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Animal Policy

General Animal Policy (Not Service Animals)

The care and feeding of stray animals on campus is prohibited. While an effort is made to protect wildlife on our campus personal contact with wild or stray domesticated animals can pose a health risk. Report stray animals to the Facilities Department who will notify Animal Control for removal if necessary.

Except outlined below, no person shall bring an animal onto campus.


Exceptions

The administration may make exceptions to these regulations for special circumstances:

  • These regulations do not apply to service animals.  Campus visitors with service animals may access all public facilities.  Nonpublic areas include, but are not limited to, classrooms, laboratories and learning labs.  Students with service animals must contact The Center for Student Accessibility.
  • These regulations do not apply to animals used by law enforcement or emergency personnel in the exercise of their official duties.
  • These regulations do not apply to animals used in academic programs for teaching or research.

If applicable, all animals brought onto campus must be vaccinated and/or licensed as required by state or local laws.


Animals at Public Gatherings
Except as provided for above, animals are not allowed to be brought to any public gathering held on campus such as, but not limited to, sporting events, outdoor concerts, demonstrations or exhibits.


Impoundment
Any animal on campus in violation of these regulations may be impounded by proper authority.



Service Animal Policy

This policy provides the College community with guidelines for the use of service animals on campus. Palm Beach State College adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and is committed to insuring that students, employees and visitors with disabilities who rely on service animals are able to access all public areas, benefit from employment opportunities, attend classes, and participate in campus activities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service animal as a dog or a miniature horse 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. The work or task performed must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Tasks may include, but are not limited to, guiding individuals with impaired vision, alerting individuals with impaired hearing to sounds, retrieving dropped items, or pulling a wheelchair.

Although a dog’s companionship may offer comfort or emotional support, this in and of itself does not qualify as “work” or a “trained task” under the ADA. Comfort dogs are not permitted on campus.

 

Primary contacts for information or guidance:

 

Responsibility of individual with a service animal
  • The animal must be licensed and in compliance as required by Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control Ordinance 98-22.
  • The individual must provide proper care and supervision of the animal.
  • The dog must be on a leash, harness or tether at all times unless such use prevents the performance of the necessary task. In this situation the animal must be otherwise under control (e.g. by voice control, signals, etc.).
  • The individual is required to clean up if the animal defecates on campus and properly dispose of the waste by placing it in a plastic bag and depositing it in a trash receptacle.
Responsibility of faculty and staff
  • Do not distract or interact with the animal in any way without the permission of the person who is being assisted.
  • Allow service animals to accompany the person they are assisting and do not attempt to separate them.
  • Clarify the animal’s status ONLY if there is a compelling reason to believe that the animal is NOT a service animal. In that instance, it is permissible to make two inquiries to establish the animal’s status: 1) Is the animal required because of a disability? And 2) What work or task has the animal been trained to perform? If the individual’s responses do not clarify the concern, refer the issue to the appropriate staff member for review. The designated primary contact will investigate the concern and consult with appropriate college personnel to determine a course of action.
Exclusion from campus
The College may impose some restrictions or exclude a service animal from campus if
the animal is not housebroken, is unruly or disruptive, or poses a direct threat to health
and safety of others. Situations are considered on a case-by-case basis through the
office of the ADA/504 Coordinator in consultation with other officials of the College. If
an animal is excluded from campus, the appropriate point of contact will work to ensure
the individual receives appropriate accommodations in place of the use of a service
animal. An individual who does not agree with the resolution may file a complaint or
grievance in accordance with college policy.
Conflicting disabilities
Persons with medical conditions that are affected by proximity to an animal should contact either the Campus Student Accessibility Manager (if a student) or
Human Resources Director & Equity Officer (if an employee) and provide medical documentation to support their claim and the request for accommodation. Resolution
of the complaint will be handled on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration the needs of both parties.
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