Young Harris College allows animals on campus under certain conditions. The following are the basic guidelines to which an owner must adhere. For an unabridged version of the Animals on Campus Policy, please request information from any of the following offices: Provost, Vice President for Student Development, Disability Services, and Human Resources. Animals on campus fall into one of the following categories and are permitted access according to their category.
Service Animal
A service animal is any dog specifically trained to perform a task for the benefit of an individual with a disability. In some circumstances, a miniature horse may be considered a service animal. The tasks performed by a service animal must directly relate to the individual’s disability. A service animal or a service animal-in-training may access any facility a person may access if it is related to the owner/handler’s disability.
Service Animal in Training
Under the ADA, a service animal must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some state or local laws cover animals that are still in training. Excerpts from Georgia Law taken from the following site apply:
https://www.animallaw.info/statute/ga-assistance-animal-georgias-assistance- animalguide-dog-laws
Every person engaged in the training of a guide dog or service dog … shall have the same right to be accompanied by such dog being trained as the totally or partially blind person, deaf person, or physically disabled person, so long as such trainer is identified as an agent or employee of a school for seeing eye, hearing, service, or guide dogs.
Every person engaged in the raising of a dog for training as a guide dog or service dog for the purpose of accompanying a person … shall have the same right to be accompanied by such dog being raised for training as the totally or partially blind person, deaf person, or physically disabled person has …, so long as:
- Such dog is being held on a leash and is under the control of the person raising such dog for an accredited school for seeing eye, hearing, service, or guide dogs;
- Such person has on his or her person and available for inspection credentials from the accredited school for which the dog is being raised; and
- Such dog is wearing a collar, leash, or other appropriate apparel or device that identifies such dog with the accredited school for which such dog is being raised.
Emotional Support Animal
Any animal specifically designated by a qualified mental health care provider that alleviates one or more identified symptoms of an individual’s mental health disability and that is approved as an accommodation by Disability Services. Such animal may afford an individual with a mental health disability an equal opportunity to use and enjoy a dwelling provided there is a nexus between the individual’s mental health disability and the assistance the animal provides.
ESAs are a housing accommodation and MUST be approved by Disability Services AND registered with Residence Life before arriving on campus. Students can begin the housing accommodation process on the Residence Life Housing Accommodation website yhc.edu/student-life/residence-life/housing-accommodations. ESAs are not service animals.
ESAs are only permitted in a resident’s bedroom and to exit to the outside based on the shortest distance to the outdoor space. ESAs are considered pets when outside of the specific residence of the owner.
Pets
Pets are not permitted in any campus building at any time with the exception of fish in an aquarium of 10 gallons or less. For purposes of this policy, a pet is any animal that is not a service animal or an approved ESA.
