Service and Support Animals
At UC Santa Cruz, we are committed to providing equal access for individuals with disabilities, including those who use service and support animals. It’s important to note that different policies and rules apply to service animals versus emotional support animals, so we encourage you to review this information carefully before bringing any animals on campus. If you have any questions, or would like to request to bring a service or support animal to campus, please contact the campus ADA Compliance Officer at adaccess@ucsc.edu for clarification.
Service Animals
A service animal is a dog or miniature horse that is individually trained to perform tasks or do work for an individual with a disability. These tasks may include assisting individuals who are blind, alerting individuals who are deaf, helping with mobility, or providing support for individuals with psychiatric disabilities. Service animals are permitted on campus. Individuals using service animals are responsible for their animal’s care, control, and compliance with campus guidelines.
Important Information:
- Service animals are not required to have special training or certification beyond the tasks they are trained to perform.
- Service animals must be kept under control and the individual is responsible for their care, including cleanup.
- Service animals are permitted in most areas of campus. However, they are not allowed in University housing without prior approval and registration.
Support Animals
Support animals provide emotional support and comfort to individuals with disabilities but are not trained to perform specific tasks. Since support animals are not service animals, they are permitted on campus on a case-by-case basis. To bring a support animal to campus, individuals must submit a request along with appropriate supporting documentation. Individuals using support animals are responsible for their animal’s care, control, and compliance with campus guidelines.
Campus policy on service or support animals: