Assistance Animals

Eligibility

It is the intent of MMC to provide an environment that fosters respect and dignity towards all students. For students with documented disabilities, MMC strives to provide reasonable accommodations, including an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) and Service Animals.  Eligible students should review the policy and request this accommodation through the Office of Disability Services.

• Assistance Animal: This is the umbrella term that encompasses service animals and emotional support animals. Service animals and emotional support animals are not pets; they are animals that provide assistance, perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability, or provide emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability.
•  Service Animal: An animal that is individually trained (or in the process of being trained) to do work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. The work or tasks performed by the service animal must be directly related to the person’s disability.
•  Emotional Support Animal (ESA): An animal that provides emotional support to alleviate one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Some, but not all, animals that assist persons with disabilities are professionally trained.
• Individual with a disability: For the purpose of this policy, an individual with a disability is defined as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

View Service Animal Policy and Agreement

Read Emotional Support Policy and Housing Agreement

If you are interested in requesting this accommodation please submit a request.

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Guidelines

Please review the CDC Guidelines for Service Animals in regards to COVID-19.

MMC will also follow these guidelines for Emotional Support Animals:

• Service Animals may need to be around other people and animals while working. When possible, both the handler and the animal should stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• If a service animal is sick, call a veterinarian, and do not go out in public with the animal.
• When possible, do not take a service animal into settings in which people are infected with COVID-19 or facilities where you cannot prevent interactions with people who may have COVID-19.
• Avoid contact between sick people and the service animal as much as possible. If contact cannot be avoided, the sick person should wear a cloth face covering when around the animal.
• CDC recommends that people wear cloth face coverings in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
• Clean and disinfect service animal collars, vests, leashes or harnesses, and other supplies frequently.
• Do not wipe or bathe service animals with chemical disinfectants, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or any other products not approved for animal use. There is no evidence that the virus can spread to people from the skin, fur, or hair of pets.
• Do not put face coverings on service animals. Covering an animal’s face could harm them.