Journey Community Church
NO ANIMALS ON CAMPUS
(Revised April 29, 2020)
Journey Community Church (Journey) is a recognized religious institution which is exempt from the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is not required to allow Service Animals or Emotional Support Animals into any of its facilities. Moreover, while Journey desires to be as inclusive as possible, Journey is committed to protecting the spiritual, mental, and physical health of all those who worship with us as well as those who support this ministry as staff and volunteers. Therefore, except as provided below, Journey does not permit Service Animals, Emotional Support Animals, pets, or other animals anywhere on Journey’s campus. This includes the interior spaces of its buildings including, among other spaces, Journey’s Food Bank and Twice Treasured thrift store, as well as its parking lots, walk-ways, sidewalks, and open areas.
Policy of Limited Exceptions.
Journey may, but is not required to, permit Service Dogs on its campus on a case by case basis with the prior approval of the Operations Director or Operations Pastor.
This exception applies only to “Service Dogs.” According to the ADA these are “dogs that are 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.” The work or tasks that may be performed by a Service Dog include, but may not be limited to, the following:
1. assisting people who are blind;
2. alerting people who are deaf;
3. pulling a wheelchair;
4. alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure;
5. reminding a person with an illness to take prescribed medications; or
6. calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack.
To qualify as a Service Dog, the work or task the dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the owner’s disability. Other animals, including dogs, whose function is to provide comfort or emotional support for their owners do not qualify as Service Dogs under the ADA and therefore are not allowed.
Rules for the Case by Case Admission of Service Dogs on Campus.
Service Dogs may be permitted on Journey’s campus on a case by case basis subject to the rules below. If a dog does not obviously qualify as a Service Dog, a Journey staff member may ask two questions of the owner:
1. Is this dog providing work or a task because of the owner’s disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
If the answers to these questions bring the dog within the ADA’s definition of a Service Dog, the dog may accompany the owner onto the campus, subject to the following strictly enforceable rules:
1. The Service Dog must remain with its owner at all times.
2. The Service Dog must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered unless it obviously interferes with the dog’s work or tasking, in which case the owner must maintain control of the dog through voice, signal, or other effective means.
3. If the Service Dog is allowed inside any building, the Service Dog must not be shedding, or lie, sit or stand on furniture inside the building.
4. The Service Dog must not cause distractions, whine, bark, grumble, or make other noises unless the noise is an alert to notify the owner of a circumstance needing the owner’s attention.
5. The Service Dog must not defecate, or emit unpleasant odors or bodily fluids such as vomit, saliva, urine, or blood, while on Journey’s campus. Owners are strictly responsible to clean up their Service Dogs’ deposits on Journey’s campus whether inside or outside any building.
6. The Service Dog must not obstruct vehicle or pedestrian movement or seating.
If a Service Dog appears to be in violation of the above rules, a staff member may ask the owner to immediately remove it from Journey’s campus and the owner will promptly and courteously comply with the request.
