A handler may be given limited approval to bring an animal that provides therapy or otherwise provides a benefit to the college and its members to the IC campus. This access may be limited to a specific time and place with appropriate restrictions set by the division, risk management, and legal affairs, who are responsible for the approval.
Exception 4: Therapy or Program Animals
Therapy or program animals are those that provide therapy or otherwise provide benefit to the college and its members.
Hosting Program or Therapy Animals on Campus
Qualifying Animals
- Program animals must be limited to commonly domesticated animals and those that will not result in a direct threat to campus (e.g., venomous animals).
- Inherently dangerous or wild animals shall not be permitted in any program on campus.
- Program animals shall be screened to eliminate those that exhibit aggressiveness, signs of illness, or other types of poor behavior.
- Newborn animals are rarely appropriate for programs as they generally cannot meet behavior or safety expectations.
- Animals featured in programs, events, or exhibits must be under the care and control of a qualified owner or handler, and are only permitted on campus through the authorized invitation of a College employee.
Examples of therapy or program animals include therapy llamas and police response animals, as well as Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) puppies in housing while they are not actively training.
Procedures for hosting program animals or therapy animals
Hosting program or therapy animals on campus can create an additional risk to humans, therefore all applicable procedures and requirements must be followed.
Requests to host therapy or program animals on campus must be initiated through the Contract Review Request Form, which is reviewed by the Contract Review Team. The request form must be submitted at least four weeks in advance of the proposed event. The Vice President for Student Affairs and Campus Life will be notified prior to finalization of all requests that come through the Contract Review process.
Requirements for Therapy or Program Animals
Required Documentation
Owners and/or handlers must provide verification that all animals have had their required shots including—but not limited to—vaccinations, that those shots are up to date, and that the animals are free of communicable diseases or pests.
College employees are responsible for requesting any appropriate licensure or certification of the person or entity who owns and handles each visiting animal.
Insurance Requirements
In addition, owners and/or handlers must provide:
- Evidence of comprehensive automobile liability insurance covering all owned, non-owned, and hired vehicles with limits of liability not less than $1,000,000 combined single limit each occurrence for bodily injury and property damage and $1,000,000 aggregate.
- Evidence of workers' compensation policies, including Coverage B Employer's Liability, in full compliance with the Worker's Compensation Laws of the State of New York and all states where the work is performed or in which a claim shall be presented. If the employer is located or resides outside the State of New York, the certificate must evidence the policy coverage applies to All States.
- Evidence of commercial general liability insurance coverage with limits of at least $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate.
- All insurance carriers shall be licensed in the State of New York, acceptable to Ithaca College, and with a minimum rating of "A" Class VIII in Best's Key Rating Guide published by A.M. Best and Company, Inc.
- Each insurance policy required to be provided—with the exception of the Worker's Compensation and Employer's Liability—shall be endorsed to name as additional insured Ithaca College, their directors, members, officers, employees, students, and all other persons or entities as may be reasonably required by Ithaca College.
- A Certificate of Insurance, evidencing the required coverage, must be provided prior to the event and reviewed by the college Office of Risk Management. Information about where to submit the documentation can be found on the Risk Management website.
When the Animals are On-Site
Supervision
- Program animals must be under effective control of an appropriately qualified handler at all times to provide environments that are safe and healthy for both visitors and animals during their interactions.
- A readily identifiable college employee must be present at all times during the program.
Facilities
- The animal owner and/or handler is responsible for all set up and clean up of the space(s) where the animals are to be hosted.
- Program animals shall be kept in an appropriate environment, which may include cages or fencing, with a qualified animal handler present at all times.
- Access to the animal areas should be clearly defined and controlled (with barriers, fencing, signage, etc.) to separate them from non-animal areas.
- If public feeding of the animals is permitted, the food must be provided by the animal facility/owner and shall be appropriate for the type of animal and its nutritional needs and diet.
- Animals will be provided adequate potable water on the premises at all times.
- Animal waste shall be removed promptly. All waste removal tools must be provided by the owner and/or handler and must be confined to areas restricted from public access. Waste must be removed from the campus or disposed of in an appropriate (and approved) campus receptacle.
- To reduce the chance of disease transmission, a means for participants to wash and/or sanitize their hands will be provided immediately adjacent to the place where the animals will be hosted. Participants should not have to enter buildings or touch surfaces to access these resources. Hand sanitizing can be accomplished with portable hand-wash stations, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and/or anti-bacterial hand wipes.