A Animal Assistants
The costs to secure and maintain professionally trained service animals for assisting participants with a disability in performing normal living activities are ALLOWABLE for NA ONLY.
Animal assistants include, but are not limited to the following:
●Seeing-eye animals
●Hearing-ear animals
NOTE This does not include watchdogs used only for protection.
A service animal is defined as a animal that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. To determine if the service animal meets the requirements ask the customer to provide a statement with ONLY the following two questions:
●Is the service animal required because of a disability
●What work or task has the animal been trained to perform
Staff CANNOT do any of the following:
●Ask the person’s disability
●Require medical documentation
●Require a special identification card or training documentation for the animal
●Ask that the animal demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task
It is NOT a requirement that a physician or medical professional prescribe the need for the animal when the participant meets the NA disability requirements.
Maintenance costs include the following:
●Purchase of animal food
●Veterinary services
●Kennel fees
●Training
NOTE Breeding and whelping fees are not deductible.
Key the expense on EXPC using the ME Expense Code.