Service Dog Policy
With the exception of service dogs, the presence of animals, (e.g., pet dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.) in the church, PCC, church office and church grounds is prohibited. As defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks 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 or other pets whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not permitted in church buildings or on church grounds. Service animals may accompany people with disabilities in all areas where the public is normally allowed to go. 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. The person bringing the service animal into the church buildings shall be financially responsible for any damage caused by the animal. It is expected that the person bringing the service animal into the buildings will inform the Pastor, staff or a parish council member of any safety issues, special considerations, or dangers the animal may pose to children or adults in attendance, so that these concerns can be addressed and shared with the congregation when appropriate. Since a service animal is a working animal, parishioners should not seek verbal or physical contact by beckoning or calling or attempting to pet or engage the service animal in play.
For more information, please refer to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Approved 1/8/25
