel cannot ask about your disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

• The dog cannot pose a direct threat to the health and safety of people while on the university’s premises.  
  
• Local ordinances regarding dogs apply to service dogs, including requirements for immunization, licensing, noise, restraint, and at-large dogs.   
  
• The owner must be always in full control of the dog. Under the ADA, service dogs must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service dog’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the dog through voice, signal, or other effective means.  
  
• The owner is responsible for cleaning up the dog’s waste and fluids and disposing of such in outside trash containers only. Waste disposal via university plumbing is prohibited. The owner should always carry equipment sufficient to clean up and properly dispose of the dog’s waste and fluids.
• Owners who are not physically able to pick up and dispose of the dog’s waste and fluids are responsible for making all necessary arrangements for assistance. The university is not responsible for these services. Additionally, neither the dog, its cage/crate, or bedding should be cleaned in university housing or university facilities. 
• The owner is liable for damage caused by the dog.  
  
• The owner is responsible for instructing others on appropriate interactions with the dog and setting clear expectations.  

A service dog may be excluded from any authorized area and its owner may be subject to disciplinary action if, including, but not limited to:  

• The service dog displays aggressive or disruptive behavior or noises and effective action is not taken to control it; unless said noise/behavior(s) are part of the needed disability service to the owner;  
• The service dog is not housebroken;  
• The service dog poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others;  
• The service dog is not in good health, well-groomed, or cared for;  
• The service dog infringes inappropriately into other’s personal space;   
• The owner intentionally uses the service dog to block identified fire/emergency exits.

NOTE: In the event that restriction or removal of a service dog is determined to be necessary, every effort will be made to assure that the individual still has access to the programs, services, or activities of the university without the dog.  

A service dog in training, generally 15-18 months old, is a dog undergoing individual training to provide specific disability-related work or service for an individual with a disability. Service-dogs-in-training must be accompanied by their owner or handler. This does not include obedience training or socialization of puppies who may later become service dogs.

Thus, generally, only adult dogs are recognized as being “in training” to provide disability-related work or service, and only after they have completed an earlier period of socialization including obedience training, being housebroken, and becoming acclimated to public places and everyday activities as pets.

As service-dogs-in-training in Vermont are only given access rights in places of public accommodation, they generally cannot be in-residence in university housing; nor be present in other areas of campus except those places where all students are welcome. Puppies who are being raised/trained in preparation for participating in formal service dog training generally are not permitted in university housing or on campus except where pets are allowed.