Animals in the Library
General
To prevent possible damage to library facilities and property, and possible injury to library users and staff, animals are not permitted in any Massanutten Regional Library branch, except for:
- Use or exhibition for a valid purpose, as determined by the Library Director or designee, only when such use or exhibition has been pre-approved by the Library Director or designee, who shall provide such approval on a case-by-case basis.
- Service animals as defined in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 2010 Revised Requirements: 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 whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.
Control of Service Animal
A service animal must be under the control of its handler. A harness, leash or other tether should be used unless:
- A disability prevents the handler from use of a harness, leash or tether; or
- The harness, leash or tether would interfere with the work of the service animal. In such cases, voice control, signals, etc. must be used.
Removal of Service Animal
The Library may request that a service animal be removed from the facility, and further deny access, if the animal:
- Is out of control and the handler cannot regain control of the animal.
- Is not housebroken.
- Poses a direct threat (to include threats from parasites present on the animal) to the health and safety of others.
