Service Animals

Service Animals

Service animals may accompany patrons in the library.  A service animal is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a dog or miniature horse that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.  The tasks must be directly related to the person’s disability.   

Emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals whose purpose is to provide comfort or emotional support are not defined as service animals by the ADA and are not allowed in the library.  Exceptions may be made for library-sponsored programs in which the animal has been invited to be an active participant.

Service animals must be under the control of their handler at all times.   If the animal poses a threat to safety, such as aggressively barking and snapping at patrons, if it is not housebroken, or if the handler is unable to control it, the handler will be asked to remove the animal from the library.  

Owners are financially responsible for damages incurred by a service animal.   Service animals must be harnessed, leased, or tethered at all times, unless doing so interferes with the animal’s work.

Adopted 7/19