FAQ: Student Employee Knowledge Base

Law Library Policy:

https://lawlib.lclark.edu/policies/general

Dogs and other companion animals are not allowed in the Law Library or Wood Hall study areas or study rooms. Service Animals, and Assistance Animals who have been approved by the Lewis & Clark Office of Student Accessibility (OSA), are allowed.

See the OSA Service and Assistance Animal Policy for definitions of Service Animals and Assistance Animals. Students must receive approval from the OSA prior to bringing Assistance Animals to the Boley Law Library and Wood Hall. Students who plan to bring a Service Animal to campus are strongly encouraged to contact and partner with OSA. Begin the approval process by making an appointment with the Office of Student Accessibility.

For more about pet access to the Law School campus see the Lewis & Clark Law School Pet Policy. For more information see the Lewis & Clark Service and Assistance Animal Policy, the Lewis & Clark Office of Student Accessibility Service and Assistance Animals page, and the Lewis & Clark College Animal Control Policy.

Addressing patrons with animals in the Law Library and Wood Hall:

• Student staff should defer to library staff to enforce animal policy
• If library staff are unavailable (evenings, weekends), student staff can approach patrons with disruptive animals, limiting questions to the following --

Questions we may ask:

Be friendly and assume the patron's animal is allowed on the basis that it is a Service Animal or OSA-approved Assistance Animal.  If in doubt, you may ask for more information, but because of the Americans with Disabilities Act our questions are limited to the following:

• Is this animal a Service Animal or Assistance (aka comfort, emotional support, companion, therapy) Animal?

If it is a Service Animal and it is obvious what work or tasks the animal provides, you're done.  The animal does not require documentation or explanation.

If it is a Service Animal and it is not obvious what work or tasks the animal provides, ask: 

• Is the dog a Service Animal required because of a disability?
• What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

If it is an Assistance Animal, the owner does have to provide documentation that it has been approved by the LC Office of Student Accessibility.  This can be in the form of an email, if the owner doesn't have documentation on hand.  Ask:

• Can you provide documentation that it has been approved by the OSA?

But what about disruptive pooches?

Basic rule: We can ask someone to remove their service animal if:

• The dog is not housebroken.
• The dog is out of control, and the person cannot get the dog under control.

Out of Control?

• “The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places…
• …Unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal.”
• If a patron comes in with an animal that is truly out of control (barking, biting, or otherwise truly disruptive) and the person is not taking care of the issue, student staff may contact security (x7777) for their assistance and Slack library staff.

More information can be found on this guide from the U.S. DOJ Civil Rights Division: https://beta.ada.gov/topics/service-animals/

Questions?  Ask a supervisor.