Beyond Therapy Dogs: Rethinking Animal Policies to Protect and Promote Student Wellness for All Library Users

Abstract

This chapter presents options for rethinking and communicating animal policies to protect and promote wellness for all library patrons and suggests considering a responsive approach to educating users about library policies in order to help protect the rights of people with service animals, while also promoting a welcoming environment that supports student success, health, and wellness. The chapter includes a case study of the successful therapy dog program at the Montana State University (MSU) Library and shares educational handouts outlining the definitions and distinctions between service animals, therapy animals, and comfort animals (also called emotional support animals, or ESAs). The case study examines unintended and correlated impacts of the program, including an increase in people bringing pets into the library, and how challenges such as underprepared employees and unclear policies and procedures were addressed at the MSU Library.