Service & Assistance Animals - Information

The UM ADA Accommodation Coordinator in HRS, Michele Wheeler, is available for questions or clarification regarding service animals. We do not issue identification or verification for service animals.

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Montana Human Rights Act, individuals with disabilities may be accompanied by their service animals on all University of Montana campuses.

What is a Service Animal?

A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks related to the individual’s impairment. If the animal meets this definition, it is considered a service animal regardless of whether it has been certified or licensed as a service animal by a training program or by a state or local government.

Federal law does not require the individual to provide documentation that an animal has been trained as a service animal.

A service animal in training must wear a leash, collar, cape, harness, or backpack that identifies in writing that the animal is a service animal in training. The written identification must be visible and legible from at least 20 feet.

Although it's not required, we recommend that service animals wear a visible identification regardless of their training completion.
 
Service animals must be under control at all times. The university expects owners' responsibilities. Suppose the service animals are disruptive or interfere with university business or community behavioral expectations. In that case, the owner may be asked to correct the animal’s behavior or remove it from the environment. 

Assistance Animals or Emotional Support Animals (ESA) in Housing

Employees with disabilities may be approved to have emotional support animals within university housing facilities or in a workspace as a reasonable accommodation. In partnership with UM Housing, HRS serves as the campus authority to verify the disability of employees or their family members who plan to bring an emotional support animal to UM Housing's facilities, including residence halls, Lewis and Clark Village, and University Villages. HRS also will work with employees through the interactive accommodation process to determine if an emotional support animal at work is a reasonable accommodation.

What is an Emotional Support Animal?

Emotional Support Animals are animals that provide a documented therapeutic benefit to a person diagnosed with a disability.

Where is an Emotional Support Animal allowed? 

Approved emotional support animals are allowed in the Owner’s on-campus housing facility as a reasonable accommodation. However, the animals are not permitted in the private rooms of other residents of that facility without the consent of the residents of such rooms. Approved emotional support animals are only allowed in the common areas of the owner’s on-campus housing facility and the private rooms of other residents in the owner's on-campus housing facility if they are under control. 

Approved Emotional Support Animals may also be allowed to accompany employees to their work area on campus. This must be approved through the interactive ADA Accommodation Process as a reasonable accommodation.

Emotional support animals are not permitted in other university areas, such as dining facilities, academic buildings, athletic buildings and facilities, classrooms, labs, and libraries without approval through the interactive accommodation process.

How to request an accommodation for an Emotional Support Animal: https://www.umt.edu/human-resources/employee-resources/ada-accommodation-process/default.php

For more information on Service & Assistance animals in regards to housing, please look at the Office for Disability Equity website. Click here for the link.

Additional Resources:

For more information, please contact our head of Workers Compensation and ADA Coordinator, Michele Wheeler:

Michele Wheeler

EL Room #224D

406.243.2842

Michele.Wheeler@mso.umt.edu