Students need to be educated on service dog etiquette because service dogs are vital for persons with disabilities to ensure their overall safety and well-being.
On college grounds, students should be educated on treating and responding when a service dog is near. Kennesaw State’s policies regarding service animals fall under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under this act, “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.”
Guide Dogs of America stated that when an individual possesses a service dog it “becomes an extension of the person.”
Considering that people with disabilities have to worry about various obstacles, going through a typical day can be challenging. Since this is the case, having a service dog to prevent injuries and, in severe cases death, is the norm.
When a student spots a service dog in class or on campus, the reaction should not be to approach the animal without the owner’s consent. Doing so can distract the animal from doing its job to keep its owner safe. As previously mentioned, it can be a matter of life or death. Interacting with the animal in any way can result in serious repercussions.
It can be challenging to identify a service dog due to the ADA not requiring patients to carry identification for their service dogs. It is best to assume that every dog, accompanied by an owner or not, is a service dog for the safety of individuals with disabilities.
The ADA also listed that it is crucial to know there are only two acceptable reasons to request a service dog leave the premises. These reasons are if the service dog is either out of control or not housebroken. Examples such as allergies or fear of dogs are not justifiable.
However, KSU’s Policy for Service and Emotional Support Animals on Campus lists the following areas that have the right to deny service dogs for health and safety reasons: Research laboratories, mechanical rooms/custodial closets, areas where protective clothing and gear are required and food preparation areas (except for residence halls).
Students might encounter others who own a service dog for specific disabilities. They should understand the specifics of what having a service dog entails and how to react when one is in their presence. This way, the safety of all students is met.
