Marathon County Public Library

ITEM NUMBER: 7.62 a-c

CHAPTER 7: Administrative

Management

CODE: Policy

COMPUTER ID: AMAILP-62



Title: Animals in the Library Policy

Effective Date: 5-2018

Authorized By: Library Board of Trustees/Library Director

Date of Last Revision: 5-2018



PURPOSE



The Marathon County Public Library (MCPL) recognizes that some patrons with

disabilities may have service animals, which are trained to assist or accommodate a

person with a sensory, mental, or physical disability or to perform tasks for the benefit of a

disabled individual. MCPL recognizes legal rights under federal and state laws regarding

use of service animals. MCPL also considers the safety and health of all of its patrons,

the public and library staff to be of utmost priority.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

No pets or animals other than service animals (see definition below), or service animals in

training, are allowed in MCPL libraries. Handlers of animals other than service animals

will be asked to remove them from the library.

Individuals with disabilities may bring their service animals into all areas of the library

where members of the public are normally allowed to go. All service animals must be

under the full custody and control of their handler at all times. Also, all service animals

must be on a leash or harness at all times unless the handler is unable to leash or

harness the animal because of a disability or use of a leash or harness would interfere

with the animal's safe, effective performance of work or tasks. If the service animal

cannot be leashed or harnessed, it must be otherwise under the handler's control (e.g.,

voice control, signals, or other effective means). Handlers of the service animals are

solely responsible for the supervision and care of the service animal. Therefore, handlers

must keep the service animal directly with them at all times.

ITEM NUMBER: 7.62 b





Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or

perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include

guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting

and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness

to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working

animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly

related to the person's disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or

emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA. While Emotional

Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan

as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These

support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with

depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform

tasks that assist people with disabilities.

See also the U.S. Dept. of Justice ADA Service Animals bulletin at this link:



https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Handlers of service animals are not required to show papers or to prove a disability.

Service animals are not required to be licensed or certified by a state or local government

or training program, or be identified by a special harness or collar.

Staff may ask if an animal is a pet or a service animal required because of a disability;

they can also ask what tasks the animal has been trained to perform. Handlers of service

animals or service animals in training will indicate that they are working animals and not

pets. Terms used may include assistance, service, guide, hearing or helping animal. Staff

may not ask about the handler's disability.

A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his or her service animal or service

animal in training from the library unless the presence, behavior or actions of the service

animal constitutes an unreasonable risk of injury or harm to property or other persons.

In these cases, library staff should give the person with the disability the option to obtain

library services without having the services animal or service animal in training on the

premises. Fear of allergies, annoyance on the part of other patrons or employees or fear

of animals are generally not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to

people with service animals or service animals in training.

ITEM NUMBER: 7.62 c





DEFINITIONS (if applicable)

Service Animal: Any animal that is trained for the purpose of assisting or

accommodating a person's physical, sensory, or mental disability.

Disability: A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more

major life activities, or any abnormal sensory, mental or physical condition that 1)

is medically cognizable or diagnosable; 2) exists as a record or history or 3) is

perceived to exist.