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Service Animal Policies

Service Animal Definition

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a Service Animal is defined as:

“Any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual's disability.”
— 28 C.F.R. § 35.104 and 28 C.F.R. § 36.104

To qualify as a service animal, the dog must be specifically trained to perform tasks directly related to the individual’s disability. Examples of tasks include:

  • Guiding individuals who are blind or have low vision
  • Alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing
  • Calming or stabilizing individuals with anxiety or PTSD during a panic attack or flashback
  • Assisting individuals in a wheelchair
  • UTEP's policy aligns with the  Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  
  • Service animals may also include miniature horses in specific circumstances. However, animals that provide emotional support, comfort, or companionship are not considered service animals under this definition.

Service Animal Access

  • Service animals must be allowed to accompany their handler anywhere on or off campus, including classes, meetings, events, internships, and fieldwork.
  • In compliance with the ADA, service animals are welcome in all campus buildings.
  • Registration with the Center for Accommodations and Support Services is strongly recommended for students with disabilities who utilize a service animal on campus. However, registration is not required to bring a service animal on campus.

Inquiries Regarding Service Animals

When the task or work performed by a service animal is not immediately obvious, only the following two questions may be asked:

  1. Is the animal required because of a disability?
  2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?

No further questions can be asked, and the handler cannot be required to provide documentation of their disability.

Housing and Residence Life

Service Animals in University Housing
Before a service animal can reside in university housing with a student with a disability, a request must be submitted and approved by CASS. Failure to obtain approval may result in the animal being removed from university housing with the proper documentation. To initiate the approval process, students should be registered with the CASS office and schedule an appointment to speak with a coordinator.

Students with disabilities who require a service or assistance animal for university housing must follow these steps to ensure proper accommodations:

  1. Contact the Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS) to schedule a meeting with a coordinator.
  2. Request Process: Service and assistance animals must be approved by CASS. Students are required to formally request this accommodation and submit appropriate supporting documentation before the animal’s arrival to university housing.
  • Service and Assistance animals must be approved by CASS. Students must request this accommodations and provide supporting documentation
  • A meeting with the Assistant Director for Operations is required: to discuss the terms of the granted accommodation before the animal arrives at the university or assigned housing. 
  • The Center for Accommodations and Support Services (CASS) manages requests related to an assistance animal concerning a student’s University housing assignment. Students seeking approval for use of an assistance animal within University housing must follow the steps outlined by CASS and Housing and Residence Life.
  • For more information please visit the Housing and Residence Life website: https://www.utep.edu/student-affairs/housing/
  • For campus buildings and structures not characterized as student housing, participation in a service animal registry is recommended, but not required .