Middlebury Handbook

Pet Policy and Requirements for “Dogs at Work”

1. Pets are not allowed in Middlebury buildings including residence halls. Service and assistance animals are covered by the Service & Assistance Animal Policy. Exceptions for "dogs at work" are described below.

Animals visiting campus grounds shall be on a leash at all times. Animals may not be left unattended or tied to any objects (e.g., structures, trees, or vehicles). All damages caused by an animal are the responsibility of the owner or guardian of the animal at the time of the damage; repairs will be billed accordingly.

Administrative offices open to the public are considered public spaces, and no animals may be brought into them, except Service Animals.

2. Exception for "Dogs at Work"

Middlebury employees on the College campus in Vermont may bring their dogs to work in accordance with the requirements of this Policy, detailed below.  Dogs demonstrating any aggressive behavior will not be allowed on campus. Bringing a dog to work is a privilege and when other individuals’ health or participation are negatively impacted, this Policy places greater importance on the well-being and full participation of all members of our community than on the preference for bringing a dog to work. Employees may not register dogs that do not belong to them (e.g. friends' or family members' dogs).

Dogs May Not Be Registered In These Buildings (this list is subject to change at any time)

• Peterson Family Athletic Complex
• McCardell Bicentennial Hall (dogs are not allowed in this building at any time)
• The Marble Works
• Emma Willard House
• The Mahaney Center for the Arts (exceptions may be made for specific locations)
• 700 Exchange Street (exceptions may be made for specific locations)
• Davis Library (exceptions may be made for specific locations)

Faculty and staff with private offices or faculty and staff who share an office may bring their dogs to work during business hours only so long as they comply with all of the following requirements:

a. Obtain permission from their supervisor/department chair by completing Part I of the approval and registration form.  To be eligible for approval, employees must have a private office. With the approval of a supervisor or department chair, two employees who share a single office may be permitted to register their dog. However, only one dog is permitted in a single office at any given time.

b. Complete Part II of the registration form and email a scanned copy of the completed form (Parts I and II), plus a digital photograph of their dog, to the Department of Public Safety at publicsafety@middlebury.edu (please write “Dog Registration” in the subject line). Note that the registration process requires that your dog have a current dog license in the owner’s hometown, and that the dog tag or town dog license number be provided to Public Safety.

c. Receive final approval and sign to be hung on door. If you have not received notification of final approval from the Office of General Counsel, your dog has not yet been approved to come to work. 

d. When the dog is on campus, the faculty or staff member is responsible for ensuring that the Conduct Requirements spelled out below are followed.

Conduct Requirements for Dogs At Work Program

• Owners must register any participating dog with the Department of Public Safety.
• Owners must post a sign on the office door when a dog is present. (A sign will be sent in campus mail once the dog registration has received final approval.)
• Owners must ensure that dogs are appropriately cleaned and groomed while on campus.
• Owners are required to clean up after their dogs, both inside and outside the office, and building.
• Owners must keep dogs on leashes at all times when not in their office. Owners are strongly encouraged to crate their dogs if/when they leave them unattended in their office.  Dogs may not be off-leash outside of the owner’s office, including in public areas of a building. Dogs running freely through hallways and buildings is a direct violation of this policy.
• Owners will be financially responsible for any damage or cleaning costs resulting from the dog.
• Custodians will not clean offices where dogs are registered, regardless of how often the dog is present in the office. Owners are responsible for cleaning their own offices.
• Owners must make alternate arrangements to meet with students, co-workers, visitors and/or vendors who are allergic to or uncomfortable when dogs are present in the office. It is the responsibility of the owner to notify visitors beforehand that a dog will be present in the office.

d.  Enforcement.  Concerns about Dogs at Work should be directed to the Vice-President or Dean for the office or program where the dog owner works.  Violation of any of the Conduct Requirements is a basis for terminating the registration of a dog.  Failure to comply with the Conduct Requirements may result in fines, in addition to termination of registration, and repeated violations may be subject to additional sanctions.