Policy 314: Animals on Campus

Category: Facilities
Covered Individuals: Faculty / Staff / Students / Volunteers
Approved: 2019-10-09

314.1 Policy

The college recognizes that wild animals may frequent or select the CEI campus grounds as their habitat, and that owners of domestic animals may occasionally bring their pets to certain public areas of the campus. This policy is intended to protect the CEI community from hazards associated with or caused by wild and domestic animals, and to optimize the safety and health of faculty, staff, students, and visitors.

Animals, other than trained service animals, are not allowed in campus buildings.

This policy does not apply to animals related to any instructional and/or research activity. This policy does not apply to animal training classes sponsored by the college where animals are under the supervision of the instructor and the class participants.

Exceptions may be made to this policy on a case-by-case basis as required by applicable law.

Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

314.2 Definitions

• Wild animals: non-domesticated animals living in their natural habitat.
• Pets: animals sufficiently tame to live with a family and are kept and cared for as companions.
• Service animals: According to the ADA, a service animal is any dog that is individually trained to
• do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Service animals are working animals, not pets.
• Support/comfort animals: animals that provide emotional or other support that ameliorates one or more identified symptoms or effects of a person's disability. Unlike service animals, support/comfort animals are not required to be trained to perform work or tasks and are not afforded the legal protections of service animals.

314.3 Procedures

Wild Animals

Community members are expected take reasonable precautions when encountering wild animals and may not feed or otherwise disturb them.

Community members should immediately notify security to report wild animals on campus that pose any threat.

Pets

Members of the CEI community and visitors to the campus are generally permitted to bring their pets to public outdoor areas of the campus. Pets are only allowed outdoors; they are prohibited from all college buildings. All pets must be under control at all times. Pets may not be tethered to a tree or structure or left unattended for any period of time. For safety and humane reasons, animals should not be left unattended in any vehicle on campus for extended periods of time.

Owners must immediately clean up after their animals and ensure the animals' behavior does not cause a nuisance or harm to individuals or CEI property. Owners are responsible for any damage or injury caused by their pets. The college is not liable for harm to pets while on campus. Any pet brought to public outdoor areas of the campus must be licensed and inoculated in accordance with City of Idaho Falls regulations.

Further questions, assistance in enforcing this policy, or reports of an animal that poses a threat or is otherwise disruptive may be directed to security.

Any individual bitten by an animal on campus should immediately contact security.

Service Animals

College of Eastern Idaho provides equal access and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities to participate in any program, service, or opportunity provided by the college, and complies with applicable laws related to service animals.

Service animals are permitted to accompany their owners in all areas of campus where community members and visitors are allowed to go. Exclusions of service animals are determined on an individualized basis and when one or more of the following conditions exists:

• The animal is disruptive and not effectively controlled
• The animal is not housebroken
• The animal's presence, behavior, or actions pose an unreasonable or direct threat to property and/or the health and safety of others (including inappropriate hygiene and cleanliness)
• The animal may be in danger

The college is not responsible for the care or supervision of animals. Individuals are responsible for:

• Complying with City of Idaho Falls licensing requirements
• Following the veterinarian's care recommendations and vaccinations for the animal
• The control and reasonable behavior of the animal at all times
• The animal's appropriate hygiene and cleanliness
• The immediate clean-up and proper disposal of all animal waste

Emotional Support/Comfort Animals

Emotional support/comfort animals are not considered service animals under this policy or applicable law. Emotional support/comfort animals are not permitted in college buildings and must follow the guidelines for pets on campus.

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