The College prohibits staff, faculty, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers from taking pets into any College building or facility.
Animals are restricted on the Ithaca College campus to provide a safe and a healthful environment for members of the campus community to study, work and live, to preserve the flora, fauna, and natural beauty of the campus, to protect research projects being carried out on campus lands, to comply with local animal ordinances, and to ensure public safety. Pets can pose a threat to the health and safety of the campus community as well as to a healthful educational environment through allergy, excessive noise, animal bites, and disease transmission (fleas, ticks, viruses, parasites, etc.). Individuals with disabilities are at particular risk. In addition to the potential for pets to cause health hazards, animals can be unpredictable, have uncontrollable behavior and can contribute to accidents in the workplace.
All members of the campus community are required to comply with all aspects of this policy. Employees and students who fail to comply or who interfere with the implementation of this policy, including relocation of animals, will be subject to corrective or disciplinary action.
This Ithaca College pet policy is applicable to all staff, faculty, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers who access campus buildings, facilities, grounds, campuses, and property. This policy applies not only to dogs but also to other common animals including birds, cats, mice, gerbils, amphibians, reptiles, and ferrets.
The College may require any person with a pet to remove the animal from campus grounds. The campus community is required to abide by this policy and by the relevant local government laws and ordinances regarding dog and cat management.
In the event of a visitor who is not a regular member of the campus community brings a pet to the campus, these animals are prohibited from all College buildings. If a person enters College grounds with a pet, they shall ensure that the pet under their control remains restrained on a leash 6 feet or less at all times, will not be left fastened to stationery objects, and will be under effective control while on campus grounds. Any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be licensed and fully inoculated in accordance with Tompkins County regulations, with the burden of proof on the owner. Fecal matter deposited by any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be removed immediately and disposed of properly by the owner.
The burden is on the animal user to arrange for removal of fecal matter if he or she is personally unable to perform the task. Animal owners are financially responsible for any damage caused by their pets.
• Animals used for approved research and teaching purposes.
• Service animals***, performing their duties, such as guide dogs for the blind.
• Service animals-in-training participating in Ithaca College's approved programs.
• Residence Hall Directors in their personal apartment in accordance with their employment agreement within Student Affairs and Campus Life.
• On-duty police dogs.
• Fish in containers of less than 10 gallons.
***Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animal means 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. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. In addition, animals that serve solely to provide emotional support, comfort or companionship are also not included in this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler's disability.
ResponsibilitiesService Animal Owners/Handlers:
- Any Ithaca College employee who seeks permission for a service animal as a reasonable accommodation for a disability should contact the Office of Human Resources. The College will determine on a case-by-case basis, and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, whether such animal is a reasonable accommodation on campus.
- Service animals may not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others and will be removed if its continued presence is disruptive or would result in substantial damage to the property of others.
- Where a person enters College grounds with a service animal, they shall ensure that the animal under their control remains restrained on a leash 6 feet or less at all times, must not be left fastened to stationery objects, and under effective control while on campus grounds. Any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be licensed and fully inoculated in accordance with Tompkins County regulations, with the burden of proof on the owner. Fecal matter deposited by any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be removed immediately and disposed of properly by the owner. The burden is on the animal user to arrange for removal of fecal matter if he or she is personally unable to perform the task.
- Service animal owners are financially responsible for any damage caused by their pets.
Residence Hall Directors:
- Must have an approved employment agreement with Student Affairs and Campus Life.
- Animals may not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others and will be removed if its continued presence is disruptive or would result in substantial damage to the property of others.
- They shall ensure that the animal under their control remains restrained on a leash 6 feet or less at all times, must not be left fastened to stationery objects, and under effective control while on campus grounds. Any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be licensed and fully inoculated in accordance with Tompkins County regulations, with the burden of proof on the owner. Fecal matter deposited by any dog, cat, or other animal brought to campus must be removed immediately and disposed of properly by the owner. The burden is on the animal user to arrange for removal of fecal matter if he or she is personally unable to perform the task.
- Animal owners are financially responsible for any damage caused by their pets.
Added: June 1, 2011