Dog at School Policy 2024

Purpose

To explain to our school community the rules and procedures we have in place in relation to dogs attending our school grounds.

Policy

Definitions

An assistance dog is trained and certified by a registered organisation to perform tasks or functions that help a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of the disability.

A pet dog relates to any dog that is privately owned in the community for companionate reasons, rather than as a support function that requires specific skills or training.

A stray dog is any dog that is not accompanied by their owner.

Assistance dogs

Moolap Primary School understands its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) and will make reasonable adjustments for members of our school community with a disability who require an ‘assistance animal’ to help alleviate the effects of their disability.  Assistance animals are permitted to attend our school with their handler. Our school Principal can lawfully ask a person to produce evidence that an animal:

• is trained specifically to assist a person to alleviate the effects of a disability (e.g., seeing eye dogs, hearing and physical assistance dogs)
• meets standards of hygiene and behaviour appropriate for a school environment.  

We understand that in some circumstances, students may require an assistance animal to attend school to help them to participate in their educational program. Moolap Primary School will consider a request by a student with a disability to allow an assistance animal to attend school with them on a case-by-case basis. If you would like to discuss this further, please contact the principal on 5248 2284.

Pet dogs

Moolap Primary School is not a public place, and our principal has the authority to permit or decline entry to school grounds and impose conditions of entry.

Whilst Moolap Primary School understands that many families in our school community keep dogs as pets, to ensure that our school remains a safe and inclusive place for everyone, we have in place a number of rules that we expect all families to follow if they wish to bring their pet dog onto school grounds:

• Dogs are not permitted within the school grounds, between 8 am and 4pm unless given approval by the Principal. The exception to this policy is for dogs that assist people with disabilities.
• It is not permitted to tether a dog at the school boundary fence.
• Moolap Primary School promotes and supports programs promoting responsible pet ownership and animal care.

The principal has the authority to prohibit certain dogs from school grounds or modify this policy to ensure the safety and wellbeing of staff, students and members of our school community at any time.

Stray dogs

Unaccompanied or stray dogs sighted at our school should be reported immediately to GAWS / Geelong City Council. School staff will contact municipal authorities and/or Victoria police for assistance in managing and removing a stray dog from school grounds, and ensure staff and students remain safe at school.

Related policies AND RESOURCES

Please see school website for further policies

https://www.moolapps.vic.edu.au/

POLICY REVIEW AND APPROVAL