Therapy Animal Event: DSS-0002
Effective Date: April 23, 2019
Last Revision Date: April 23, 2019
Therapy Animal Event
I. Purpose of the Policy
Therapy Animals are restricted on the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus (as described in this policy) in order to provide a safe and healthy environment for all members of the campus community. This policy provides general provisions and guidelines for Therapy Animals that are brought to the UCSC Campus specifically for an approved UCSC Therapy Animal event. All units that want to host an event with Therapy Animals must coordinate as per this policy.
II. Definitions
Animal Creating a Nuisance: An animal that is creating a nuisance is repeatedly exhibiting behavior that is disturbing, detrimental to, or interfering with the activities of people in the vicinity. Nuisance behaviors include but are not limited to frequent barking or other noises, being at large (off leash) in the community, especially in other campus residents’ yards, or damaging private property through digging, chewing, etc.
Animal Handler: An individual who is responsible for and in control of a Therapy Animal. This person has been screened by the Therapy Animal organization and is registered as the handler of a specific animal. This person may or may not be the animal’s owner.
Animal Posing a Health Risk: An animal that is incontinent or not housebroken, flea infested or has other transmittable parasites.
Animal Posing a Threat: An animal whose behavior is perceived as threatening the safety of other people or animals. Threatening behaviors include but are not limited to baring teeth with ears back, growling, snapping, biting or nipping, scratching, jumping up and knocking a person off balance or down, and chasing people or other animals.
Approved Therapy Animal Organization: A Therapy Animal Organization that has been vetted and approved by the Dean of Students Office; this approval may be rescinded at any time. Therapy Animal Organizations that would like to apply for approval to participate in campus events may contact the Dean of Students Office.
Non-research Animal: Any animal, either personally owned or wild, in the possession of, or under the control of, or brought onto university property by any academic appointee, staff, student, or visitor of UCSC that is not an approved Research Animal as defined in this policy.
Onsite Host: A UCSC representative who is in charge at the Therapy Animal event. Duties include planning for and overseeing the event, contacting registered Animal Handlers, supervising event volunteers, and submitting a final list of Animal Handlers/Therapy Animals for the event.
Principal Officer: The Dean, Unit Head, Associate or Assistant Vice Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, or Vice Provost for the respective unit or division.
Registered Therapy Animal: A Therapy Animal that is currently registered with one of the Approved Therapy Animal Organizations. The registration process must include the handler submitting a detailed application to the certifying organization, which includes proof of current vaccinations and annual health screenings. As part of the certification process, the animal must have an in-person, behavioral assessment by a professional, impartial evaluator.
Research Animal: Any animal used in university research, teaching, testing, or experimentation that has been approved by and is overseen by the appropriate university authorities as specified in the IACUC Policies and Guidelines.
Service Animal: 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, unless otherwise provided by law. The work or tasks performed by a Service Animal must be directly related to the individual's disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors.
Sponsor: The UCSC unit or department that will hold a Therapy Animal event. A representative in the sponsoring department must submit an application (as specified in the Therapy Animal Procedures DSS-0002) to hold the event, secure an Onsite Host and do the advertising for the event.
Support Animal: Animals that individuals with disabilities utilize for emotional support, well-being, or comfort. Because they are not individually trained to perform work or tasks, Support Animals are not Service Animals.
Therapy Animal: Any animal that has been trained and certified to reliably provide affection and comfort to individuals or groups of people in stressful situations. A Therapy Animal’s primary job is to allow unfamiliar people to make physical contact with it and to respond positively to that contact. Therapy Animals and their owners/handlers participate in events/therapy in a variety of settings with people who may or may not have a disability. A Therapy Animal is usually the personal pet of the person handling the animal at the event. Therapy Animals are not exempt from pet-restricted housing rules. See Section III.A.4 for Therapy Animal species permitted at UCSC.
Therapy Animal Contact: The UCSC contact, based in the Student Volunteer Center under the Dean of Students, who is in charge of keeping a master calendar of Therapy Animal events, maintaining an Animal Handler directory, keeping Animal Handler registration records, contacting the Approved Therapy Animal Organizations, and keeping records on Therapy Animal events, including the final list of Animal Handler attendees. This individual may also act as the Onsite Host at Therapy Animal events.
UC Santa Cruz Campus: All land owned, leased or otherwise controlled by UCSC such as buildings, grounds, parking lots, and all developed and undeveloped lands.
III. Detailed Policy Statement
- Registered Therapy Animals are permitted on campus on a leash, with their registered handler, only during approved Therapy Animal events (see Therapy Animal Event Procedures DSS-0002).
- Only Therapy Animals that are currently registered with UCSC and one of the UCSC-approved organizations will be permitted to participate in Therapy Animal events (see Therapy Animal Event Procedures DSS-0002 for a list of Approved Therapy Animal Organizations).
- All Therapy Animal events must be held in accordance with the Therapy Animal Event Procedures DSS-0002.
- No species of animal other than dogs will be permitted to participate in
Therapy Animal events on campus.
IV. Getting Help
For more details on arranging and holding Therapy Animal events, see the Therapy Animal Event procedures (DSS-0002).
| If you need help with ... |
Contact ... |
| ...obtaining forms for approval of a Therapy Animal event at UCSC |
Therapy Animal Contact, Student Volunteer Center, 459-3363, volunteer@ucsc.edu, |
| ...submitting a complaint about a Therapy Animal or event on campus |
Garrett Naiman, Dean of Students, 459-4466, deanofstudents@ucsc.edu |
| ...reporting a Therapy Animal that is posing an imminent threat | Call 911 |
|
...general questions about the policy and procedures
|
Garrett Naiman, Dean of Students, 459-4466, deanofstudents@ucsc.edu |
V. Applicability and Authority
This policy applies to all academic appointees, staff, contractors, students, and visitors on the UCSC campus.
This policy is in addition to the Non-research Animals policy BAS-0002, dated 7/24/2015 and the Service/Support Animals policy BAS-0001, dated 4/9/2014.
The Vice Provost for Student Success is the campus authority for the Therapy Animal policy, with implementation and enforcement authority delegated to the Dean of Students. This policy was reviewed and approved by Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Tromp on 4/23/2019. This policy will be reviewed every five years.
VI. Related Policies/References
Implementation Procedures
Related Forms
Appendix A: Application for Approval to Hold a Therapy Animal Event
Appendix B: Annual Application to Participate in Therapy Animal Events at UC Santa Cruz
Related Policies and Procedures
Non-Research Animal policy and procedures (BAS-0002)
Service/Support Animals policy and procedures (DSS-0003)
References
Santa Cruz City Municipal Code, Title 8, Animals
Santa Cruz County Code, Vol. 1, Title 6, Animals
ADA Definition of Service Animal
UC Santa Cruz Policy
Vice Provost for Student Success
padgett@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-1804
Therapy Animal Event: DSS-0002
Effective Date: April 23, 2019
Last Revision Date: April 23, 2019
Therapy Animal Event Procedures
I. Overview
These procedures address Therapy Animals on the University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) campus and include the process for arranging and obtaining approval for Therapy Animal events, guidelines for Therapy Animal events, procedures for filing complaints/reporting policy violations, and relevant authorities and contacts for assistance. Please see the Therapy Animal Event Policy DSS-0002 for definitions and information on where to get help.
II. Procedure Details
A. Guidelines for Therapy Animals
- Registered Therapy Animals, as defined in the Therapy Animal Event Policy DSS-0002, may be permitted on the UCSC campus as a part of an approved Therapy Animal event. UCSC will only consider permitting Therapy Animal events involving Therapy Animals currently registered with one of the following UCSC-approved Therapy Animal Organizations.
- The care, supervision, and well-being of a Therapy Animal on campus is the sole responsibility of the Animal Handler at all times. Animal Handlers on campus must take responsibility for meeting all of the following requirements that apply:
- Therapy Animals must be currently registered with one of the abovelisted Approved Therapy Animal Organizations.
- Therapy dogs must have a current preventative rabies vaccination prior to the first arrival on campus.
- Therapy Animals must wear a collar or harness with an identification tag bearing the Animal Handler’s name and phone number. An animal found without proper identification will be considered a stray and may be taken to a local animal shelter.
- Therapy Animals must be on a leash and under the supervision and control of their handler at all times when on UCSC property or at a UCSC-sponsored event. If an animal exhibits behavior that is perceived to be a threat, health risk, or nuisance (as defined in Therapy Animal Event Policy DSS-0002), the handler must take immediate effective action to correct the situation and may be asked to remove the animal from campus immediately.
- Therapy Animal waste must be cleaned up promptly; feces bagged and disposed of in an outdoor trash container.
Application Process
- Before submitting an application, the applicant/primary contact must ask the Therapy Animal Contact (volunteer@ucsc.edu) to add the proposed Therapy Animal event to the Therapy Animal event master calendar.
- Requests for permission for a Therapy Animal event must be submitted at least one month prior to the event (two months is recommended). An individual from the sponsoring unit must complete an Application for Approval to Hold a Therapy Animal Event, which requires signature approval from the sponsoring division’s principal officer. Once approved, a copy of the signed form is given to the applicant. The approved application and any other event-related documentation will be retained by the Therapy Animal Contact.
Procedures
There must be one Onsite Host per Therapy Animal event. The Onsite Host may also be the Therapy Animal Contact.
There must be at least two event volunteers to assist the Onsite Host.
- Identifying a suitable area where Therapy Animals and visitors can comfortably interact with each other
- Directing volunteers with event setup, management, and clean up
- Interacting with Animal Handlers
- Directing visitor crowd flow and generally keeping the event running smoothly
- Providing a water source for the animals
- Helping with event setup, management, and clean up
- Keeping waiting visitors outside of the event area
- Managing crowd flow and other duties as assigned
- As soon as the event has been approved, the Therapy Animal Contact will email currently registered handlers an invitation to participate in the event.
- Plan to have at least five therapy dogs for every hundred attendees and allow at least 5-10 square feet per dog.
- Contact the Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) Event parking office to arrange parking for Animal Handlers. It is recommended that Animal Handlers be provided with parking permits by the hosting department.
- A week before the event, the Therapy Animal Contact should email the Onsite Host a list of handlers registered for the event. The Therapy Animal Contact should also send an email to cbcabria@ucsc.edu in the campus Police Department notifying them of the date, time, and location of the event.
- Five days prior to the event, the Onsite Host should send an email requesting animal handlers to confirm their attendance. The email should also include instructions for Animal Handlers. The email must also provide an electronic copy of the signed Event Approval Form, which each
participant should have with them (in electronic or hard copy) at the event. - Three days prior to the event, the Onsite Host should post signs announcing the day/time of the event and that the area will need to be cleared for the event.
The Day of the Event
The Onsite Host should have a list of all animals and handlers scheduled to attend the event and mark any that did not participate. Animals and handlers that are not on this list may not participate in the event.
- Block off an adequate area where the Therapy Animal teams will meet with visitors during the event. Identify a waiting area and entry point for visitors.
- Identify an area outside of the event area where animals can take a break.
- No food (including treats) or toys (especially squeaky toys) are allowed during Therapy Animal events.
After the Event
- The event site should be returned to its original condition (furniture in place, pet hair removed, litter disposed of etc.).
- The Onsite Host should update the list of event participants and note any handlers/animals that did not attend. This final list should be submitted to the Therapy Animal Contact.
- The Therapy Animal Contact must retain all documentation regarding the event according to the UC records retention schedule.
In the interest of the health and safety of our campus community, UCSC strongly encourages anyone who perceives a Therapy Animal on campus to be a threat, health risk, or nuisance to report this to the appropriate campus authorities specified below.
If the animal appears to pose an imminent threat to personal safety, such as biting or causing panic/major disruption, call 911. In the event of a bite, the police may also need to contact Animal Control.
For a complaint during a Therapy Animal event, notify the Onsite Host immediately. To submit a complaint after an event has concluded, please contact the Dean of Students office. Complaints should be made as soon as possible after an incident and should include any available photos/videos or other supporting evidence.
UCSC may require the owner of an approved Therapy Animal to remove their animal from campus for the following reasons:
- Posing a Threat: If the animal’s behavior is perceived as threatening the safety of other people or animals. Threatening behaviors include but are not limited to baring teeth with ears back, growling, snapping, biting, or nipping, scratching, jumping up and knocking a person off balance or down, and chasing people or other animals.
- Posing a Health Risk: If the animal is incontinent or not housebroken, is flea infested or has other transmittable parasites.
- Creating a Nuisance: If the animal is repeatedly exhibiting behavior that is disturbing, detrimental to, or interfering with people in the vicinity. Nuisance behaviors include but are not limited to frequent barking, being at large (off leash) in the community, especially in other campus residents’ yards, or damaging private property through digging, chewing, etc.
UCSC will require the removal from the campus of any unapproved Therapy Animals (including non-canine species).
Conflicts regarding approved animals and individuals with severe allergies, phobias, etc. will be addressed on a case-by-case basis.
III. Getting Help
| If you need help with ... |
Contact ... |
| ...obtaining forms for approval of a Therapy Animal event at UCSC |
Therapy Animal Contact, Student Volunteer Center, 459-3363, volunteer@ucsc.edu, |
| ...submitting a complaint about a Therapy Animal or event on campus |
Garrett Naiman, Dean of Students, 459-4466, deanofstudents@ucsc.edu |
| ...reporting a Therapy Animal that is posing an imminent threat | Call 911 |
|
...general questions about the policy and procedures
|
Garrett Naiman, Dean of Students, 459-4466, deanofstudents@ucsc.edu |
IV. Applicability and Authority
These procedures apply to all academic appointees, staff, contractors, students, and visitors on the UCSC campus.
The Vice Provost for Student Success is the campus authority for the Therapy Animal Event Procedures, with implementation and enforcement authority Delegated to the Dean of Students.
These procedures were reviewed and approved by Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Tromp on April 23, 2019. This policy will be reviewed every five years.
V. related Policies/References for More Information
Related Policies and Procedures
Therapy Animal Event Policy (DSS-0002)
Non-research Animal Policy (BAS-0002)
Non-research Animal Procedures (BAS-0002)
Service/Support Animal Policy (DSS-0003)
Service/Support Animal Procedures (DSS-0003)
Appendices
Appendix A: Annual Application to Participate in Therapy Animal Events at UC Santa Cruz
Appendix B: Application for Approval to Hold a Therapy Animal Event
UCSC Procedures
Vice Provost for Student Success
padgett@ucsc.edu, (831) 459-1804
