Animals in the Workplace
| Applies to: | Original Policy Date: | Date of Last Review: | Approved By: |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Students, Faculty, and Staff | October 2025 | October 2025 | Dr. John Nicklow, President |
Policy Owner: Office of Human Resources
Policy Purpose
To provide guidelines for the presence of animals in the workplace.
Policy Scope
This policy applies to all students, faculty, and staff members of the University. It governs the presence of animals in the workplace, university-sponsored events, and public campus spaces.
Policy Statement
To minimize safety risks and potential liability, animals are generally not permitted in the workplace or at campus events. Exceptions include service animals as defined by the ADA, and non-service animals at approved outdoor events under specific conditions. Emotional Support Animals (ESAs) may be permitted in university housing or workspaces only as part of an approved accommodation under the University’s ESA Policy.
Definitions
Animal – any such living thing other than a human being.
Service animal – an animal used as an accommodation that is individually trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of an individual with a disability.
Workplace – any location where university employees or students perform work-related duties. This includes offices, laboratories, classrooms, meeting rooms, and other university-controlled indoor environments used for instruction, research, administration, or operations.
Public campus spaces – outdoor or indoor areas accessible to the general campus community or visitors, including walkways, courtyards, athletics fields, dining areas, lobbies, and event venues.
Emotional Support Animal (ESA): An ESA is an animal that provides emotional support or alleviates one or more of the identified symptoms or effects of a person’s disability. Unlike service animals, ESAs do not have to be specially trained and are not limited to dogs or miniature horses.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)- prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities.
Related Procedures/Guidelines
Employees seeking ADA accommodations or ESA approval must contact the Office of Human Resources.
Students seeking ADA accommodations or ESA approval should contact the Office of Accessibility Resources (OAR) to ensure proper procedures are followed.
Animal Incident Reporting Procedure
- Purpose: To document and respond to incidents involving animals (e.g., bites, aggressive behavior, property damage).
- Incident reports contact the Department of Security 321-674-8111
Wild Animal and Stray Animal Protocol
Any sightings or encounters with stray, feral, or wild animals on campus should be reported immediately to the Department of Security. Security will assess the situation and coordinate with local animal control or wildlife services as needed. Employees and students should not attempt to feed, capture, or interact with wild or stray animals.
Emergency Shelter and Ride-Out Protocols
During emergency situations such as hurricanes or shelter-in-place orders, animals are not permitted in designated emergency shelters or ride-out locations unless they are service animals. Employees and students are responsible for making appropriate arrangements for their pets during such events. Exceptions may be granted for approved service animals in accordance with ADA guidelines.
Related University Policies
Emotional Support Animal | Florida Tech
Responsibilities
Animals at Campus Events
Non-service animals may be permitted at designated outdoor campus events (e.g., athletic games, festivals) under the following conditions:
- Must be leashed (6 ft or shorter; no retractable leashes) at all times
- Owners assume full liability and may be required to sign a waiver
- Animals must be well-behaved and non-aggressive
- Proof of current rabies vaccination may be required
- Owners must clean up after their animals
- One animal per adult attendee
- Animals must be at least 6 months old
Service animals are exempt from leash length, age, and vaccination requirements unless such restrictions are necessary for safety or health reasons.
Event organizers (including university departments, student organizations, or external partners hosting events on campus) must ensure that any non-service animals permitted at campus events comply with university guidelines, including leash requirements, vaccination status, and behavioral expectations. Individual attendees may be required to submit documentation upon request. Event organizers or third-party participants may be required to provide proof of general liability insurance, including coverage for animal-related incidents, and list Florida Tech as an additional insured.
Office of Human Resources (HR): Facilitates ADA accommodation requests through the University’s external vendor, Symetra, and communicates determinations to the requester.
Campus Safety: Responds to animal-related incidents and coordinates with local authorities for wild or stray animal sightings.
Supervisors: Must ensure that animals are not present in the workplace unless explicitly permitted under ADA or ESA guidelines.
Enforcement
Enforcement is managed by the Office of Human Resources, in coordination with the Department of Security.
Violations of this policy—including bringing animals to campus events without approval, failure to comply with event-specific restrictions, or unsafe animal behavior—may result in:
- Removal of the animal from campus
- Revocation of future animal event privileges
- Corrective action in accordance with university conduct policies