5HTC.5.1 Service Animal Procedure

Chapter 5 Administration

Procedure Statement

1. College Action in Response to Complaints
   1. Public Safety will respond to all animal complaints. Public Safety staff will not ask about the nature or extent of a person’s disability, but will make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. Hennepin Tech may ask:
      • Is the animal required because of a disability?
      • What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
   2. Public Safety will request animals not meeting the definition of a Service Animal be removed from campus, with student owners referred to Disability Services and employee owners to Human Resources for clarification.
2. Removal of Service Animal
   1. Service Animals may be ordered removed by Public Safety, Human Resources, or Disability Services for the following reasons:
      • Out of control animal: A handler may be directed to remove an animal that is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it. If improper animal behavior happens repeatedly, the handler may be prohibited from bringing the animal into any college facility until the handler can demonstrate that they have taken significant steps to mitigate the behavior.
      • Non-housebroken animal: A handler may be directed to remove an animal that is not housebroken.
      • Direct threat: A handler may be directed to remove an animal that Hennepin Tech determines to be a substantial and direct threat to the health and safety of individuals. This may occur because of a very ill animal, a substantial lack of cleanliness of the animal, the presence of an animal in a sensitive area like certain laboratories or mechanical or industrial areas, or when the health or safety of the animal itself is at risk.
   2. When a service animal is removed pursuant to this policy, the following college officials can be contacted to determine reasonable alternative opportunities to participate in the service, program, or activity without having the service animal on the premises:
      • Students will work with Hennepin Tech Access Services
      • Employees will work with Human Resources
      • Visitors/contractors will work with the Public Safety Office
3. Emergency Situations
   1. Emergency Responders (ERs) are trained to recognize service animals and to be aware that animals may try to communicate the need for help or that an animal may become disoriented in an emergency. ERs should make every effort to keep a service animal with the person it is tasked with assisting. However, the ER's first effort should be toward the person being assisted, which may result in the service animal being left behind in some emergency evacuation situations.
4. Appeals and Grievances
   1. Any person dissatisfied with a decision concerning a service animal may appeal by the following steps:
      • Submitting a Service Animal Removal Appeal form, available online, within 60 days of the removal if an agreeable informal resolution is not reached.
      • Appeals will be processed by the following offices:

        Students

        Dean of Students

        Employees

        Vice President of Human Resources

        Campus visitors/contractors

        Director of Operations

   2. A person may also file a complaint directly with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, by calling 800-421-3481 (Voice) or MN Relay Service at 711 or the Minnesota Department of Human Rights by calling 800-657-3704 (Voice) or MN Relay Service at 711. The statute of limitations for filing a complaint with OCR is 180 days from the time the incident occurred.