[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-277614-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-277614-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","service-and-emotional-support-animal-guidance-policy","Service and Emotional Support Animal Guidance - Policy","","Policy guidance for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) on service animals and the limits placed on emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs. Defines service animals under the ADA, including individually trained dogs and the conditions for miniature horses, plus examples of qualifying tasks. Sets standards for control, harnessing or tethering, unacceptable behavior handling, permitted inquiries, and what staff must not request. Covers access rights within SCVRD facilities and related considerations for allergies, isolation, and medical documentation.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/letters/","Letters",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/service-and-emotional-support-animal-guidance-policy/277614/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/service-and-emotional-support-animal-guidance-policy/277614.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Mabel","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",7,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Does SCVRD allow emotional support animals in its facilities?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"SCVRD allows only service animals in its facilities. Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not treated as service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA policy section.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"What qualifies as a service animal under the ADA according to this policy?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"A service animal is defined as a dog (or miniature horse) individually trained to do work or perform tasks directly related to a person’s disability. Examples include guide dogs, hearing or signal dogs, psychiatric service dogs, sensory signal dogs for autism, and seizure response dogs.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What can SCVRD staff ask when the service an animal provides is not obvious?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Staff may ask two questions: (1) whether the service animal is required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require specific identification or training documentation, or ask the animal to demonstrate the task.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},277614,1790740150,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,89,94,99,104,109,114,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},11,"Presentations",90,"presentations",{"id":90,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":95,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":100,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":105,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":110,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":115,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":115,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":33,"language":136,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":137,"faqs":138,"seo_title":139,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":140,"read_time":26},7971474920318,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/74000ee537e6b0ca360?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1788430171632181674","| Policy Name: Service and Emotional Support Animal Guidance |  |  |  |  |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| ID: PICP 70.10 |  | Issued by: Policy and Internal Controls Dept. |  |  |\n| Revision Number: 03 | Effective Date: Enter date. |  | Revision Date: 5/11/2023 | Retirement Date: Enter date. |\n\n1.0POLICY STATEMENT:  \nAlthough individuals with disabilities may use service animals and emotional support animals fora variety of reasons to meet their individual needs, the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) allows only service animals in their facilities. SCVRD complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding the tasks a service animal may perform and how those activities address the needs of individuals with disabilities.  \n2.0SCOPE / APPLICABILITY:  \n2.1 This policy applies to all SCVRD facilities.  \n2.2 The term counselor applies to a vocational rehabilitation counselor employed by the SCVRD and the term individual to an applicant or consumer.  \n3.0STANDARDS:  \n3.1 Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog [or miniature horse 3.12] that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.  \n3.11 Doing work or performing tasks is the action of the service animal who is trained to assist the person with a disability, such as, but not limited to the following examples:  \nA. Guide Dogs or Seeing Eye Dogs are carefully trained dogs that serve as a travel tool for persons who have severe visual impairments or are blind,  \nB. Hearing or Signal Dogs have been trained to alert a person who has a significant  \nhearing loss or is deaf when a sound occurs, such as a knock at the door,  \nC. Psychiatric Service Dogs have been trained to perform tasks that assist individuals with disabilities to detect the onset of psychiatric episodes and lessen their effects.  \nTasks performed by psychiatric service animals may include:  \n1) Reminding the handler to take medication;  \n2) Providing safety checks or room services, or turning on lights for persons with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD);  \n3) Interrupting self-mutilation by persons with dissociative identity disorders; and,  \n4) Keeping disoriented individuals from danger.  \nD. SSigDOGs (sensory signal dogs or social signal dogs) are dogs trained to assist a person with autism. The dog alerts the handler to distracting repetitive movements common among those with autism, allowing the person to stop the movement (e.g. hand flapping); and,  \nE. Seizure Response Dogs are dogs trained to assist a person with a seizure disorder. How the dog serves the person depends on the person’s individual needs. The dog may stand guard over the person during a seizure or the dog may go for help. A few  \ndogs have learned to predict a seizure and warn the person in advance to sit down or move to a safe place.  \n3.12 Under Titles II and III of the ADA, service animals are limited to dogs; however, entities must make reasonable modifications to allow individuals with disabilities to use miniature horses if they have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.  \nA. An entity may assess the type, size and weight of a miniature horse in determining whether or not the horse will be allowed access to the facility.  \nB. Miniature horses generally range in height from 24 to 34 inches measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.  \nC. Miniature horses must meet the service animal criteria as set forth in this policy.  \n3.13 The ADA does not restrict the type of dog breeds that can be service animals.  \n3.2 Service animals must remain under the control of their handler in SCVRD facilities. Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal","cbCaigNAmo3WqUgp","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaigNAmo3WqUgp","pdf",214245,"English","# Policy Statement\n## Scope / Applicability\n## Standards\n### ADA Definitions and Examples of Tasks\n### Control, Behavior, and Access Rules\n### Staff Inquiries and Prohibited Requests\n### Emotional Support Animals Clarification","[{\"question\":\"Does SCVRD allow emotional support animals in its facilities?\",\"answer\":\"SCVRD allows only service animals in its facilities. Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not treated as service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA policy section.\"},{\"question\":\"What qualifies as a service animal under the ADA according to this policy?\",\"answer\":\"A service animal is defined as a dog (or miniature horse) individually trained to do work or perform tasks directly related to a person’s disability. Examples include guide dogs, hearing or signal dogs, psychiatric service dogs, sensory signal dogs for autism, and seizure response dogs.\"},{\"question\":\"What can SCVRD staff ask when the service an animal provides is not obvious?\",\"answer\":\"Staff may ask two questions: (1) whether the service animal is required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task the animal has been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require specific identification or training documentation, or ask the animal to demonstrate the task.\"}]","Service and Emotional Support Animal Guidance - Policy | PDF",1789502375]