Animal Policy

  1. Policy Statement

    The University of Evansville strives to maintain safe and welcoming facilities for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Animals on campus pose a special set of challenges for a campus that has residential, instructional, and recreational spaces used by a variety of people. The guidelines for bringing animals onto campus have been designed to balance the interests of animal owners with those of other members of our community.

  2. Scope & Audience

    This policy applies to employees, students, visitors, contractors, and applicants for admission to or employment with the University.

  3. Definitions

    Service Animal – By current Federal regulations, 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. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to the following:

    • 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
    • Pulling a wheelchair
    • Alerting and protecting individuals during a seizure
    • Alerting individuals to the presence of allergens
    • Alerting individuals when blood sugar reaches high or low levels
    • Retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone
    • Providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities
    • Assisting individuals with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors
    • Providing non-violent protection or rescue work

    Emotional Support Animal – Animals that provide a sense of safety, companionship or comfort to individuals with psychiatric or emotional disabilities or conditions. Although these animals may provide therapeutic benefit, they are not considered service animals under Federal regulations.

    Other Animal – Any animal not otherwise specified as a service animal or emotional support animal.

    University Housing – Includes all residence halls, townhouses, village properties rented to students, employees, or others, and fraternity housing.

    Campus Building – Includes all academic, administrative, and athletic facilities.

  4. General Requirements

    1. All animals must be in compliance with applicable laws concerning animal vaccination and licensing requirements.
    2. An animal must not be out of control and the handler must take effective action to control the animal. Under control, also means that the animal should not be allowed to bark repeatedly in a manner that disrupts the campus community environment.
    3. The animal must be housebroken, and the animal's behavior, and presence must not create an unmanageable disturbance or interference with the University community.
    4. The animal cannot cause physical damage to the property of the University or others and cannot pose a direct threat to the safety of others.
    5. The resident is required to clean up after and properly dispose of the animal's waste in a safe and sanitary manner. The resident is required to ensure the animal is well cared for at all times. Evidence of mistreatment and abuse may result in removal of the animal from campus.
    6. The resident may be charged for any damage caused by the animal beyond reasonable wear and tear to the same extent that the University charges others for damages beyond reasonable wear and tear.
    7. Animals may not be left overnight in University Housing to be cared for by any individual other than the resident who owns the animal. The resident is responsible for ensuring that the animal is contained, as appropriate, when the resident is not present while attending classes or other activities.
    8. The resident agrees to abide by equally applicable residential policies that are unrelated to the resident's disability, such as assuring that the animal does not unduly interfere with routine activities of other residents or cause difficulties for individuals who reside there.
    9. University employees shall not be required to provide care or food for any animal including, but not limited to, removing the animal during emergency evacuation for events such as a fire alarm. Emergency responders will determine whether to remove the animal and may not be held responsible for the care, damage to, or loss of the animal.
    10. The Office of Public Safety should be contacted when Other Animals are found not to be in compliance with this policy.
    11. Except as specifically provided below, animals that do not meet these criteria, or who act in other disruptive ways, will not be allowed to remain on campus.

  5. Service Animals

    Service animals are allowed in University Housing and Campus Buildings. A service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal's work or the individual's disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the individual must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. If the requirements set out in IV and V cannot be met, the University will discuss this with the individual before taking any action to remove the animal, unless immediate action is required to protect the health and safety of the individual or others.

  6. Emotional Support Animals

    1. Emotional Support Animals in University Housing
      On the written verification of a licensed mental health professional that the animal provides support that alleviates at least one of the identified symptoms or effects of an existing disability, a resident may keep an emotional support animal in University Housing if approved through the Office of Disability Services and registered with the Office of Residence Life. The Office of Residence Life will consider the needs of roommates, apartment-mates, and residents of a floor when making room assignments with regard to residents with approved emotional support animals.

      The animal is allowed in University Housing only as long as it is necessary because of the resident's disability. The resident must notify the Office of Residence Life in writing if the animal is no longer needed or is no longer in residence.

    2. Emotional Support Animals in Campus Buildings
      Emotional support animals are not allowed in Campus Buildings. They may not enter classrooms or offices, nor may they be brought to athletic events. Any exception to this policy must be approved in advance by the Disability Services Committee and the Office of the Provost.

  7. Other Animals

    Other Animals are allowed only in the outside, public grounds areas of campus. Animals must be secured to a leash, cord, chain, or similar direct physical control of a maximum length of six (6) feet, the other end of which is restrained by a person at all times. They may not be brought into University Housing or Campus Buildings. Other Animals may be confined in vehicles parked on campus for a reasonable period of time, as long as the animal is not endangered and does not endanger others or create a public nuisance, e.g. excessive barking. In the event of endangerment to the animal or others, the City of Evansville Animal Care & Control will be contacted for appropriate action.

    The only exception to these policies will be for animals used in teaching or research, and only if the care and use of these animals has been approved by the UE Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) prior to campus arrival.