Service, Emotional Support, Therapy Animal Policy

Purpose: The Temple recognizes and values the importance of the physical and emotional well-being of our community.  The purpose of this policy is to define Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, Therapy Animals, their purpose, and to define the requirements, restrictions, and limitations associated with each.

Definitions:

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), service animals (“SA”) are dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (“PTSD”) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support, known as Emotion Support Animals (“ESA”), do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

An Emotional Support Animal (“ESA”) is defined as an animal that provides a therapeutic benefit to its owner/handler through companionship and is not specifically trained or certified to perform tasks for a person who suffers from emotional, psychiatric or mental health-related disabilities. Under the law, an ESA does not qualify as a service animal and, thus, is not granted legal access to places of public accommodation by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

A Therapy Dog (“TD”) is defined as a dog that is trained to provide affection, comfort, and support to people. They are usually volunteers who work with their owners in settings such as hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, libraries, hospices, or disaster areas. Therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people. According to the American Kennel Club, a therapy dog lends comfort and affection to people in a facility setting or to certain individuals who require visitation to deal with a physical or emotional problem.

The Temple Policy:

The Temple allows access for Service Animals (“SA”) and Emotional Support Animals (“ESA”).  In limited circumstances, Therapy Dogs (“TD”) will also be allowed.  No other animals are allowed at The Temple. For the purposes of this policy, SA / ESAs / TDs permitted at The Temple are limited to dogs.  All SAs, ESAs, and TDs must meet the following requirements to be granted access to The Temple building and property:

• Must not be merely a pet. SAs/ESAs must serve some service toward the physical or psychological wellbeing of the owner/handler.  It must only serve this role for the individual and not be a source of entertainment or play.  TDs may provide additional service towards others, but should provide them with therapeutic benefits, not simply general enjoyment or entertainment.
• Owner/handler must make the Executive Director, staff member, or lay leader aware upon arrival that they are accompanied by an SA, ESA, or TD. ▪ Must be under the owner/handler’s control at all times.
• Must be leashed, harnessed, or tethered unless these devices interfere with a 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.
• Must be housebroken.  Must use outside designated areas where there is natural grass for their support animal to relieve themselves and the owner/handler is responsible for picking up and disposing of all solid waste.  Owners/handlers must take care proactively to ensure animals do not have an accident, especially in areas not easily cleaned/sanitized.
• Must not be disruptive in any way.  Must not display aggression, whine, bark, growl, howl, cry, or make other noises.  An exception is if the animal is trained to give an audible alert in response to detecting a medical emergency.
• Must be in good health and must be current on all local licensing requirements and vaccinations including, without any limitation, rabies vaccinations.  Documentation must be provided upon request.
• Owner/handler, must have appropriate liability insurance and is solely responsible for any damage or harm to others caused by their SA/ESA/TD.  Documentation must be provided upon request.
• Must not be on any furniture.  Small dogs may be on the owner/handler’s lap as necessary to provide their service/emotional support.
• Must not obstruct an area used for emergency evacuation.

Additionally, while not required, The Temple strongly encourages all SAs, ESAs, and TDs be easily identified by a uniform (labeled vest, harness).

Service Animal Specific Rights and Requirements:

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, a staff member, clergy member, or lay leader may ask the following questions of the owner/handler:

1. “Is the animal required because of a disability?”

2. “What work or tasks has the service animal been trained to perform?”

Service animals and their owner/handler are not restricted from any areas of The Temple.  Owners/handlers of service animals may be directed to specific areas within the sanctuary, chapel, or other rooms, and away from other approved service animals.  If directed to another area, it will be of equal access as other members & guests.

Anyone wishing to bring an animal that is training to be an SA must request approval, in advance, from the Executive Director.  The animal in training must be able to adhere to all of the requirements set out in this policy.

Emotional Support Animal Specific Rights and Responsibilities:

• ESAs are not permitted in the sanctuary, chapel, or any sacred indoor spaces designated by the clergy for worship or life cycle celebration.  Outdoor worship is an exception to the rule and ESAs are permitted as long as they adhere to all other requirements set out in this policy.  ESAs are not permitted in classrooms.
• To the extent reasonably possible, ESAs should be kept away from areas where food is being served.
• ESAs may not attend heavily attended programs/services where space is limited (High Holy Days, MLK Shabbat, Purim, etc.).  If you have questions about whether ESAs are allowed for a particular event, please contact the Executive Director in advance for authorization.
• ESAs are required to have a Georgia ESA letter.  This letter must be completed by a licensed mental health professional that signifies that an ESA is needed for the individual’s emotional support due to a diagnosed mental or emotional condition.  This letter must be provided upon request and must be updated annually.
• ESAs must not be a distraction to other guests, either positive or negative.
• Owners/handlers of ESAs may be directed to move to other areas to accommodate the needs of other members or guests.  This may include, but is not limited to allergies, fear of dogs, etc. Therapy Dog

Specific Rights and Responsibilities:

• TDs are only allowed by specific invitation from the Clergy and Executive Director.  
• TDs must be fully trained and certified as a Therapy Dog.  Documentation of the animal’s credentials must be provided upon request.
• TDs must serve a specific emotional service for Temple attendees and not simply be present for the general enjoyment of others.
• TDs are otherwise expected to follow the same criteria as ESAs as noted above.

If any of the above requirements are not followed, the owner may be requested to leave with the SA/ESA/TD.  Specific to ESAs and TDs, if the above requirements are repeatedly not followed, they may be no longer permitted at The Temple.

Senior Staff Members may make exceptions to this policy in order to accommodate unique circumstances during uncommon events and situations. The Temple also maintains the discretion to remove an animal at any time as deemed necessary and as allowed by law.  The Temple maintains the right to update this policy as deemed necessary.