Pets and Animals

1. Pets are prohibited from food establishments. Managers of food establishments will be responsible for seeing that pets are kept out of these facilities. In extraordinary cases where customer cooperation becomes difficult, the Department of Public Safety may be requested to assist in enforcing the public health regulation. Also, Environmental Health and Safety may be asked to provide assistance by explaining the public health law to the violator.
2. Pets are prohibited from academic and administrative buildings. Complaints by occupants of academic and administrative buildings regarding pets causing a nuisance may be made to Environmental Health and Safety for investigation. Appropriate action to abate a problem will be taken by notifying the offending person and the department head, chairman, or manager that the current pet policy prohibits pets from all campus buildings. When a pet is brought into a classroom, the person bringing it in shall be asked by the instructor to remove it. If requests for pet removal are ignored, the Department of Public Safety may be asked to intervene.
3. Pets are prohibited from residence halls and apartment complexes. Housing Services staff shall be responsible for controlling pets in these areas. Conference Services staff shall be responsible for controlling pets where conferences are housed. In unusual circumstances, Environmental Health and Safety may be asked to get involved in enforcement proceedings. The Department of Public Safety may be asked to intervene if requests for pet removal are ignored.
4. No person shall allow a pet dog of which he/she is owner or keeper to enter any building on campus. The pet dog shall not enter upon open University property unless the animal is held firmly on a leash or under the full control of its owner, handler or keeper. No animal will be allowed to be unleashed in violation of an order of the Animal Officer. No pet shall be allowed to enter any building on campus.
5. Leash Regulations.
   The purpose of these regulations is to control dogs which run loose or are otherwise unrestrained on the lands of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The following regulations for the control of such dogs are hereby adopted and are to be administered and enforced by the Chancellor of the Amherst campus or his designee.
   1. The owner, keeper or handler shall hold the dog or other pet firmly on a leash or otherwise maintain the immediate physical control of the dog or other pet.
   2. The owner, keeper or handler shall not allow the dog or other pet to do damage to either the body or property of any person or to any property under the care, custody or control of the University.
   3. The owner, keeper or handler shall not allow the dog or other pet to worry, kill, maim or otherwise injure fowl, livestock, horses or domesticated animals.
   4. The owner, keeper or handler of the dog or other pet shall not allow the pet to create a nuisance by reason of vicious disposition, excessive noise or other disturbance. This would include the tying-up of a pet on University property for a period of time while the owner or handler is away from the pet on other “business.”
   5. The dog or other pet shall be licensed in compliance with the laws of the Commonwealth.
   6. UPON VIOLATION OF REGULATIONS: Any person may complain to the Department of Public Safety of the University at Amherst about any dog or other pet involved in a violation of the preceding regulations. Upon receipt of a complaint, an officer from the Department will investigate and may cause to be seized any pet found by him/her to be the subject of a violation of these regulations. The pet will thereupon be transferred to the animal pound in the Town of Amherst. Upon impoundment, or as soon as possible thereafter, the Department of Public Safety will attempt to notify the owner or keeper, if ascertainable from some device on the pet, of such impoundment and of the owner’s or keeper’s right to redeem the pet from the pound upon payment of any required charges to the Town of Amherst pound keeper.
6. Arrangements with Town of Amherst.
   The Department of Public Safety shall make special arrangements with the Town of Amherst for their pet officer to come on campus to enforce the lease law at the request of and on behalf of the University to restrain dogs and other pets whose activities were in violation of University pet policies. Enforcement: The public health, sanitation, and nuisance problems can be controlled by proper pet restraint and enforcement of campus policy on pet animals. The ultimate responsibility for enforcement of the pet policy will rest with the Department of Public Safety.

Source: Sen. Doc. No. 88-053, Sen. Doc. No. 83-016