According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as “an animal individually trained to do work for the benefit of an individual with a disability including, but not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals to an impending seizure or protecting individuals during one, and alerting individuals who are impaired to intruders, or pulling a wheelchair and fetching dropped items.” In compliance with the ADA, service animals are welcome to accompany their student in all buildings on campus and in any class, meeting, or other event, and anywhere on campus or off campus as it pertains to curriculum (for example internship, field work, etc.). Disabled students desiring to use a service animal should first register with the FHCHS Office for Students with Disabilities one week prior to the beginning of class. Requirements of service animals and their owners include:

• Dogs must be licensed in accordance to county regulations and wear a vaccination tag.
• Animals must be in good health .
• Animals must be on a leash at all times .
• The owner must be in control of the animal at all times .
• The owner should provide the Office with information as to how the animal accommodates their disability.

Reasonable behavior is expected from service animals while on campus. If a service animal exhibits unacceptable behavior, the owner is expected to employ the proper techniques to correct the situation. Cleanliness of the service animal is mandatory. Daily grooming and regular bathing should keep dog odor to a minimum. Flea control is essential and preventive measures should be taken. If a flea problem develops, it should be handled immediately in an effective manner. The owners of disruptive and aggressive service animals may be asked to remove the animal from College facilities. If the improper behavior happens repeatedly, the owner may be asked not to bring the service animal into any College facility until they take significant steps to mitigate the problem. This mitigation may include muzzling a barking dog or providing documentation of a refresher training course for the animal.