The Animals on Campus Guidelines outline Federation University’s approach to accommodating staff, students and visitors who bring an assistance animal on campus. It also provides guidance on the presence of domestic animals, including pets, companion animals, emotional support animals, and therapy animals.
In Victoria, Equal Opportunity and Disability Discrimination legislation outlines the responsibilities for the University and other duty holders regarding the presences of guide dogs and assistance animals. Occupational Health and Safety legislation details the University’s obligations to manage health and safety risks in the workplace. Additional risk-based legislation also applies, covering areas such as food safety, public health, biosafety and biosecurity.
These Guidelines apply to the whole University community over all locations the University operates.
- Disability DiscriminationAct 1992
- Equal Opportunity Act 2010
- Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)
- Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic)
- Food Act 1984 (Vic)
- Biosecurity Act 2015 and Biosafety Regulations
- Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 (Vic)
- Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic)
| Term | Definition |
| Guide dog | A type of assistance animal specifically trained to assist people who are blind or vision impaired. Guide dogs help their handler navigate safely through various environments by avoiding obstacles, stopping at curbs and stairs, and following directional commands. Guide dogs can also be in training. |
| Assistance animal |
A dog or other animal that:
|
| Domestic animal | An animal that is a pet, companion, emotional support or therapy animal that is not trained as a guide dog, assistance animal and is not considered wildlife, pests, farm animals, an animal being used in research or veterinary patient. |
| Wildlife | Native animals that are not domesticated and live in natural environments. |
| Assistance animal accreditation | A process that formally recognises an animal as trained to assist a person with a disability and allows them access to public places. Animals with accreditation have met specific standards of training, hygiene, and behaviour that allows them to accompany their handler in various settings and assist in varying ways. |
A person who is vision impaired or an individual involved in training a guide dog, may always be accompanied by a guide dog or a guide dog in training and in all public spaces that do not put the guide dog or a person at risk of harm.
A person with a disability must not be unlawfully discriminated against when seeking to be accompanied by an assistance animal.
To support the presence of an assistance animal, the following steps are recommended:
- Verify the animal’s accreditation or training: Accessibility or Facility Services may request relevant information to confirm the assistance animal’s accreditation or formal training.
- Conduct a risk assessment: Identify any potential hazards and assess risks associated with the animal’s presence in the environment.
- Consult with affected individuals: Engage with employees and others in the environment to identify anyone who may be at increased risk of harm or ill health due to the assistance animal.
- Support reasonable adjustments: Implement reasonable adjustments to accommodate individuals who may be affected by the assistance animal’s presence.
- Assess risks to the animal: Identify any hazards that may pose a risk to the assistance animal in the environment and communicate these to the handler.
- Ensure adequate space: Provide sufficient space to accommodate the assistance animal safely and comfortably in the relevant environment.
- Monitor and review controls: Regularly review the effectiveness of any controls implemented to manage risks related to the assistance animal.
Creating and sustaining an animal-friendly workplace involves carefully balancing benefits, risks, rights, and responsibilities. The presence of domestic animals within university buildings requires approval from line managers specific to each environment prior to the animal coming onto campus. Line managers or supervisors are required to consult affected staff before responding to the request. Approval granted for one area does not automatically apply to others across the University and may differ by location.
Approval for domestic animals should never be assumed.
The approval process for each environment should consider:
- Potential risks to other occupants, animals, property, and University operations
- Consultation with affected employees
- Responsibilities of the individual bringing the domestic animal to the University
- Placement of signage or other notifications to inform employees, students, visitors, and other occupants that animals may be present in the area.
Domestic animals and their owners must comply with the following guidelines:
- Your pet should be suitably behaved and restrained on a leash or harness.
- Your pet must not be left unattended for any length of time. It is your responsibility to have your pet with you or find a willing pet-sitter if you are unable to do this.
- Your pet should be house trained before coming to work. If accidents become frequent, you may be asked to refrain from bringing your pet into the office until the issue is satisfactorily resolved.
- Please ensure that you clean up after your pet.
- You should provide ample, clean drinking water for your pet at all times.
- Please feel free to bring your pet’s bed and/or favourite toys to work. This willhelp to prevent boredom and disruptive behaviour.
- In meeting rooms, shared workspaces, open plan offices and hot desk areas where space is quite confined, please be courteous and seek endorsement from those present should you wish to have your pet with you.
- Excessively vocal pets may also have to be taken home. We ask you to be sensitive to other staff and students if your pet becomes disruptive.
- Aggression towards people or other animals will not be tolerated. You may be asked to remove your pet from the campus indefinitely if an indiscretion occurs.
- Domestic animals are not permitted into serving or dining areas.
- Your pet must be appropriately vaccinated.
It is the obligation of Federation University staff to implement reasonable adjustments for any person with a disability within the environments under your management.
It is the obligation of Accessibility Officers to gather appropriate information from individuals requesting an Assistance Animal, including:
- Documentation of the animal’s accreditation and/or training
- Any details necessary to assess potential risks
It is the obligation of Federation University staff to consult with relevant experts and services including:
- Accessibility Services for students requiring an assistance animal
- People & Culture for employees requiring an assistance animal
- Health, Safety and Wellbeing for specialist risk assessment advice
It is the obligation of the person who is handling the assistance animal to:
- Ensure the animal meets the definition and criteria of an assistance animal.
- Have the animal trained to meet the standards of hygiene that are required for an animal in a public place.
- Provide all relevant animal registrations.
- Ensure the animal remains under their control.
- Take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others.
- Adhere to the guidance provided by the university related to health and safety or other obligations.
- Reduce the risk of others impacted by the presence of the assistance animal by informing Course Coordinators, Unit Coordinators, Lecturers, Tutors, staff working in adjoining workspaces, and attendees in learning and teaching environments where practicable.
- Retains liability for any property damage caused by an assistance animal that would typically apply to the animal’s owner/handler.
It is the obligation of the person who is handling the domestic animal to:
- Ensure the animal meets the requirements and approval to attend a university building or location.
- Only attends locations that have been approved by relevant local management.
- Is trained to meet the standards of hygiene and behaviour that are suitable for an animal in a public space.
- Remains under control of the owner/handler at all times.
- Take reasonable care for their own safety and the safety of others.
- Cooperate with the University and actions taken to meet safety and other obligations to ensure that staff, students and visitors are appropriately informed of the domestic animal’s presence in shared areas.
- Accept responsibility for any property damage caused by the domestic animal, consistent with liability that normally applies to the animal’s owner/handler.
If a student or staff member finds an injured native animal on campus:
- Immediately notify Security.
- Security or the person who is tending to the animal may notify a licenced wildlife rescue organisation such as Wildlife Victoria. Phone: 8400 7300 for guidance and assistance.
- Avoid handling the animal unnecessarily to reduce stress and prevent injury to both the animal and the person assisting the animal.
- Secure the animal in a quiet, safe location if possible and if advised to do so, keeping it away from people, pets and noise.
- Do not attempt to provide food, water, or medical treatment, unless instructed to do so by a qualified wildlife carer or vet.
- Cooperate with Universitystaff or wildlife responders in the safe transfer of the animal.
It is the obligation of the person with allergies to animals or zoophobia to:
- Act with reasonable care to protect their own health and safety, avoiding exposure where practicable.
- Take reasonable care for other’s safety.
- Cooperate with the University in its efforts to meet health and safety obligations. This may include notifying Managers or Unit/Course Coordinators of any animal allergies or zoophobia, so that appropriate reasonable adjustmentscan be made.
Accessibility Services
Student Support Reception Phone: 5327 9470
Email: accessibility@federation.edu.au
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
https://federation.edu.au/staff/working-at-feduni/health-safety-and-wellbeing
Contact details: https://federation.edu.au/staff/working-at-feduni/health-safety-and-wellbeing/contact-us
- Chief Operating Officer (as the Approval Authority) is responsible for monitoring the implementation, outcomes and scheduled review of this procedure.
- Director, People and Culture (as the Document Owner) is responsible for maintaining the content of this procedure as delegated by the Approval Authority.
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