Resources for Disabled Students

Service and Assistance Animals at Colorado State University

Colorado State University recognizes that some types of disabilities may require animal assistance as an accommodation.  There are two categories of animals that may be allowed on campus to provide assistance to students with disabilities – service animals and assistance animals.  Below is an overview of what animals qualify and things to consider if you are requesting to have an animal on the CSU campus as a disability accommodation.

Service Animals

Service animals are defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) as:

Any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.

The work or task that the dog performs must be directly related to the individual’s disability, such as: 

• assisting those with low vision
• alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
• pulling a wheelchair or stablizing a person's gait
• retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone
• recognizing and assisting during seizures
• alerting individuals who may be experiencing flashbacks of emotional trauma

A service animal may only be a dog.  Emotional, support or companionship animals do not qualify as service animals.

Subject to some limitations, service dogs may generally accompany students throughout campus, such as classrooms, recreational facilities and campus residences. It is expected that a service dog be identifiable to others through a visible signifier (e.g., vest or harness).

Assistance Animals

In some instances, disabled students may be allowed to have an assistance animal within campus housing facilities.  Assistance animals may alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a disability and are often referred to as “emotional support” or “therapy” animals. All requests for assistance animals as an accommodation in campus housing facilities must be approved by Resources for Disabled Students.

A student may be able to have an assistance animal in a campus housing unit as a reasonable accommodation if:

• the student has a verifiable disability; and
• the animal is necessary to afford the student with a disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling; and
• there is an identifiable relationship or nexus between the disability and the assistance the animal provides.

If a student is allowed to have an assistance animal, it may be restricted to only housing areas.  It may not be allowed to enter classrooms, recreational facilities or other campus buildings. 

Limitations and Things to Consider for Service and Assistance Animals

• Animals cannot be a threat to the health or safety of others
• Animals that may cause substantial physical damage may not be allowed
• Animals will not be allowed if they pose an undue financial or administrative burden to the university
• Animals that may fundamentally alter CSU’s operations (including housing operations) may not be allowed
• Animals need to be well cared for, clean and hygienic
• Animals must be in good health with regular checkups and must comply with all state and local licensure and vaccination requirements
• Documentation of vaccinations and licensure are required if the student and animal reside in campus housing facilities
• The student owner is responsible for controlling the animal and its behavior
• The student owner is responsible for all clean up and/or damages associated with the animal
• The student owner is responsible for educating others in the campus community on how to appropriately interact with the animal

For additional information on disability documentation guidelines and/or the accommodation process, go to Accommodation Process or call Resources for Disabled Students at (970) 491-6385.