MARSHALL — This week, Lyon County Commissioners discussed updating policies on allowing service animals in buildings like the Lyon County Government Center. Commissioners voted to approve a draft policy prohibiting animals inside county facilities, except for service animals or law enforcement animals.

“We had a couple of questions, both from staff and tenants, about what the county policy is for bringing animals into the building,” Lyon County Administrator Loren Stomberg said. Past county policy had prohibited pets in the building. “But as we know, things change. There are people that have service dogs, companion animals, that type of thing.”

For commissioners, some of the big questions about the proposed policy included how to define and identify service animals.

“Within the state, are there any laws on what we are obligated to allow or not?” Commissioner Paul Graupmann said.

“We are obligated to allow legitimate service animals,” Stomberg said. “A service animal would be defined as an animal that’s been trained to do some particular task for their owner. The most common (example) is a seeing eye dog. I know there are other animals that are trained to detect seizures, and things of that nature.”

Stomberg presented commissioners with a draft policy on animals in county buildings, that was adapted from a policy used by Isanti County.

The draft policy defined a service animal as a dog that has been trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The draft policy also said that the tasks a service animal performs need to be directly related to a person’s disability.

The policy said a miniature horse could also qualify as a service animal if the horse was trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The miniature horse would also need to meet other requirements like being housebroken and being under “sufficient control” by its handler.

Pets or therapy animals would not be allowed in county facilities, the draft policy said.

Commissioners had other questions, including whether the county could require a service animal have some form of identification.

Stomberg said county employees are legally limited as to what they can ask about a service animal. “There’s only two questions that staff can ask, and that is if the animal is required because of a disability, and what work or task that animal is trained to perform,” he said.

The draft policy also said county employees couldn’t ask about a person’s disability, or require medical or training documentation.

Stomberg said signage allowing service animals would be placed at designated Lyon County buildings accessed by the public.

The policy on animals in county facilities did make an exception for the Lyon County fairgrounds, because animals are shown at the county fair.

Commissioners voted to approve the proposed service animal policy.