Service Animal Policy
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, June 6, 2015
In concert with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation defines service animals as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
No animals other than service animals are allowed on the church properties. When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, Chalice staff or leaders may ask two questions of the handler: 1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.
Chalice Unitarian Universalist Congregation expects service animals and their handlers to meet the following expectations:
- Service animals remain with their handlers while on campus.
- Service animals do not sit on church furniture.
- Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the individual’s disability prevents using these devices. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.
- Service animals do not whine, bark, grumble, growl or make other noises. An exception may be if the whining is an alert, such as to notify a handler who is experiencing a panic attack or a drop in blood sugar.
The Coordinating Team may make exceptions to this policy to accommodate unique events and situations.